Eden Park spruce-up ahead of showpiece events

Article posted by Coliseum, July 13^th, 2020

Image: Samsung

Ahead of hosting three women’s World Cup events, the New Zealand Government has allocated an initial NZ$7.3m (£3.8m/€4.2m/$4.8m) to give a shot in the arm to the country’s sports facilities.

Sports Minister Grant Robertson gave out details of the first major release of funding, NZ$80m, from the NZ$265m Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020.

Last month, New Zealand landed the hosting rights, alongside Australia, to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, while the country is also set to stage the Women’s Cricket World Cup and Women’s Rugby World Cup next year. Auckland’s Eden Park will be a venue for all three sporting showpieces and has welcomed the Government’s announcement.

Implementation of specific upgrades which includes stadium field lighting, gender appropriate changing room renovations, bilingual signage installation, elevator and CCTV upgrades, installation of replay screens, turnstile replacement, acoustic barrier installation and exploring the creation of an external footbridge connecting Kingsland Train Station to Eden Park are key elements to make these prestigious events a roaring success.

Commented Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner, “These events at New Zealand’s national stadium offer a platform to demonstrate a commitment to equality in sport. It’s our aim to ensure that all athletes are provided with world-class changing rooms and feel comfortable in all aspects of the stadium’s design, including gender appropriate facilities.”

“Eden Park welcomes today’s announcement from Minister Robertson and looks forward to creating a genuine legacy from hosting three World Cup events in the next three years. It is envisioned that the stadium’s South and West Stand facilities will be upgraded in line with the renovation seen ahead of Eden Park (New Zealand’s largest sports stadium) hosting the Rugby World Cup 2011. A steering group has been formed which includes Eden Park, Sport New Zealand, athlete representatives and all sporting codes who utilize New Zealand’s national stadium,” Sautner added.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to New Zealand Rugby for their support and involvement during this process. Eden Park is committed to becoming an industry leader through creating versatile facilities that will attract further women’s fixtures and bring people together to support all sport,” he further added.

“We look forward to working with all stakeholders including Government, ATEED and the wider Auckland Council family to ensure that Eden Park’s facilities remain world-class to deliver three successful World Cup tournaments in three years,” Sautner affirmed.

Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium and a globally iconic arena, located in central Auckland. With 117 years of history, the Park has hosted some of the world’s most memorable sporting moments from cricket, to rugby, to rugby league and football. A range of other community initiatives and events are also hosted throughout the year.

No other stadium in the country matches up to Eden Park’s rich history and profile. Each year, more than half a million sports and entertainment fans from around the world visit Eden Park. The stadium successfully hosts sell-out crowds of up to 50,000 on match days and hosts more than 1,000 non-match day functions per year.

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