Sport in Christchurch
Sport in Christchurch has developed from the time of the initial settlement of Canterbury by British migrants, and remains an important part of community life. Cricket and rugby union have been popular sports since the early years of settlement, with the first cricket club established in the city in 1851, and the first rugby club in 1863. Interest in sports has diversified and now includes a wide range of codes. In 2022, the top five sporting codes by participation were netball, touch rugby, rugby union, golf and cricket.
There are around 1,200 sports clubs and associations and in 2022, there were 140,000 affiliated members. Most of the sporting codes remain amateur, and rely upon volunteers as administrators and officials. However, there are some professional teams. Notable teams representing Christchurch or the Canterbury region include the Mainland Tactix (netball), Crusaders (rugby) and the Canterbury Kings (cricket).
The city has hosted many international competitions including championship events. A particularly notable international event held in Christchurch's was the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
There are many outdoor sportsgrounds and a variety of indoor venues. Christchurch City Council maintains 110 sportsgrounds across Christchurch City and Banks Peninsula. Some notable sports venues such as Lancaster Park and Queen Elizabeth II Park were damaged beyond repair in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. New facilities replacing those damaged in the earthquake include the Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre — an aquatic and indoor sports venue scheduled to open in 2025, and a multi–purpose covered stadium Te Kaha seating 30,000 spectators that is expected to be complete by April 2026.
Organisation and participation
Sport in Christchurch is supported by around 1,200 sports clubs and associations.[1] Almost all of these organisations are run by volunteers, although there are now some professional teams.[2]
In 2022, the umbrella organisation Sport Canterbury reported in their annual survey results that there were around 140,000 affiliated members of the sporting codes responding to the survey. The top five sporting codes by participation, were netball, touch rugby, rugby union, golf and cricket. Although outside the top ten codes, basketball has shown significant growth since 2011, with participation doubling in ten years.[3]
History
Organised sport was becoming established in Britain at about the same time that British settlers emigrated to New Zealand. In 1851, the anniversary of the founding of the Canterbury settlement was celebrated with an organised sports day in North Hagley Park.[4]
Team and individual sports that were popular in Britain soon became established in Christchurch.[2] A cricket club was formed in June 1851, and cricket was included in the sports day celebration later that year. The cricket oval in South Hagley Park was established by the 1860s.[5] A cricket umpires' pavilion built in 1864 was moved to the oval in 1866 and is recognised as the oldest cricket pavilion in New Zealand. It is listed as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand.[6]
A form of rugby football was played as early as the 1850s by pupils of Christ's College. The Christchurch Football Club, an amateur rugby union club, was founded in 1863, and is believed to be the oldest rugby club in New Zealand.[7] The Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1879. Lancaster Park was opened in 1881, and was a major focus of organised sports in the city, particularly rugby football, until the stadium and grounds were damaged beyond repair in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[4]
Tennis became an established sport from 1881 when a lawn tennis club was formed with courts in Cramner Square. Tennis courts were built across the city, including in Hagley Park and at Lancaster Park, where a Davis Cup match was held in 1911.[8]
New Zealand’s first inter-provincial association football match was played in Christchurch in 1890.[8]
From the 1920s, further venues were established for specific sporting codes, including English Park (association football), Rugby Park (rugby), Wilding Park (tennis), Porritt Park (hockey) and Denton Park (track cycling).[9] Public parks became increasingly used as venues for team sports, including children's sport.[9]
Netball courts were established on a site in South Hagley Park that had originally been granted to the Salvation Army in 1921 for tennis courts. By 1938, there were 38 grass courts in the area.[10] These courts served as the main venue for netball in the city for around 100 years until the move to the new Christchurch Netball Centre at Ngā Puna Wai in 2023.[11]
The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch from 24 January to 2 February 1974, with the main venue at Queen Elizabeth II Park.[12] The games have been described as the "most important single event in Christchurch’s sporting history".[4] Dick Tayler’s win in the 10,000m race was described in the early 2000s as "the most memorable television moment in New Zealand sports history".[12]
In the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, some notable sports venues such as Lancaster Park and Queen Elizabeth II Park were damaged beyond repair.[13]
Teams in national competitions
International championship events hosted
- 1974 British Commonwealth Games
- 1977 Rugby League World Cup
- 1981 Pacific Conference Games
- 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup
- 1987 Rugby World Cup
- 1989 XVI World Games for the Deaf
- 1992 Cricket World Cup
- 1999 World Netball Championships
- 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup
- 2004 Men's Softball World Championship
- 2008 World Outdoor Bowls Championship
- 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships
- 2015 Cricket World Cup
- 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship
- 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup
- 2022–23 SailGP Championship
- 2023–24 SailGP Championship
Sports venues
Hagley Park has remained an important venue for sport in Christchurch from the time of the sports day held in 1851 to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the city. The park has been described as the birthplace of many sporting codes in Christchurch.[14]
Most of the sportsgrounds in the city are owned and maintained by Christchurch City Council. As of 2024[update], the city council maintains 110 sportsgrounds across Christchurch City and Banks Peninsula.[15]
Several major sports venues were damaged beyond repair in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, including Lancaster Park and Queen Elizabeth II Park.[13] Several new facilities were constructed as part of the reconstruction following the earthquake. The Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre is scheduled to open in 2025 and will be the largest aquatic and indoor sports venue of its kind in New Zealand.[16] The facility includes a 10–lane, 50 m competition pool with seating for 1000 spectators, a competition diving pool, five hydroslides and several indoor courts for codes including netball and basketball. The main court has retractable seating for 2,500.[17][18] A new multi-purpose covered stadium Te Kaha seating 30,000 spectators is expected to be complete by April 2026.[19]
List of major venues
| Name | Established | Capacity | Sports | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addington Raceway | 1899 | Harness racing | ||
| Alpine Ice Sports Centre | 1985 | Ice sports | ||
| Apollo Projects Stadium | 2011 | 18,600 | Rugby Union, Rugby League, Football | Temporary venue built after Chch earthquake [20] |
| Christchurch Football Centre | 2014 | 1,000 | Association football | |
| Cowles Stadium | 1961 | 1,000 | Basketball, Netball, Volleyball | |
| Denton Park | 1959 | Track cycling | Established 1959.[21] Rebuilt for 1974 Commonwealth Games.[22] | |
| Euromarque Motorsport Park | 1963 | Motor racing | ||
| Hagley Oval | 1851 | 20,000 | Cricket | |
| Hagley Park | Cricket, Rugby union, Touch rugby, Football, American football, Gaelic football | [23][24] | ||
| Ngā Puna Wai | Athletics, Hockey, Rugby League, Tennis, Netball | |||
| Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre | 1,000 (pool spectators) 2,500 (main indoor court) |
Swimming, Diving, Netball, Basketball | Under construction, due for completion in 2025[17][18][25] | |
| Riccarton Park Racecourse | 1858 | Thoroughbred racing | ||
| Te Kaha | 30,000 | Multi-use | Under construction, scheduled to open April 2026. To be known as One New Zealand Stadium for sponsorship reasons.[19] | |
| Wilding Park | 1920s | Tennis | ||
| Wolfbrook Arena | 1998 | 7,200 | Netball, Basketball |
Former venues
Lancaster Park (also known as Jade Stadium & AMI Stadium) was Christchurch's premier outdoor sporting ground, which played host to rugby union in the winter months and cricket in the summer months. It was home to the Crusaders Super Rugby and Canterbury Air New Zealand Cup rugby teams. It was also used by the New Zealand national cricket team and occasionally hosted a New Zealand Warriors rugby league match. It had a capacity of around 40,000 people for sporting fixtures, and around 50,000 for concerts. Damaged during the 2011 February earthquake, the facility was subsequently demolished in 2019 returning it to use as community sports fields.[26][27][28][29]
Queen Elizabeth II Park was built for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, which Christchurch hosted.[30] It was used primarily as an athletics park, but also included a swimming pool complex. It hosted major concerts from bands such as AC/DC and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The facility was demolished due to damage sustained in the February 2011 earthquake.[31][32]
Golf courses
Christchurch has more than a dozen golf courses within 12 km (7.5 mi) of the city centre,[33] and has hosted the PGA Tour of Australasia/Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned Clearwater Classic/NZ PGA Championship at Clearwater Resort since 2002.
See also
References
- ^ "Sports associations". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ a b Wilson 2013, p. 293.
- ^ "2022 Sport Report". Sport Canterbury. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ a b c Wilson, John (6 July 2015). "Canterbury region - Sport and leisure". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ Wilson 2013, p. 295.
- ^ "Canterbury Cricket Umpires' Association Pavilion". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Christchurch Park History". Christchurch Park. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008.
- ^ a b Wilson 2013, p. 296.
- ^ a b Wilson 2013, p. 294.
- ^ Wilson 2013, p. 298.
- ^ "Christchurch Netball Centre at Ngā Puna Wai". Apollo Projects. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Christchurch 1974". New Zealand Olympic Team. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ a b Wilson 2013, p. 305.
- ^ Wilson, John (6 July 2015). "Canterbury Region - sport and leisure". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "Sports grounds and stadiums". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "Troubled sports facility slowly taking shape". Otago Daily Times Online News. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Parakiore". Christchurch Recreation and Sport Centres. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ a b Gates, Charlie (7 March 2023). "Delayed by years, over budget - now the ground at Christchurch's metro sports facility has sunk". Stuff. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ a b "One New Zealand gets naming rights for new $683m Christchurch stadium". RNZ. 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Apollo Projects Stadium".
- ^ "Denton Park Development". The Press. 30 September 1959 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Denton Park Velodrome".
- ^ "Summer sports field map". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Winter sports field map". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Tolerton, Nick (13 January 2012). "Hadlee Stand to be bowled over". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Demolition of Christchurch's Lancaster Park approaches end". Stuff. 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "Lancaster Park". ccc.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "Christchurch's Lancaster Park demolition enters final stage". RNZ. 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ Phillips, Jock (5 September 2013). "Sports venues – Development of the major stadiums, 1920 to 1990". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Demolition ordered for QEII Park". NZ Herald. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "QEII Park Recreation and Sport Centre" Archived 12 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, CCC Website
- ^ "Golf Courses in Christchurch". www.leadingcourses.com. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
Bibliography
- Wilson, John (2013). Contextual Historical Overview for Christchurch City (PDF) (2nd ed.). Christchurch City Council.