Owen Delany Park
Encyclopedia
Owen Delany Park is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Taupo
, New Zealand
. The main sports are Rugby
and Cricket
though, several other sports are accommodated on a permanent basis with numerous other events on an oneoff basis.
Taupo Borough Council named the new sports ground Owen Delany Park in recognition of the time and effort Owen put into the establishment of the park and also his involvement in numerous other sports in Taupo over the previous thirty years.
in the centre and a grass Athletics track forming the boundary. A further two levels of grass surface provide up to five alternate rugby fields and three artificial cricket pitches.
The is also an indoor stadium which houses a Gymnastics
facility, an outdoor bitumen Velodrome
and outdoor Netball
courts, there is also a Dog obedience facility and numerous sports club buildings within the confines of the park.
and the Northern Districts Cricket Association each use the ground several times a year for matches involving their premier teams and also utilise the facility for junior teams, training and development.
In 1994
King Country hosted South Africa
in the first match of their tour of New Zealand. This was South Africas first game in New Zealand since the controversial 1981 tour.
In 1999, 2000 and 2001 the New Zealand Cricket team played One Day International games at the park utilising the lighting facilities for the day-night fixtures.
The main stadium has been configured numerous times to host other sports such as Association football, Rugby League
and Archery
. Concerts and other public and social events are also held at the ground when a larger sized venue is required.
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The main sports are Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
though, several other sports are accommodated on a permanent basis with numerous other events on an oneoff basis.
History
The park is named for Owen Delany who was a dominant figure of the Taupo sporting scene since 1953 when he formed the United Wanderers Cricket Club. In 1954 he reformed the Taupo Rugby Football club.Taupo Borough Council named the new sports ground Owen Delany Park in recognition of the time and effort Owen put into the establishment of the park and also his involvement in numerous other sports in Taupo over the previous thirty years.
Ground
The park itself covers several hectares of land on the North-eastern outskirts of Taupo. The main stadium contains a partially covered grandstand with 90 percent of the remaining perimeter formed as a raised grass embankment. The playing surface contains a Rugby field with a cricket pitchCricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
in the centre and a grass Athletics track forming the boundary. A further two levels of grass surface provide up to five alternate rugby fields and three artificial cricket pitches.
The is also an indoor stadium which houses a Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
facility, an outdoor bitumen Velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
and outdoor Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
courts, there is also a Dog obedience facility and numerous sports club buildings within the confines of the park.
Primary
The King Country Rugby UnionKing Country Rugby Football Union
The King Country Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located in the central North Island of New Zealand...
and the Northern Districts Cricket Association each use the ground several times a year for matches involving their premier teams and also utilise the facility for junior teams, training and development.
In 1994
1994 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand
-Matches:-Touring party:*Coach: Ian McIntosh*Assistant Coach: Gysie Pienaar*Manager: Jannie Engelbrecht*Captain: Francois Pienaar-Backs:Gavin Johnson, Andre Joubert, Theo van Rensburg, Chris Badenhorst, James Small, JF van der Westhuizen, Chester Williams, Jannie Claassens, Francois Meiring, Japie...
King Country hosted South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in the first match of their tour of New Zealand. This was South Africas first game in New Zealand since the controversial 1981 tour.
In 1999, 2000 and 2001 the New Zealand Cricket team played One Day International games at the park utilising the lighting facilities for the day-night fixtures.
Secondary
Various local sports clubs utilise the park on a weekly and seasonal basis providing competition on a local and national level.The main stadium has been configured numerous times to host other sports such as Association football, Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and Archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. Concerts and other public and social events are also held at the ground when a larger sized venue is required.