England team operations manager Gavin Dovey visited the stadium yesterday as part of a whirlwind tour of New Zealand to check on facilities for the team at next year's Rugby World Cup.
Though the stadium is far from finished, Dovey said he was very impressed with what he saw.
"It's very exciting with all the modern technology and the roof, and it is a unique stadium. In the United Kingdom, we have some tremendous stadiums through rugby and football but we are lucky . . . that we are going to play here at the World Cup," he said.
England is due to play either Romania or Uruguay on September 24 in Dunedin.
Dovey said there was plenty of excitment in England about the World Cup and he was sure plenty of supporters would be coming down to the tournament.
"The way England supporters are, they really let you know they are in town."
Dovey has also visited Christchurch, where the team will be based next year, and Queenstown, and will visit Auckland before heading back to England.
Yesterday he also visited Moana Pool, Carisbrook and the Edgar Centre, which will be used as training facilities.
The facilities he had seen in New Zealand were impressive.
"The southern hemisphere has always been able to produce great athletes, so that must have something to do with the facilities and stadiums they have."
