Lancaster Park facts for kids
2011 aerial view of earthquake-damaged Lancaster Park
|
|
| Former names | Jade Stadium (1998–2007) AMI Stadium (2007–2011) |
|---|---|
| Location | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 43°32′31″S 172°39′15″E / 43.54194°S 172.65417°E |
| Owner | Victoria Park Trust |
| Operator | VBase Venue management |
| Capacity | 38,628 |
| Field size | Cricket Oval |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1880 |
| Opened | 1881 |
| Renovated | 1995–2009 |
| Expanded | 2009 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Demolished | 2012–2019 |
| Tenants | |
| Crusaders (Super Rugby) (1996–2011) Canterbury (ITM Cup) |
|
| Ground information | |
| End names | |
| Hadlee Stand End Port Hills End |
|
| International information | |
| First Test | 10–13 January 1930: New Zealand v  England |
| Last Test | 7–9 December 2006: New Zealand v  Sri Lanka |
| First ODI | 11 February 1973: New Zealand v  Pakistan |
| Last ODI | 29 January 2011: New Zealand v Pakistan |
| First T20I | 7 February 2008: New Zealand v England |
| Last T20I | 30 December 2010: New Zealand v Pakistan |
| First women's Test | 16–18 February 1935: New Zealand v England |
| Last women's Test | 29 November – 2 December 1957: New Zealand v England |
| First WODI | 7 February 1982: Australia v England |
| Last WODI | 15 February 1999: New Zealand v  South Africa |
| Only WT20I | 28 February 2010: New Zealand v Australia |
| As of 26 April 2017 Source: ESPNcricinfo |
|
Lancaster Park was a famous sports stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was also known as Jade Stadium and AMI Stadium because of sponsorship deals. The stadium was badly damaged during an earthquake in February 2011. It was then closed permanently and taken down by 2019. Today, the area has been turned into a public park for community sports. It reopened in June 2022.
Lancaster Park hosted many different sports. These included rugby union, cricket, rugby league, soccer, and athletics. It is famous for being the place where Peter Snell broke world records in 1962 for the 800 meters and 880 yards in one race. The stadium also held concerts for popular bands and artists like Pearl Jam, Bon Jovi, U2, and Tina Turner. However, it was mostly known as a rugby and cricket ground. It was the home stadium for the Crusaders rugby team and the Canterbury cricket team. The stadium could hold up to 38,628 people.
Contents
History of Lancaster Park
Who Owned the Stadium?
In 1880, a company called Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd was started. In 1882, they bought a piece of land that became Lancaster Park. The land was bought from a farmer named Benjamin Lancaster. In 1904, the Canterbury cricket group became the only owner of the ground. Then, in 1911, the Canterbury Rugby Union became co-owners with them. In 1919, the New Zealand government took ownership of Lancaster Park. They created the Victory Park Board to manage it.
Later, in 1998, a company called JADE Stadium Limited was created. This company managed the stadium for the Victory Park Board and the Christchurch City Council.
When Did It Open?
The first cricket match at Lancaster Park was planned for October 8, 1881, but it was canceled due to rain. So, the very first event held at the stadium was an athletics meeting on October 15, 1881.
Stadium Growth and Changes
The stadium grew over the years. In 1957, the seating area was made bigger, increasing the capacity to 33,000. Two new stands opened in 1965, bringing the total capacity to 38,500. In 1995, the Hadlee Stand was opened. This stand honored the Hadlee family, who were famous cricketers from Canterbury. The Hadlee Stand was the first part of the stadium to be taken down after the earthquake.
In 2000, some older parts of the stadium were removed. New stands, like the DB Draught stand (later called the Tui stand) and the Paul Kelly Motor Company Stand, were built. These new stands were badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake. Even though they could have been fixed, it was too expensive.
Before the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the stadium had a big upgrade costing $60 million. Old stands were replaced with the new Deans Stand. The stadium's capacity was 38,500. It was planned to reach almost 45,000 with temporary seats for the World Cup. This would have made it the second-largest stadium in New Zealand.
The Deans Stand
The new East Stand, which opened in January 2010, was named the Deans Stand. It could seat 13,000 people. This stand was severely damaged in the earthquake. The ground beneath it moved violently, causing major damage. It was later decided that this stand would also be taken down.
The Deans name is very important in rugby at the stadium. Many members of the Deans family played rugby there, including Bob Deans, Bruce Deans, and Robbie Deans, who were all famous All Blacks players. The family also has a long history in Christchurch as some of the first settlers.
Earthquake Damage and Demolition
The stadium had to close because of the serious damage from the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Seven matches for the 2011 Rugby World Cup that were supposed to be played there in September were moved to other places. Most of the stadium was taken down by September 2019. A new stadium called Te Kaha is planned to be finished in Christchurch by 2025. Until then, games are played at Rugby League Park.
Stadium Names Over Time
The stadium was originally known as Lancaster Park. In 1998, it was renamed Jade Stadium after a company bought the naming rights. In 2007, another company, AMI Insurance, bought the rights, and the stadium became AMI Stadium. The land itself always kept the name Lancaster Park, so the full name was "AMI Stadium at Lancaster Park."
Davis Cup Tennis
Lancaster Park hosted the 1911 Davis Cup tennis tournament. This was a big event where the Australasia team played against the United States. Rain delayed the start, but the matches were played from January 1 to 3, 1912. Australasia won all five matches, keeping the Davis Cup.
Rugby Union at Lancaster Park
The stadium hosted 48 All Blacks (New Zealand's national rugby team) test matches between 1913 and 2010.
2011 Rugby World Cup Matches
Lancaster Park was supposed to host five pool matches and two quarter-final games for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It would have been called Stadium Christchurch for the event. However, because of the damage from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the city could not host these games.
Super Rugby Games
AMI Stadium was the home ground for the Crusaders rugby team, who play in the Super Rugby competition. They hosted four Super Rugby finals there between 2002 and 2008. After the 2011 earthquake, the Crusaders moved their home games to Rugby League Park in Addington, which was renamed Christchurch AMI Stadium. This new stadium was rebuilt to hold 18,600 people. It has since been renamed Orange Theory Stadium.
Provincial Rugby (NPC/ITM Cup)
The stadium was also home to the Canterbury team in the ITM Cup (now called the Bunnings National Provincial Championship). The team moved to Rugby Park for the 2011 season. They then joined the Crusaders at the new AMI Stadium in Addington for the 2012 season.
Ranfurly Shield History
The Canterbury rugby team has a proud history with the Ranfurly Shield, a famous New Zealand rugby trophy. One memorable moment was in 1954 when they kept the Shield against Waikato. The crowd rushed onto the field before the game was even finished!
Cricket at Lancaster Park
Cricket has been played at Lancaster Park since it was built as a cricket ground. It hosted the first ever Test match in New Zealand on January 10, 1930. This was also New Zealand's first Test match, played against England. In 1996, tall lights were added, allowing day/night cricket matches. The first day/night game was in 1997, with 25,000 fans watching New Zealand play England.
Many famous cricket moments happened here. Richard Hadlee took many wickets and scored a century. Nathan Astle scored a very fast double-century in a Test match. Brendon McCullum scored the fastest Twenty20 century against Australia at the park. A special charity match was held in 2005 to help people affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Because of the 2011 earthquake and ground damage, international cricket could not be played in Christchurch until Hagley Oval was upgraded for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. First-class matches moved to other grounds like Rangiora Recreation Ground and Hagley Oval.
Rugby League at Lancaster Park
Lancaster Park also hosted rugby league matches for teams from Australia's National Rugby League competition. The Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters played games there. The 2011 ANZAC rugby league Test match was supposed to be played at the stadium. However, it was moved to Australia due to the earthquake damage.
Rugby League Test Matches
Lancaster Park hosted three international rugby league matches for the New Zealand team since 1920.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Part of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 1920 |  England |
3–19 | 10,000 | 1920 Great Britain Lions tour |
| 1 November 1996 |  Great Britain |
32–12 | 9,000 | 1996 Great Britain Lions tour |
| 28 October 2006 | 18–14 | 17,005 | 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations |
Soccer Matches
Lancaster Park hosted an A-League soccer match between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United on January 30, 2010. Almost 20,000 people attended, which was a record for the Wellington team at the time. This made people think Christchurch might be able to have its own A-League team. The stadium was used again for the same teams in December 2010.
Concerts and Events
Besides sports, Lancaster Park was a popular venue for concerts. Many famous artists performed there, including U2 (in 1989 and 1993), Tina Turner (in 1993 and 1997), Dire Straits, Billy Joel, Meat Loaf, Roger Waters, Bon Jovi, and Pearl Jam.
The park also held large religious gatherings. In 1954, a big Roman Catholic prayer rally took place. In 1986, Pope John Paul II held a public mass on the oval, with about 25,000 people attending.
See also
- List of Test cricket grounds
- List of international cricket centuries at Lancaster Park
- List of international cricket five-wicket hauls at Lancaster Park
