Trafalgar Park, Nelson facts for kids
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| Location | Nelson, New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 41°16′1″S 173°16′59″E / 41.26694°S 173.28306°E |
| Owner | Nelson City Council |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Renovated | 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| Tasman Mako (2006–present) Tasman United (2015–present) Tasman Titans (?–present) |
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Trafalgar Park is a well-known sports stadium in Nelson, a city in New Zealand's South Island. It's right next to the city center. This stadium can hold up to 18,000 people. It was made bigger for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The park gets its name because it's located on Trafalgar Street.
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How Trafalgar Park Started
Trafalgar Park began way back in 1885. Some local people in Nelson decided to create a sports field. They wanted it to be as good as other famous grounds in Christchurch and Dunedin.
By June 1885, their company bought about 15 acres of land. This land was near Trafalgar Street and the Maitai River. It was a muddy area, but they planned to turn it into a great sports park. They voted to call it "Trafalgar Park."
The park officially opened on April 21, 1888. The very first game was a rugby match between local teams. Later that year, on December 22, 1888, the first cricket match was played. Trafalgar Park was Nelson's main cricket ground for many years. This continued until the late 1990s, when Saxton Oval became the main cricket venue.
What Happens at the Park Today
Trafalgar Park is one of the main homes for the Tasman Mako rugby team. They play their ITM Cup games here. Their other home ground is Lansdowne Park, Blenheim.
Many different sports are played at the park. It even hosted the final of the 1978 Chatham Cup. This is a big football competition in New Zealand. There is also a cycling track around the field. It's about 540 meters long and used for bike races.
In 2011, a big earthquake in Christchurch closed some sports venues. Because of this, Trafalgar Park helped out. It hosted three Crusaders Super Rugby games in March 2011. The park was also a host for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Three important matches were played here in September 2011. Teams like Italy, Russia, USA, and Australia competed.
Big International Games
Trafalgar Park has seen some exciting international rugby. It hosted three matches during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Italy won two of these games. They beat Russia 53-17 on September 20, 2011. Italy also won against the United States 27-10 on September 27, 2011. The third World Cup game was between Australia and Russia. Australia won that match easily, 68-22, on October 1, 2011.
A very special game happened on September 8, 2018. Trafalgar Park hosted its first ever All Blacks test match! The All Blacks played against Argentina. New Zealand won the game 46-24. Over 21,000 fans came to watch, and the stadium was completely full.
Cricket at Trafalgar Park
| Ground information | |
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| International information | |
| Only women's Test | 7–11 January 1995: New Zealand v  India |
| Only WODI | 31 January 1982: England v India |
| As of 6 September 2020 Source: CricketArchive |
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Trafalgar Park was an important place for cricket for many years. The Central Districts used it as a home ground from 1953 to 1997. The Nelson team also played most of their home games here from 1888 to 1999. Now, Saxton Oval is the main cricket ground in Nelson.
