The Wallabies will launch their Rugby World Cup campaign in Auckland after their opening pool match against Italy was switched from Christchurch to North Harbour Stadium.

Australia had been scheduled to play two of the five pool matches set down for Christchurch's AMI Stadium, which has been scratched as a tournament venue due to damage from last month's horrific earthquake.

The Wallabies are now set to base themselves in Auckland at the start of the tournament as they play Italy at North Harbour on September 11 and Ireland at Eden Park on September 17.

Their final pool game, against Russia on October 1, has been moved from AMI Stadium to Nelson's Trafalgar Park.

Tournament organisers confirmed a fortnight ago the two quarter-finals earmarked for Christchurch would instead be played in Auckland on October 8 and 9.

South Island cities Nelson, Dunedin and Invercargill will now all pick up an extra pool match while Wellington also gains an extra match.

The rescheduled matches will see England play two matches in Dunedin, against Argentina on September 10 and Georgia in Dunedin on September 18, while Argentina meet Scotland in Wellington on September 25.

As part of the rescheduling, Scotland's September 14 clash against Georgia was moved from the new roofed Otago Stadium in Dunedin to Invercargill.

"Our desire was always to transfer as many of the Christchurch pool matches as was reasonably possible to other existing South Island venues," said RNZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden.

RNZ 2011 also announced the yet-to-be-completed Otago Stadium met criteria to be confirmed as a match venue.

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