Eden Park
Encyclopedia
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland
, New Zealand
. It is used primarily for rugby union
in winter and cricket
in summer (although most domestic cricket games are played on the Outer Oval, which is situated next to the main stadium). The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league
matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch
is removable. The ground is located three kilometres southwest of Auckland's CBD
, straddling the boundary between the Kingsland
and Mount Eden
suburbs.
It became the first stadium to host two Rugby World Cup Final
s in 2011
, having held the inaugural final in 1987
. It was also the venue for the Rugby League World Cup
final in 1988.
s and One Day International cricket matches.
In 1950, Eden Park was the principal venue for the IV
British Empire Games
, where the Opening Ceremony and the Track and Field Events were held.
In 1981, Eden Park was buzzed by a Cessna light airplane on the occasion of the third and final New Zealand v. South African test match of the South African Springbok rugby tour. The pilot, who was a staunch anti-apartheid activist, had threatened to land the plane on the pitch, but instead just dumped onto the field leaflets, flares, a parachute-supported banner reading "Biko", and flour bombs, one of which felled a New Zealand player.
The original grandstand that was situated at the north-west corner of the main ground was relocated to the west side of the number two ground in the late 1980s. The number two ground also served as supplemental car parking at major sporting events.
Eden Park is the home of the Blues Super Rugby team, and has also been the home of the Auckland Rugby Football Union
since 1925, hosting Auckland's home games in the NPC
and its successor the ITM Cup. The ground has also been a frequent host of international test rugby. It hosted the final match of the Rugby World Cup
. In a switch of codes, Eden Park hosted the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final between New Zealand
and Australia which drew a sell out crowd.
An American college football
game, the Haka Bowl
, was scheduled to be played at Eden Park in 1996, but was cancelled because the organisers could not make required financial guarantees. It would have been the first collegiate American football
game in New Zealand, and the first "bowl game" anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is scheduled to be the focal point of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with the opening ceremony, first pool game, two quarter finals, both semi finals, the third-place play-off and the final taking place at Eden Park, as well as numerous other pool games.
Eden Park is a very successful venue for the All Blacks. They have won 56 of the 69 test matches played there which is about 81%. The All Blacks have not lost there since their defeat against France
in 1994.
, and 47,500 for rugby. This is the largest of any New Zealand sports arena. There are no standing areas. Temporary seating in front of the ASB Stand and the West Stand (usually only used for international rugby matches) is required for the capacity of 45,472 to be reached. Due to sight-screens and the larger area required for cricket matches, cricket capacity is less.
A $256 million redevelopment was completed in October 2010, providing a permanent capacity of 50,000 and ability to add a further 10,000 temporary seats for the 2011 Rugby World Cup finals.
The redevelopment project includes a new three-tier South stand that will replace the old South and South West stands with a capacity of 24,000 and a new three-tier East stand to replace the Terraces. The number of covered seats will increase from 23,000 to 38,000. The redeveloped Eden Park will also feature an internal concourse that will allow people to circulate around the grounds inside the stadium and world-class facilities, including food and beverage outlets, toilets and corporate areas, are being promised. Public transport upgrades are also planned, including a transport hub, featuring a pedestrian bridge between the stadium and Kingsland Station
, and a bus drop-off area. The open plan approach to the design and establishment of a community centre and green space, as well as the removal of the perimeter fence
, all mean that the stadium is set to become more publicly accessible and a part of the neighbourhood.
There have been public concerns about the height of the new structure and its shading effect on many nearby houses. Auckland City Council announced that it had received 470 submissions towards Eden Park's resource consent
application – over 300 of which were in favour of the redevelopment. On 26 January 2007, Eden Park received resource consent, but 91 conditions were imposed. The consent permits the building of new stands in place of the terraces and south stand, but does not include consent for the NZ$ 385 million 'full option' which would include covered seating.
on Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup
. This assessment was part of the Government's formal due diligence process on the decision to redevelop Eden Park. The Government had said it would assist with the funding if a new stadium was built.
The Government
announced in a report in November 2006 that it would favour a new stadium on the Auckland City waterfront, which would have meant that the Eden Park redevelopment would not have gone ahead, and that eventually, new options for its use or redevelopment would have to be developed.
After the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Council differed in their support for the new stadium, the Government changed to supporting the redevelopment of Eden Park, subject to suitable resolution of the design, funding and governance issues.
, the two quarter final matches (scheduled to be held in the AMI Stadium in Christchurch), were moved to Eden Park. Eden Park therefore played host to the opening ceremony and also hosted the following 11 matches:
On October 23rd 2011, Eden Park became the first ground to host two Rugby World Cup finals, after hosting the inaugural tournament final in 1987
. Also, the four teams that reached the semi-finals in 2011 were the same teams that reached the semi-finals in 1987. Furthermore, the third-place and final matches consist of the same national teams as in 1987.
which will jointly be hosted by Australia
and New Zealand
.
played their first ever NRL match at Eden Park to start the 2011 NRL season
in front of a crowd of 38,405. The Warriors will once again start their season with their first home match of the 2012 season at Eden Park.
International Rugby League has also played at this venue. Including the 1985/1988 World Cup final and two Four Nations
matches in 2010. All Rugby League matches have pulled crowds over 44,000.
in 1947 and 1957 respectively, and an Olympic qualifier against for the Seoul Olympics
in 1988. They were defeated in all three games.
On the 19th of November 2011, Eden Park hosted its first game of professional club football. The A-League
regular season fixture between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United resulted in a 1-1 draw. The game attracted 20,078 supporters, a new attendance record for the Phoenix.
Auckland's A-League club, the New Zealand Knights, played at North Harbour Stadium
in the outer northern suburb of Albany
, before they folded in 2007.
|-
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
, 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...
. It is used primarily for 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...
in winter 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...
in summer (although most domestic cricket games are played on the Outer Oval, which is situated next to the main stadium). The ground also occasionally hostts 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...
matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch
Cricket 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...
is removable. The ground is located three kilometres southwest of Auckland's CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, straddling the boundary between the Kingsland
Kingsland, New Zealand
Kingsland is an Auckland City suburb in New Zealand. Kingsland is under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. According to the 2001 census, Kingsland has a population of 4005 people....
and Mount Eden
Mount Eden
Mount Eden is the name of a cinder cone and surrounding suburb in Auckland City, New Zealand, situated five kilometres south of the city centre. The mountain is the highest natural point in the whole of Auckland...
suburbs.
It became the first stadium to host two Rugby World Cup Final
Rugby World Cup Final
The Rugby World Cup Final is the most important rugby union match in the world. Played every four years, it determines the World Champions.-Results:-----------------------------Players who have played in more than one Final:...
s in 2011
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
, having held the inaugural final in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. It was also the venue for the Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
final in 1988.
History
The Eden Park area has been in use for sport since around 1900. Eden Park has been the home to Auckland Cricket since 1910, and has also hosted many international TestTest cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
s and One Day International cricket matches.
In 1950, Eden Park was the principal venue for the IV
1950 British Empire Games
The 1950 British Empire Games was the fourth edition of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand between the 4th and 11th of February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the 3rd edition of the games...
British Empire Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, where the Opening Ceremony and the Track and Field Events were held.
In 1981, Eden Park was buzzed by a Cessna light airplane on the occasion of the third and final New Zealand v. South African test match of the South African Springbok rugby tour. The pilot, who was a staunch anti-apartheid activist, had threatened to land the plane on the pitch, but instead just dumped onto the field leaflets, flares, a parachute-supported banner reading "Biko", and flour bombs, one of which felled a New Zealand player.
The original grandstand that was situated at the north-west corner of the main ground was relocated to the west side of the number two ground in the late 1980s. The number two ground also served as supplemental car parking at major sporting events.
Eden Park is the home of the Blues Super Rugby team, and has also been the home of the Auckland Rugby Football Union
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
since 1925, hosting Auckland's home games in the NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
and its successor the ITM Cup. The ground has also been a frequent host of international test rugby. It hosted the final match of the Rugby World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. In a switch of codes, Eden Park hosted the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final between New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
and Australia which drew a sell out crowd.
An American college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game, the Haka Bowl
Haka Bowl
The Haka Bowl was a proposed American college football game scheduled to be played in New Zealand in 1996.Named for the traditional Māori haka, and promoted by NFL linebacker Riki Ellison, the Haka Bowl was planned to be the first post-season bowl game to be played outside the United States in half...
, was scheduled to be played at Eden Park in 1996, but was cancelled because the organisers could not make required financial guarantees. It would have been the first collegiate American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game in New Zealand, and the first "bowl game" anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is scheduled to be the focal point of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with the opening ceremony, first pool game, two quarter finals, both semi finals, the third-place play-off and the final taking place at Eden Park, as well as numerous other pool games.
Eden Park is a very successful venue for the All Blacks. They have won 56 of the 69 test matches played there which is about 81%. The All Blacks have not lost there since their defeat against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1994.
Redevelopment Plans
Capacity
Eden Park used to have a crowd capacity of 42,000 for cricketCricket
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...
, and 47,500 for rugby. This is the largest of any New Zealand sports arena. There are no standing areas. Temporary seating in front of the ASB Stand and the West Stand (usually only used for international rugby matches) is required for the capacity of 45,472 to be reached. Due to sight-screens and the larger area required for cricket matches, cricket capacity is less.
A $256 million redevelopment was completed in October 2010, providing a permanent capacity of 50,000 and ability to add a further 10,000 temporary seats for the 2011 Rugby World Cup finals.
Expansion
Kingsland Train Station
Kingsland Railway Station is on the Western Line of the Auckland railway network. It is near Eden Park, the major rugby stadium in Auckland. The station has a side platform layout and is reached from both New North Road & Sandringham Road....
, and a bus drop-off area. The open plan approach to the design and establishment of a community centre and green space, as well as the removal of the perimeter fence
Perimeter fence
A perimeter fence is a structure that circles the perimeter of an area to prevent access. These fences are frequently made out of single vertical metal bars connected at the top and bottom with a horizontal bar. They often have spikes on the top to prevent climbing. Residential perimeter fences are...
, all mean that the stadium is set to become more publicly accessible and a part of the neighbourhood.
There have been public concerns about the height of the new structure and its shading effect on many nearby houses. Auckland City Council announced that it had received 470 submissions towards Eden Park's resource consent
Resource consent
A resource consent is the authorisation given to certain activities or uses of natural and physical resources required under the New Zealand Resource Management Act . Some activities may either be specifically authorised by the RMA or be permitted activities authorised by rules in plans...
application – over 300 of which were in favour of the redevelopment. On 26 January 2007, Eden Park received resource consent, but 91 conditions were imposed. The consent permits the building of new stands in place of the terraces and south stand, but does not include consent for the NZ$ 385 million 'full option' which would include covered seating.
Possible alternative stadium for the RWC
In September 2006 it was announced that instead of Eden Park, the Government and Auckland City Council were assessing the possibility of a new stadiumStadium New Zealand
Stadium New Zealand, often called the Waterfront Stadium, was the provisional name for a national stadium proposed for Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The stadium never advanced beyond a concept design....
on Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
. This assessment was part of the Government's formal due diligence process on the decision to redevelop Eden Park. The Government had said it would assist with the funding if a new stadium was built.
The Government
Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand between 10 December 1999 and 19 November 2008.-Overview:The fourth National government, in power since 1990, was widely unpopular by 1999, with much of the public antagonised by a series of free-market economic reforms,...
announced in a report in November 2006 that it would favour a new stadium on the Auckland City waterfront, which would have meant that the Eden Park redevelopment would not have gone ahead, and that eventually, new options for its use or redevelopment would have to be developed.
After the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Council differed in their support for the new stadium, the Government changed to supporting the redevelopment of Eden Park, subject to suitable resolution of the design, funding and governance issues.
IRB Rugby World Cup 2011
Eden Park was the largest stadium selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. After the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes2011 Christchurch earthquake
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at on local time , The earthquake was centred west of the town of Lyttelton, and south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous...
, the two quarter final matches (scheduled to be held in the AMI Stadium in Christchurch), were moved to Eden Park. Eden Park therefore played host to the opening ceremony and also hosted the following 11 matches:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-09-09 | 41–10 | Pool A (opening match) | 60,214 | ||
| 2011-09-17 | 6–15 | Pool C | 58,678 | ||
| 2011-09-24 | 37–17 | Pool A | 60,856 | ||
| 2011-09-25 | 7–27 | Pool D | 60,327 | ||
| 2011-10-01 | 16–12 | Pool B | 58,213 | ||
| 2011-10-08 | 12–19 | Quarter Final 2 | 49,105 | ||
| 2011-10-09 | 33–10 | Quarter Final 4 | 57,192 | ||
| 2011-10-15 | 8–9 | Semi Final 1 | 58,630 | ||
| 2011-10-16 | 6–20 | Semi Final 2 | 60,087 | ||
| 2011-10-21 | 18–21 | Bronze Final | 53,014 | ||
| 2011-10-23 | 8-7 | Final 2011 Rugby World Cup Final The 2011 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match between France and New Zealand, the final match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It was played on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, and was won 8–7 by New Zealand, who thus won the World Cup.The New Zealand All Blacks... |
61,079 |
On October 23rd 2011, Eden Park became the first ground to host two Rugby World Cup finals, after hosting the inaugural tournament final in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. Also, the four teams that reached the semi-finals in 2011 were the same teams that reached the semi-finals in 1987. Furthermore, the third-place and final matches consist of the same national teams as in 1987.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
This stadium has also been selected for the 2015 Cricket World Cup2015 Cricket World Cup
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup, and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The location of the games will be evenly split, with the location of the final yet to be decided....
which will jointly be hosted by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and 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...
.
Rugby League
The New Zealand WarriorsNew 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...
played their first ever NRL match at Eden Park to start the 2011 NRL season
2011 NRL season
The 2011 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth run by the National Rugby League. The NRL's main championship, called the 2011 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, was contested by sixteen teams for the...
in front of a crowd of 38,405. The Warriors will once again start their season with their first home match of the 2012 season at Eden Park.
International Rugby League has also played at this venue. Including the 1985/1988 World Cup final and two Four Nations
Rugby League Four Nations
The Rugby League Four Nations is an annual rugby league football tournament run in partnership between the Australian Rugby League, Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League representing the top three nations in the sport: Australia, England and New Zealand. A fourth partner, France,...
matches in 2010. All Rugby League matches have pulled crowds over 44,000.
Football
Eden Park has played host to three National Team games; friendlies against and FK Austria WienFK Austria Wien
Fußballklub Austria Wien is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. They are considered the most successful club in Austria, having won the highest Austrian Bundesliga 23 times, the Austrian Cup 27 times and the Austrian Supercup 6 times. They also reached the UEFA...
in 1947 and 1957 respectively, and an Olympic qualifier against for the Seoul Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in 1988. They were defeated in all three games.
On the 19th of November 2011, Eden Park hosted its first game of professional club football. The A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
regular season fixture between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United resulted in a 1-1 draw. The game attracted 20,078 supporters, a new attendance record for the Phoenix.
Auckland's A-League club, the New Zealand Knights, played at North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape....
in the outer northern suburb of Albany
Albany, New Zealand
Albany is a northern suburb of Auckland, one of the several cities in northern New Zealand. The name derives from Alba and its Latinisation. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the...
, before they folded in 2007.
See also
- 2011 Rugby World Cup2011 Rugby World CupThe 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
- Stadium New ZealandStadium New ZealandStadium New Zealand, often called the Waterfront Stadium, was the provisional name for a national stadium proposed for Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The stadium never advanced beyond a concept design....
- List of Test cricket grounds
- List of international cricket centuries at Eden Park
- 1985/1988 World Cup
External links
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