Yarrow Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yarrow Stadium

'The Bull Ring' 'The Fish Bowl'
Full name	Yarrow Stadium
Former names	Rugby Park, Stadium Taranaki
Location	New Plymouth, New Zealand
Coordinates	39°4′13″S 174°3′54″E / 39.07028°S 174.06500°E / -39.07028; 174.06500
Capacity	30,000 (30,345 with standing room)
Surface	Grass with sand base
Scoreboard	Located at the southern end of the ground
Construction
Broke ground	January 1931
Built	June 10th 1947 (Renovated July 18th 2002)
Opened	August 1972
Construction cost	NZ$15 million
Architect	Warren and Mahoney
Tenants
Chiefs (Super Rugby) Hurricanes (Super Rugby) (1996-2013) Taranaki Rugby Football Union (ITM Cup) Team Taranaki (Central Premier League) Taranaki Sharks (NZRL) Central Districts Stags (NZC)

Yarrow Stadium is a famous sports ground in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. Many people think it is one of the best rugby stadiums in the world. It was even called Stadium Taranaki during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The main team that plays here is the Taranaki Rugby Football Union. They play in New Zealand's top rugby competition, the Mitre 10 Cup. Since 2013, the stadium has also been home to the Chiefs team. Before that, the Hurricanes used to play here.

The stadium first started as a rugby field in 1931. The first main building was finished in 1947. Over the years, new stands were built and old ones were taken down. In 1998, tall floodlight towers were added for night games. A big upgrade happened in 2002, adding two new grandstands. More improvements in 2010 made the stadium bigger. It could then hold over 25,500 people for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The stadium is named after Noel Yarrow. He was a kind businessman and a big rugby fan from Taranaki. The main grandstand is a special tribute to him.

Currently, some parts of the stadium, like the western and eastern grandstands, need repairs. They are not strong enough for earthquakes. The east stand was closed in 2017, and the west stand in 2018. Even so, rugby games were still played in 2018. Fans had to watch from the ends of the field.

In 2019, the owners decided to fix both grandstands. The East Stand will be taken down and rebuilt with new features. The West Stand is being made stronger against earthquakes. The West Stand is expected to be finished by late 2021. The new East Stand should be ready by 2023.

What's Inside Yarrow Stadium?

Yarrow Stadium has lots of cool features for sports and events:

• It has four sports fields.
• There's a special area called the Legends Lounge.
• It has many rooms for different events.
• The main field has a special turf with irrigation and drains.
• Two grandstands offer covered seating.
• There are also open seating areas and standing spots.
• The stadium has a full sound system.
• It has a big electronic scoreboard and bright floodlights.
• Fields one, two, and three have lights for training.
• There are car parks behind the TSB Bank stand.
• In 2009, the stadium got a $1.5 million upgrade. This added more seats and better facilities for media.

The Legends Lounge

The Legends Lounge is a large room on the top floor of the TSB Bank Stand. It has amazing views of the sports fields. It's used for meetings, dinners, and parties. It can hold up to 300 people sitting down or 650 standing.

Lounge Features

• It has its own speaker system.
• There are power and data points.
• A portable stage can be set up.
• You can get to it by stairs or a lift.
• It has two kitchens, bars, and toilets.
• The lounge can be divided for smaller events.
• More special boxes are being built at the top of the western stand.

Players and Media Areas

When the main stand is closed, temporary rooms are used for teams. These rooms are built to a high standard for big games.

• Normally, there are two main changing rooms for teams.
• They each have a warm-up room.
• Five smaller changing rooms are for other teams and referees.
• There's a medical room and a drug testing room.
• A media interview room and a match day office are also available.
• The Taranaki Rugby Football Union has its main office here.
• Media facilities are in the western grandstand.
• There are special boxes for TV, radio, and commentators.
• Extra media areas are available for print reporters.
• The big screen is at the southern end of the field.

Exciting Events at Yarrow Stadium

Yarrow Stadium hosts many different events, not just sports!

• It has hosted events like Relay for Life.
• It also held the Multi-ethnic Extravaganza and Searchlight Tattoo.
• The stadium has seen many cricket matches.
• In 2007, about 8,000 people watched the Crusty Demons motorcycle show. Riders performed amazing stunts like back-flips.
• In 2009, the Crusty Demons returned for another show. About 6,500 people watched daring stunts, including double back-flips.
• In 2017, the Nitro Circus team performed. They used huge ramps for stunts on motorbikes, scooters, and even a couch!
• Crowd members even joined in the show. Some rode on a motorbike with a Nitro rider for a back-flip.

Rugby Matches

Yarrow Stadium is a very important place for rugby in New Zealand. It has hosted many big games.

International Rugby Games

The stadium has seen many international rugby matches. Teams from all over the world have played here.

• The Māori All Blacks have played against teams like Scotland and England.
• The All Blacks have played exciting games here.
• During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Yarrow Stadium hosted three matches. Teams like Ireland, USA, Russia, Wales, and Namibia played their pool games here.

Rugby League Games

The stadium has also hosted rugby league matches.

• In 2005, the New Zealand Warriors played a pre-season game here.
• In 2016, the Warriors played a regular season game against the Canberra Raiders. Over 12,000 fans came to watch.

Historic Rugby Moments

Many famous rugby teams have played at Yarrow Stadium.

• The British & Irish Lions have played against the Taranaki team many times over the years.
• In 2014, Taranaki won the 2014 ITM Cup final here. It was a big moment for the local team.

Cricket Matches

While Pukekura Park is the usual cricket ground in New Plymouth, Yarrow Stadium has hosted some important cricket games.

• It held first-class matches before its big upgrade in 2002.
• In 2004, the Central Districts played against Sri Lanka here.
• In 2015, the stadium hosted the finals of the Georgie Pie Super Smash competition.

Football Matches

Yarrow Stadium has also been used for football (soccer) games.

• It was called Stadium Taranaki for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. It hosted several group games and a knockout match.
• In 2017, the Wellington Phoenix played against the Western Sydney Wanderers here.

Stadium Upgrades and Capacity

Over the years, Yarrow Stadium has been made bigger and better.

• In 2002, a $17 million upgrade was finished. The stadium was thought to hold 25,000 people.
• However, after a big game in 2008, it was found that the stadium could safely hold about 17,000 people.
• To host bigger events like the Rugby World Cup, the stadium needed to hold more fans.
• Plans were made to add more standing room at the northern end.
• New plastic seats were put in at the southern end.
• Walls were removed to bring fans closer to the field.
• New facilities for TV and print media were also added.

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Yarrow para niños