Rugby Park Stadium: Difference between revisions

Rugby Park
Roaring Pen
	Rugby Park, Invercargill
Former names	Homestead Stadium
Location	Invercargill, New Zealand
Coordinates	46°25′1″S 168°21′46″E / 46.41694°S 168.36278°E
Owner	Invercargill City Council
Operator	Invercargill Venue & Events Management Ltd managed venue
Capacity	18,000
Field size	115m x 50m 18 000pax
Surface	Grass
Opened	1908 (SRFU)
Tenants
	Southland Rugby Football Union

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Rugby Park is a sports venue in Invercargill, New Zealand, and the home ground for Southland in the Mitre 10 Cup. Rugby Park is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street.

The ground has a regular season capacity of 18,000. It has a safe temporary seating maximum capacity of 20,000 (although it can accommodate up to 30,000 with pitch seating, large grass banks and concreted standing terraces). An agreement with the Invercargill City Council saw surplus land on the ground used to build the city's new Swimming Complex. The pitch was moved geographically towards the main stand, squared off to Rugby field dimensions (originally a quasi-cricket ground), with all weather seating installed. The Pitch itself was also weather proofed with a new high volume drainage system installed.

The ground was constructed specifically for rugby, and was opened in April 1908.^[1] The main stand was fully rebuilt in 2002 with better player facilities and corporate boxes. Floodlighting towers to full HDMI TV standards were also installed and a purpose build media towner on the terrace side for the Rugby World Cup. Temporary seating was added in 2010 for the 2010 ITM Cup this allowed a crowd of just on 20,000 to attend the first major defence of the Ranfurly Shield against Otago on 7 August, this seating remained in place until the Rugby World Cup games in 2011.

Rugby Park is now owned by the Invercargill City Council and managed by Invercargill Venue & Events Management Ltd, the city council's venue management company.^[2]

The Highlanders play occasionally at Rugby Park drawing large crowds. The football (soccer) team Spirit FC also play at Rugby Park. In 2017 the venue attracted large crowds for an internationally renowned event - Nitro Circus. Many local events are held at Rugby Park as well such as Relay For Life.

World Cup History

Rugby Park hosted one minor pool game during the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, Wales verses Canada.

In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Rugby Park hosted three pool play games (Romania-Scotland, Georgia-Scotland and Argentina-Romania).

Cricket ground

Rugby Park was used as a cricket ground and the headquarters of the Southland Cricket Association for some years. A clay pitch was installed in 1909, the first match was played in 1911, and five first-class cricket matches were played between 1915 and 1921. It holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost first-class cricket ground. The Southland Cricket Association later moved to Queens Park.^[3]^[4]

References

^ "Football: Opening of New Ground: Speeches". Southland Times: 4. 30 April 1908.
^ Neil Ratley; Louise Berwick (17 November 2013). "Stadium takeover is costly for city". Southland Times. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
^ George Thomas, "Lost Grounds of Invercargill", The Cricket Statistician, Winter 2022, pp. 32–36.
^ Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, 2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 267.

This article about a sports venue in New Zealand is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Football: Opening of New Ground: Speeches". Southland Times: 4. 30 April 1908.

[2] Neil Ratley; Louise Berwick (17 November 2013). "Stadium takeover is costly for city". Southland Times. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

[3] George Thomas, "Lost Grounds of Invercargill", The Cricket Statistician, Winter 2022, pp. 32–36.

[4] Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, 2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 267.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Sports venue in Invercargill, New Zealand}}
 {{for|other Rugby Parks|Rugby Park (disambiguation)}}
-{{Refimprove|date=May 2011}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
+{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2015}}
+{{More citations needed|date=May 2011}}
-{{Infobox Stadium
+{{Infobox stadium
-| stadium_name      = Rugby Park Stadium
+| stadium_name      = Rugby Park
-| nickname          = 'Roaring pen'
+| nickname          = Roaring Pen
 | logo_image        =
-| image             = [[File:Rugby Park Invercargill.jpg|250px]]
+| image             = Rugby Park Invercargill.jpg
+| image_size        = 250px
-| caption           = Rugby Park Invercargill as seen from the main stand, Swimming complex in background.
+| caption           = Rugby Park, Invercargill
 | location          = [[Invercargill]], [[New Zealand]]
 | coordinates       = {{Coord|46|25|1|S|168|21|46|E|display=it}}
-| broke_ground      = 1886 (Cricket pitch)
+| broke_ground      =
-| opened            = 2002 (Stand Refurbishment/Light Tower installation)
+| opened            = 1908 (SRFU)
 | dimensions        = 115m x 50m 18 000pax
-| owner             = Invercargill City Council
+| owner             = [[Invercargill City Council]]
-| operator          = Southland Rugby Union
+| operator          = Invercargill Venue & Events Management Ltd managed venue
 | surface           = Grass
 | construction_cost =
@@ Line 20: / Line 24: @@
 | project_manager   =
 | main_contractors  =
+| capacity          = 18,000
 | former_names      = Homestead Stadium
-| tenants           = [[Southland Rugby Football Union]]<br>[[Southland Spirit FC|Spirit FC]]<br>[[Highlanders (rugby)|Highlanders]]
+| tenants           = [[Southland Rugby Football Union]]
 }}
-'''Rugby Park Stadium''' is a [[rugby union]] venue and home ground for [[ITM Cup]] team [[Southland Rugby|Southland]]. Rugby Park Stadium is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street in [[Invercargill]]. The gound has a regular season capacity of 18 000.
+'''Rugby Park''' is a [[sports]] venue in [[Invercargill]], New Zealand, and the home ground for [[Southland Rugby|Southland]] in the [[Mitre 10 Cup]]. Rugby Park is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street.
-It has a safe temporary seating maximum capacity of 20,000 (although in former incarnations has accommodated up to 30,000 with large grass banks and concreted standing terraces). An agreement with the Invercargill City Council saw surplus land on the ground used to build the city's new Swimming Complex. The pitch was moved geographically towards the main stand, squared off to Rugby field dimensions (originally a quasi-cricket ground), with all weather seating installed. The Pitch itself was also weather proofed with a new high volume drainage system installed.
+The ground has a regular season capacity of 18,000. It has a safe temporary seating maximum capacity of 20,000 (although it can accommodate up to 30,000 with pitch seating, large grass banks and concreted standing terraces). An agreement with the [[Invercargill City Council]] saw surplus land on the ground used to build the city's new Swimming Complex. The pitch was moved geographically towards the main stand, squared off to Rugby field dimensions (originally a quasi-cricket ground), with all weather seating installed. The Pitch itself was also weather proofed with a new high volume drainage system installed.
-The main stand was fully rebuilt in 2002 with better player facillities and corporate boxes. Floodlighting towers to full HDMI TV standards were also installed. Temporary seating was added in 2010 for the [[2010 ITM Cup]] this allowed a crowd of just on 20 000 to attend the first major defence of the [[Ranfurly Shield]] against Otago on August 7, this seating remained in place until the Rugby World Cup games in 2011.
+The ground was constructed specifically for rugby, and was opened in April 1908.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Football: Opening of New Ground: Speeches |journal=Southland Times |date=30 April 1908 |page=4 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19080430.2.46}}</ref> The main stand was fully rebuilt in 2002 with better player facilities and corporate boxes. Floodlighting towers to full HDMI TV standards were also installed and a purpose build media towner on the terrace side for the Rugby World Cup. Temporary seating was added in 2010 for the [[2010 ITM Cup]] this allowed a crowd of just on 20,000 to attend the first major defence of the [[Ranfurly Shield]] against Otago on 7 August, this seating remained in place until the Rugby World Cup games in 2011.
-Invercargill City Council has taken over ownership of the ground since 2004 with the Southland Rugby Football Union as main tennant.
+Rugby Park is now owned by the Invercargill City Council and managed by Invercargill Venue & Events Management Ltd, the city council's venue management company.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stadium takeover is costly for city|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/9410316/Stadium-takeover-is-costly-for-city|work=Southland Times|access-date=26 November 2013|author=Neil Ratley|author2=Louise Berwick |date=17 November 2013 }}</ref>
-The [[Highlanders (rugby)|Highlanders]] play occasionally at Rugby Park drawing large crowds. The [[football (soccer)]] team [[Southland Spirit FC|Spirit FC]] also play at Rugby Park Stadium. Many local events are held at rugby park as well.
+The [[Highlanders (rugby)|Highlanders]] play occasionally at Rugby Park drawing large crowds. The [[football (soccer)]] team [[Southland Spirit FC|Spirit FC]] also play at Rugby Park. In 2017 the venue attracted large crowds for an internationally renowned event - Nitro Circus.  Many local events are held at Rugby Park as well such as Relay For Life.
-In 2011, the [[Southland Rugby League]] was refused use of Rugby Park Stadium by the [[Southland Rugby Football Union]]. Southland Rugby League had proposed to hold their club final there on 19 June.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_5062436">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/rugby-league/5062436/League-request-to-play-at-Rugby-Park-turned-down |title=League Rugby Park request turned down |author=Savory, Logan |date=27 May 2011 |work=[[The Southland Times]] |accessdate=6 November 2011}}</ref>
 ==World Cup History==
-Rugby Park hosted one minor pool game during the inaugrial [[1987 Rugby World Cup]], Wales verses Canada.
+Rugby Park hosted one minor pool game during the inaugural [[1987 Rugby World Cup]], Wales verses Canada.
 In the [[2011 Rugby World Cup]], Rugby Park hosted three pool play games ([[Romania national rugby union team|Romania]]-[[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]], [[Georgia national rugby union team|Georgia]]-Scotland and [[Argentina national rugby union team|Argentina]]-Romania).
-==Future Development==
+==Cricket ground==
+Rugby Park was used as a cricket ground and the headquarters of the [[Southland Cricket Association]] for some years. A clay pitch was installed in 1909, the first match was played in 1911, and five [[first-class cricket]] matches were played between 1915 and 1921. It holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost first-class cricket ground. The Southland Cricket Association later moved to [[Queens Park, Invercargill|Queens Park]].<ref>George Thomas, "Lost Grounds of Invercargill", ''The Cricket Statistician'', Winter 2022, pp. 32–36.</ref><ref>Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, ''2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack'', Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 267.</ref>
-Continuing development is planned for the gound which includes redeveloping the east end embankment and extending the main stand to the end of the east try-line. There are also plans to remove the score board building at the Ellis Rd end and build a new open 'students' stand with a modern digital screen. The city council wishes the ground to become a multi-use facility so to allow it to gather revenue all year round. There has been friction between the two Rugby codes as mentioned earlier over the right to use the ground. However, Football has made a welcome addition to the facility with matches played by [[Southland Spirit FC]] catered for.  Demonstration American Football games have also made an appearance. The fast moving Rugby Sevens and Rugby Touch tournaments are regular events at the ground.
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+{{Commonscat|Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill}}
 {{Highlanders (rugby)}}
 {{1987 Rugby World Cup Venues}}
 {{2011 Rugby World Cup venues}}
+{{Super Rugby stadiums}}
 [[Category:Rugby union stadiums in New Zealand]]
 [[Category:Rugby World Cup stadiums]]
-[[Category:Sport in Invercargill]]
 [[Category:Sports venues in Invercargill]]
-[[Category:Cricket grounds in New Zealand]]
+[[Category:Defunct cricket grounds in New Zealand]]
-[[Category:Defunct cricket venues in New Zealand]]
+[[Category:Highlanders (rugby union)]]
 {{NewZealand-stadium-stub}}
-[[af:Rugby Park-stadion]]
-[[de:Rugby Park Stadium]]
-[[eu:Rugby Park Stadium]]
-[[fr:Rugby Park Stadium]]
-[[gl:Rugby Park Stadium]]
-[[lt:Rugby Park Stadium]]
-[[ja:ラグビー・パーク・スタジアム]]

v t e Highlanders
Super Rugby Team	Highlanders
Mitre 10 Cup teams	Otago Southland
Heartland teams	North Otago
Stadiums	Carisbrook (historic) Forsyth Barr Stadium (main) Rugby Park Stadium Queenstown Events Centre
Other	List of Highlanders (rugby union) players

v t e Venues of the 1987 Rugby World Cup
New Zealand	Athletic Park (Wellington) Carisbrook (Dunedin) Eden Park (Auckland) Lancaster Park (Christchurch) McLean Park (Napier) Rotorua International Stadium (Rotorua) Rugby Park Stadium (Invercargill) Rugby Park (Hamilton) The Showgrounds Oval (Palmerston North)
Australia	Ballymore Stadium (Brisbane) Concord Oval (Sydney)