Steve Tew says All Black management wanted to play an international opponent, and a trial game or a North-South match would not have brought the same benefits for the side.
The New Zealand Rugby Union announced yesterday the All Blacks would play Fiji at Carisbrook on July 22, the first Friday-night test to be played at the ground, and are hoping to raise $500,000 from the game.
Tew, the New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive, said the test would be valuable for the All Blacks' preparation for challenges later in the year and would also raise funds for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake. All net profits from the match would go to the Christchurch earthquake relief fund with a target of $500,000 set.
"We think that it is a realistic target to set but of course all that depends on how well we can sell out the ground. But we have had very good support from Dunedin people over the past couple of years so we know there is support down there for test rugby," he said.
Tickets to the test would be priced from $50-$115, and $25 for children, and there would be a special early bird period for people in the Otago-Southland-Canterbury region to buy tickets.
Labelled tickets south of the Hurunui, they will go on sale late next month, with tickets going on general sale across New Zealand on June 20.
The All Black coaching team was very keen to have a game against an international opponent to test combinations and get into test mode before the Tri-Nations started the following week.
"And also, if they played a New Zealand B team or Barbarians team, it would take another 25 to 30 players out of the ITM Cup and I don't think that does anything for the integrity of that competition."
Tew said a North-South game was a good concept but it was hard fitting it into the playing window.
He said final confirmation of Fiji as the opponent had been delayed as the union worked through issues relating to the New Zealand Government's travel restrictions on some Fijian citizens.
The Fijian union would field a competitive and full strength team, coming straight out of the Pacific Nations Cup tournament.
The union had not asked the Government for any exemption to the travel ban in place, Tew said.
The national union would also host members of the Christchurch earthquake relief team at the test, giving them a chance to go to the rugby for the night and to thank them for all their efforts.
The All Blacks wanted to play a game in the South Island so people in the South Island could get to see the national side in action this year, Tew said.
The union had looked at staging the match at Forsyth Barr Stadium but it would not be quite completed in time, Tew said.
