Austadiums Forum

The IRB made their decsion this morning on the location of the 2011 World Cup, and it's coming home to New Zealand.

The final is, i understand, already confirmed for Eden Park. A replacement, or really, really significant permanent upgrades haven't yet been ruled out. What kind of adjustments would you make to Eden Park to make it world class?

Also, some of the games between the dud countries will be played in the New Zealand provinces. Which provincial grounds would you locate the games at?

I strongly suspect Auckland will be the 'home' of the World Cup, with three high class rectangular stadiums in the area - North Harbours North Harbour Stadium, Counties Ericsson Stadium, and Eden Park.

My theory for Eden Park is to level it - base cricket and the Blues at North Harbour and Auckland at Ericsson Stadium during the rebuild. I'd rebuild Eden Park much like Telstra Stadium - only 65,000 seats, with retractable stands along the wings to accomodate the cricket. Then add shitloads of carparking and decent public transport and you have a world class stadium in Auckland. But that's just a pipe dream.

I saw on SBS World Sport tonight that Eden Park will get the upgrade to 60,000 seats. Auckland should "do a Wellington".

I think they should do a Westpac Trust Stadium or Telstra Dome type development in Auckland leaving accomodating RU and ODI/big Test match cricket with smaller Test match/provincal cricket going to a new small ground (Basin Reserve size).

The report carried a story on Dunedin Ratepayers vehmently opposed to public funds upgrading Carisbrook. Some venues will need a touch up but I think they are on track.

eden park should be raised to the ground it's horrible

i really like the westpac stadium

looking at the rest of the stadia there plenty of scope for development,like filling in the goal ends @ errickson with the same 2 tier stand they've just built. bigger stadia aswell cos outside of eden park nowhere tops 35,000 and taking into consideration how many fans from up here are going to come down there thats not big enough...



japan should have got it,imo

worryingly i've just seen this on the eden park website

There will be changes to Eden Park for RWC 2011 to accommodate an increased capacity. There are two key options being considered - the construction of a temporary west stand or the redevelopment of the South and South West Stands. Planning has commenced on both options which will now be accelerated.

so levelling the lot isn't an option.

With respect it doesn't seem a very rigorous selection process for this event if somewhere can get it without any clear idea on the showpiece venue.

I don't really understand the New Zealand issue RU is the number one sport so why not build a modern 60,000 rectangular stadium it would recoup the money quickly from the WC,Tri-nations,some Super 12 and tours etc.

Is Eden park like the old Wembley where it's iconic status blinds people to the state of the place?

Dr H wrote: Is Eden park like the old Wembley where it's iconic status blinds people to the state of the place?

No, it is widely regarded as an arsehole of a ground, its saving grace is it's 45,000 capacity. Everyone but the stadiums neighbours and the people holding the purse strings was it started from scratch. This is the opportunity to do it, and do it well.

You are also forgetting how inept the people who call themselves planners are in Auckland. Only recently a new stand was built at Eden Park - it was sadly never going to get levelled. We have no trains, lousy buses....argh, i'm scared already.

I've heard the main problem with Eden is it's blocked in by houses, ruling out a large scale renovation.

I think the best option would to be to level Eden Park, and transform it into a 15-20,000 seater cricket ground, and then build a 60-70,000 seat venue elsewhere in the Auckland area.

I wonder which other venues will be used, considering:

-Eden Park
-Westpac Stadium
-Carisbrook
-Jade Stadium
-Waikato Stadium
-North Harbour Stadium

are given as garunteed. I'm not quite sure which of the following are suitable, but:

-ITM Stadium
-Rugby Park (Invercargill)
-Yarrow Stadium
-Rotorua International Stadium
-BlueChip N.Z. Stadium
-McLean Park

being the largest of the NPC stadiums would proabably get a look in too.

Can I just say they seem to have organised a fantastic company to help redevelop that dump of a place...

In the 10 worst stadiums in the world, Eden Park ranks high on the list.

Egan wrote:Can I just say they seem to have organised a fantastic company to help redevelop that dump of a place...

In the 10 worst stadiums in the world, Eden Park ranks high on the list.

true,eden park is right up there with boundary park just not as good

Egan wrote:In the 10 worst stadiums in the world, Eden Park ranks high on the list.

Not even going to try to defend Eden Park.

Lousy views, poor design, no parking, generally inaccessable.

Give me Ericsson Stadium, or even North Harbour Stadium - gasp.



A massive redevelopment of North Harbour to 60,000 would be smartest, but it is home to one of the lowest drawing NPC teams.

Egan wrote:In the 10 worst stadiums in the world, Eden Park ranks high on the list.

Not even going to try to defend Eden Park.

Lousy views, poor design, no parking, generally inaccessable.

Give me Ericsson Stadium, or even North Harbour Stadium - gasp.



A massive redevelopment of North Harbour to 60,000 would be smartest, but it is home to one of the lowest drawing NPC teams.

Is North Habour actually in the Auckland metro area?

Looking at maps on the net...it seems like Rockingham of Auckland.

Semi Rural in location...Albany...although getting closer to linkages with Auckland through urban sprawl.

North Harbour Stadium seems to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

tom wrote:Is North Habour actually in the Auckland metro area?

No.

Albany is to Auckland as Parramatta is to Sydney. But less urban sprawl and a harbour in between.

Kiwi Ian wrote:Albany is to Auckland as Parramatta is to Sydney. But less urban sprawl and a harbour in between.

Parramatta is in Sydney's metropolitan area.

Would Albany be more like what the Central Coast is to Sydney?