Waikato Stadium
Encyclopedia
Waikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton
, New Zealand
, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks
Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold up to 5,000 people. The capacity can be extended, however, by temporarily adding 5,000 seats to the Goal Line Terrace area. The stadium, owned by the Hamilton City Council, regularly hosts two rugby union
teams:
match between Waikato
and Great Britain
was first broadcast on the radio in Hamilton
. In 1937, South Africa
visited Hamilton in front of a record crowd of 13,000 at Rugby Park. One of the most memorable events happened in 1956 with Waikato beating the Springboks and 31,000 people in attendance. In 1958, Rugby Park commenced the upgrade of a new grandstand which opened in 1959. In 1996, the city of Hamilton
announced plans to replace both Rugby Park and the city's major cricket
venue, Westpac Park, with a single large oval stadium at the Rugby Park site. However, the city had second thoughts upon discovering that it only had commitments for NZ$
270 million in funding, far short of the estimated NZ$520 million cost. It then decided instead to rebuild both stadiums on a smaller scale, reducing the total cost to NZ$30 million.
In 1981, Rugby Park hosted part of the infamous 1981 Springbok tour where the match was cancelled due to the pitch being invaded by protesters. 1987 saw Rugby Park host its first Rugby World Cup
match, Fiji v Argentina. In 1996, the Waikato Regional Sports and Event Centre Trust were formed as it was decided that the city required a new sports stadium to attract more sports fixtures and events. In 2000, the construction of Waikato Stadium commenced, and in 2002, Waikato Stadium officially opened with a Super 12 rugby match between the Chiefs
and Crusaders.
. It is the home of the Waikato
Air New Zealand Cup team, the Chiefs
team in the Super 14
competition, and on occasion hosts international fixtures for the New Zealand All Blacks
. It has also been the home ground for Waikato FC
in New Zealand Football Championship
(NZFC), and has hosted matches for the New Zealand Warriors
rugby league
team in the National Rugby League
(NRL).
Waikato Stadium also caters for private functions and events within its many different facilities. Such services include: Gallagher Lounge, Bronze Lounge, Genesis Energy Lounge, Radio Sport Lounge, Clarke Lounge, Network Lounge, Boardroom and TV Commentary Room.
Waikato Stadium (then known as Rugby Park) was host to one of the matches during the 1981 Springbok Tour
. However, the game against Waikato was called off in front of a full house at Rugby Park. A pitch invasion by several hundred anti-tour protestors and rumours that a light aircraft had been stolen from Taupo and was headed for Rugby Park proved too much for the authorities.
Since 2002, Waikato Stadium has been host to a variety of events ranging from sporting events to cultural events. This includes: Men’s and Women’s International rugby, NPC rugby, Kingz and Wellington Phoenix football, Impact World Tour, Habitat for Humanity, Super 12 rugby, Summer Jam, Volcanic Paintball, Crusty Demons
, Super 14
rugby, WIPSEC Cultural Concert, Regional/National Marching Championship, NRL New Zealand Warriors
, Waikato FC
NZFC matches, Kiwi Bowl Gridiron and International football.
It was one of four host stadiums of the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
, hosting six group matches and two quarter-finals. Waikato Stadium also hosted three important pool matches for the Rugby World Cup 2011 — Wales vs. Samoa, Wales vs. Fiji, and New Zealand vs. Japan.
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, 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...
, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks
WEL Networks
WEL Networks Limited is an electricity distribution company, serving the Waikato Region in New Zealand. WEL is the fifth largest electricity distribution companies in New Zealand, with over 80,000 connections and 4,900 km of lines....
Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold up to 5,000 people. The capacity can be extended, however, by temporarily adding 5,000 seats to the Goal Line Terrace area. The stadium, owned by the Hamilton City Council, regularly hosts two rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams:
- The ChiefsChiefs (Super rugby franchise)The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition - The WaikatoWaikato Rugby UnionThe Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
side in the country's top provincial rugby competition, the Air New Zealand CupAir New Zealand CupThe ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
History
In 1925, Rugby Park opened. In 1930, a rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match between Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
was first broadcast on the radio in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
. In 1937, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
visited Hamilton in front of a record crowd of 13,000 at Rugby Park. One of the most memorable events happened in 1956 with Waikato beating the Springboks and 31,000 people in attendance. In 1958, Rugby Park commenced the upgrade of a new grandstand which opened in 1959. In 1996, the city of Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
announced plans to replace both Rugby Park and the city's major 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...
venue, Westpac Park, with a single large oval stadium at the Rugby Park site. However, the city had second thoughts upon discovering that it only had commitments for NZ$
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
270 million in funding, far short of the estimated NZ$520 million cost. It then decided instead to rebuild both stadiums on a smaller scale, reducing the total cost to NZ$30 million.
In 1981, Rugby Park hosted part of the infamous 1981 Springbok tour where the match was cancelled due to the pitch being invaded by protesters. 1987 saw Rugby Park host its first Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
match, Fiji v Argentina. In 1996, the Waikato Regional Sports and Event Centre Trust were formed as it was decided that the city required a new sports stadium to attract more sports fixtures and events. In 2000, the construction of Waikato Stadium commenced, and in 2002, Waikato Stadium officially opened with a Super 12 rugby match between the Chiefs
Chiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
and Crusaders.
Facilities
Waikato Stadium is a multi-purpose facility, though used mainly for rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. It is the home of the Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
Air New Zealand Cup team, the Chiefs
Chiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
team in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition, and on occasion hosts international fixtures for the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. It has also been the home ground for Waikato FC
Waikato FC
Waikato Football Club, currently known as Yardhouse Waikato Football Club due to sponsorship agreements, is a football club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the ASB Premiership...
in New Zealand Football Championship
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
(NZFC), and has hosted matches for the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
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...
team in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL).
Waikato Stadium also caters for private functions and events within its many different facilities. Such services include: Gallagher Lounge, Bronze Lounge, Genesis Energy Lounge, Radio Sport Lounge, Clarke Lounge, Network Lounge, Boardroom and TV Commentary Room.
Notable events
1981 Springbok Tour
The 1981 South African rugby union tour of New Zealand was a controversial tour of New Zealand by the South Africa national rugby union team, known as "the Springboks"...
. However, the game against Waikato was called off in front of a full house at Rugby Park. A pitch invasion by several hundred anti-tour protestors and rumours that a light aircraft had been stolen from Taupo and was headed for Rugby Park proved too much for the authorities.
Since 2002, Waikato Stadium has been host to a variety of events ranging from sporting events to cultural events. This includes: Men’s and Women’s International rugby, NPC rugby, Kingz and Wellington Phoenix football, Impact World Tour, Habitat for Humanity, Super 12 rugby, Summer Jam, Volcanic Paintball, Crusty Demons
Crusty Demons
The Crusty Demons are a group of daredevil freestyle motorcyclists from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Boise2011- Background :...
, Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
rugby, WIPSEC Cultural Concert, Regional/National Marching Championship, NRL New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, Waikato FC
Waikato FC
Waikato Football Club, currently known as Yardhouse Waikato Football Club due to sponsorship agreements, is a football club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the ASB Premiership...
NZFC matches, Kiwi Bowl Gridiron and International football.
It was one of four host stadiums of the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:All times local -Quarterfinals:-----------------Semifinals:---------3rd Place Playoff:----...
, hosting six group matches and two quarter-finals. Waikato Stadium also hosted three important pool matches for the Rugby World Cup 2011 — Wales vs. Samoa, Wales vs. Fiji, and New Zealand vs. Japan.