Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger needs to realise it’s not 1974 anymore.

That was the year that Christchurch hosted the Commonwealth Games.

But, no sooner had the premier of Victoria announced yesterday that his state government was pulling the plug on hosting the 2026 games because a cost blow-out, Phil Mauger was banging on about Christchurch putting its hand up.

This is not a new thing for Phil. During the election campaign last year, he said multiple times that one of his big dreams for Christchurch was hosting the Commonwealth Games again.

It’s a dream Phil has had from his days growing up across the road from the old QEII complex and going over there every day to watch the stadium and other facilities being built for the games.

But that was then. Hosting the games these days is a very different proposition to what it was back in ‘74.

And from what rowing legend Eric Murray was saying on TV last night, it’s not necessarily the cost of the stadiums and things that send the budgets through the roof. It's all the other things such as athletes’ accommodation and training villages that can chew through the money.

Because you think about where the athletes stayed in Christchurch during the ‘74 games. It was the student accommodation at the University of Canterbury. Which I’m sure was fine back then - but can you imagine today’s athletes being happy with that?

Of course they wouldn’t. Because, over the past 50 years, everyone’s become accustomed to - and expects - everything to be brand new.

Back in 1974, Christchurch was the smallest city ever to host the Commonwealth Games. And it cost a truckload of money back then.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Phil Mauger acknowledge this, but the ‘74 games were a financial disaster for Christchurch.

Yes, they were deemed a success in terms of the event itself. And I know people who were around then talk about the vibe in Christchurch being brilliant and how exciting it all was.

But the financial side of it - as far as Christchurch was concerned - was a disaster.

The powers-that-be in Christchurch had asked the Games Federation for permission to get sponsors on board. But the games people weren’t up for that, because they thought it would take away from the amateur nature of the games. A bit too professional.

So what happened, was poor old Christchurch had to suck up the costs and after everyone packed up and went back home, the city was left with a debt of well over what would be about $120 million in today’s money.

And Christchurch carried debt from hosting the Games all the way through until 1990, when the government of the day finally stepped-in and cleared it with some lotteries funding.

Which, of course, would have been timed to happen when Auckland was hosting the Commonwealth Games and to make sure Christchurch didn’t spoil the party by banging on about still being in debt 16 years down the track from the ‘74 games.

The argument Phil Mauger makes is that, in Christchurch anyway, money wouldn’t have to be poured into new facilities because they’re being built already.

The new Metro Sports facility would be an obvious location for swimming and diving. And then there’s the new stadium, of course.

But I’m not sure how much of a jewel that would be in Christchurch’s Commonwealth Games crown because, going through the list of sports at the last games in Birmingham, there’s only one that could be hosted at the new stadium. Which is Rugby 7s.

That’s because the new stadium isn’t going to have a running track. So, when it comes down to it, Christchurch is a bit of a limited offering.

Which is why, as far as I’m concerned, any talk of Christchurch hosting the Commonwealth Games in some capacity, is a lost cause. And Phil needs to accept that and move on.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.