AusLeisure

Wellington's Westpac Stadium has passed safety tests and will host Saturday's Rugby Championship tie between the All Blacks and Australia.

The venue, which was closed as a precautionary measure in the wake of last Friday's earthquake, was granted approval following a detailed engineering assessment for the sold-out match expected to draw 38,000 fans.

New Zealand Rugby Union Chief Executive Steve Tew explained in a statement, "it's great news we can host a sell-out crowd in a safe stadium as planned.

"Public safety is of paramount importance to us, so it was essential we received reassurances from engineers before continuing with our planning."

The Stadium suffered minor damage, such as chipped concrete and broken glassware, but repairing would be complete well before the match, Stadium Chief Executive Shane Harmon told the ABC.

Harmon explained "we can assure ticket-holders that the stadium is structurally sound and that there is no greater level of risk than existed before the recent earthquakes.

"Our engineers have said that the building has performed as expected."

19th August 2013 - WELLINGTON EARTHQUAKE THREATENS SECOND BLEDISLOE CUP TEST AT WESTPAC STADIUM

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