OPINION: The closure of Taranaki's Yarrow Stadium is obviously a 'tragedy' in that rugby won't be played at its traditional home this year.
Believe me, I am gutted - nobody loves Rugby Park more than me.
I grew up down the hill, I remember the 1981 Springbok game, the 1992 Second Division final, the 1996 Shield defence.
I remember game after game with Kieran 'Colt' Crowley punting a dripping wet leather Adidas Universal and it sounded like a shotgun was going off in the beautiful natural amphitheatre.
There is nothing like a game at Rugby Park when there is a decent game of code on and the mountain is out in its full glory - the loss of which is a rugby tragedy that makes me sad.
But if you think about it, it could have been much worse - there could have been an actual tragedy. And that makes me angry.
The stand has been condemned - it is unsafe. The key question is: how long has it been unsafe for?
Let's not mince words here - it is a potential death trap. If something went wrong at the wrong time, people could have died. From the sounds of things, it should never have been built there in the first place.
Someone needs to be held to account for the risk people unknowingly faced every time a game was on, and somebody needs to be held to account for the disastrous position this now leaves Taranaki Rugby in.
The team have been let down - it puts their season in jeopardy. The supporters have been let down - they have nowhere to go. And the sponsors have been let down - they have money on the line.
The Taranaki Regional Council and the Stadium Trust have huge questions to answer. Millions and millions of dollars have been wasted.
You can just see the legal challenges coming.
A death-trap stadium and shattered rugby dreams - a true Taranaki tragedy.
Patrick Gower is Newshub's National Correspondent
