Source: Radio New Zealand
A general view of Auckland’s Eden Park. (File photo) Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby will be moving out of Auckland’s Eden Park stadium in what the chairperson of the stadium calls a “win-win” situation.
Auckland Cricket announced it would move into a $10 million development at Colin Maiden Park, while Auckland Rugby was yet to announce its plans.
Eden Park Trust Board chairperson Simon Bridges told Morning Report it was for the best and opened Eden Park up for bigger events.
“On our side, the stark reality if you think about cricket is that cricket games happen at the same time big concerts do, fundamentally,” he said.
“For us it gives flexibility, we want to wash our face, we want to be commercial and do a good job for Auckland and New Zealand, allows us to have the highest value events and concerts and the like, without, in the end, sometimes conflict with cricket and rugby.”
He said the split was also a positive step for Auckland Cricket and Rugby.
“It is a win-win, from their perspective they are getting these fit-for-purpose long-term facilities that are their own. If you go out to Colin Maiden, for example, [Auckland] Cricket is getting a bigger ground than the second oval where often cricket is played at Eden Park, and it’ll be designed to their specification,” he said.
“And when it comes to rugby we’re not so clear, a lot of that lies in their hands, but the signal is for an exit [from Eden Park].”
Bridges said Eden Park would put more emphasis on larger, international events.
Metallica played at Eden Park in November last year. (File photo) Tom Grut
“It is the chance, the prospect, for us to do the highest value events and concerts,” he said.
“If you’re New Zealand’s national stadium, you really try to make sure you’ve got the best events, culture, concerts, you name it. Having greater flexibility is not only important it’s probably crucial in the long term.”
Cricket and rugby fans would still have a home at Eden Park, Bridges said.
“We aspire at Eden Park to remain the home of the international stuff, we want to be there for the one-dayers, some of the big T20, and we want to be there for the All Blacks.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
