Jade Stadium
Encyclopedia
Lancaster Park, formerly Jade Stadium and currently known as AMI Stadium through sponsorship rights, is a sports stadium situated in Waltham
, a suburb of Christchurch
in New Zealand.
The stadium is currently out of action owing to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and will remain closed in 2012. Seven 2011 Rugby World Cup
matches scheduled for the stadium in September were moved to other venues. It is currently under discussion on whether or not to demolish the stadium.
It has hosted various sports, including rugby union
, cricket
, association football, athletics
, trotting (until, in 1899, this club moved to Addington Racecourse), rugby league
, and non-sporting events such as concerts by Pearl Jam
in 2009, Bon Jovi
in 2008, Roger Waters
in 2006, AC/DC
in 1996, U2
in 1989 & 1993 and Billy Joel
in 1987, but is primarily a rugby
and cricket ground and is the home of the Crusaders rugby union team, who compete in Super Rugby. Its current capacity is 38,628.
Formerly known as Lancaster Park, the stadium was renamed Jade Stadium in 1998, after the naming rights were sold to Jade Software Corporation Limited. In 2007, the naming rights were sold to AMI Insurance Limited and the stadium was renamed AMI Stadium. The park on which the stadium stands is still called Lancaster Park and as such, the formal name for the venue is AMI Stadium at Lancaster Park.
and Arthur Morton Ollivier (a son of John Ollivier
) initiated the purchase of a parcel of land which became Lancaster Park. For Stevens, this was a transaction through his company, Harman and Stevens, on behalf of an absentee owner, Benjamin Lancaster. Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports purchased 10 acres 3 rods 30 perches (4.426 hectares) for £2,841 at £260 per acre (NZ$
1284.95/hectare). In 1904 Canterbury cricket would become the sole owner of the ground. Then in 1911 the Canterbury Rugby Union became co-owners with the Canterbury Cricket Association over the ground. An Act of Parliament in November 1919 vested title to Lancaster Park in the Crown, and established the Victory Park Board to take responsibility for its management.
JADE Stadium Limited was established in December 1998 to manage the existing facilities on behalf of the Victory Park Board and the Christchurch City Council. A five-member board of directors, drawn from Christchurch's business community and the Christchurch City Council, governs the company.
Stand opened in tribute to the successful cricketing family which came from Canterbury. 2000 saw the destruction of the embankment and No. 4 stand and the opening of the DB Draught stand (renamed the Tui stand in 2006) and the Paul Kelly Motor Company Stand (West Stand).
As part of a $60 million redevelopment for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the Eastern Stands (No. 1, 2 and 3 stands) were demolished and replaced with the new Deans Stand. The Stand was designed to reflect the newly completed Western Stand. The total capacity is 38,000 and to be raised to 38,628 with temporary seating for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
, making it the second largest stadium in New Zealand after Eden Park.
The Deans name has been a part of rugby
at the stadium for more than a century. Bob Deans
was an All Black and also captained the Canterbury rugby team, Bruce and Robbie Deans
were both All Blacks and members of the Canterbury team with Robbie also coaching the Crusaders, Bob's brother Colin
played rugby at the ground, Bruce & Robbie's father Tony played cricket on the ground, and in the sixth generation of the family Milly Deans is a member of the Canterbury women's rugby team. The name Deans is also the family name of the first successful settlers in the city with brothers John and William Deans building their house in 1843.
The financial difficulty the ground faced was so great that during New Zealand's involvement in World War I
in 1915 the main oval at Lancaster Park was ploughed up and was used as a potato field in an attempt to raise more revenue.
After the February Christchurch Earthquake the AMI stadium was badly damaged and is to be demolished. However, there are currently plans to build a 17,000 seat stadium in Addington, located near the raceway. This will become the main stadium of Christchurch.
During the debate surrounding Auckland's
stadium for RWC 2011, RWC Minister Trevor Mallard said that Lancaster Park would be the main cup venue if Auckland could not decide which of its stadiums it would prefer (see Stadium New Zealand
). Eden Park
was eventually chosen as Auckland's preferred stadium and the main venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Owing to damage suffered from the earthquake that hit Christchurch and surrounding areas on the 22 February 2011, it was announced that Christchurch would lose its rights to host the seven world cup games.
and in 2008
. Due to damage AMI Stadium sustained in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
, the Crusaders have indicated that Rugby League Park
in Addington
will be used as their home ground for the 2012 Super Rugby season. Rugby League Park will receive an upgrade to increase seating to 18,600.
team
in the ITM Cup (formerly the National Provincial Championship, or NPC and Air New Zealand Cup), who have been very successful in this competition, winning the four most recent competitions (2008–2011).
have a proud Ranfurly Shield history. One of their most memorable moments was when they successfully retained the Ranfurly Shield
against Waikato
in 1954 with a last minute try. The conversion was never taken as the crowd rushed the field
before the game could be completed.
If reopened, Lancaster Park is likely to be selected as a venue for the ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup
which is to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Because of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake there are to be no more One-day Internationals to be played against South Africa in 2012 and England in 2013.
competition, such as the Wests Tigers
due to the popularity of the sport in areas such as Christchurch. Despite the name of the country's sole NRL team the New Zealand Warriors
insinuating AMI Stadium is part of their franchise base, the team is based at Mt Smart Stadium
in Auckland
.
In 2010 the Sydney Roosters
took a home game to this stadium where they lost 20–18 to the Warriors.
The 2011 ANZAC rugby league Test match was originally scheduled to be played at the stadium but was moved because of the damages from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake.
and Adelaide United on 30 January 2010. The match attracted 19,276 which was, at the time, a record home league attendance for the Wellington team, prompting suggestions Christchurch may be able to sustain an A-League team of its own.
In the next A-League season the stadium was used again, for the same opponents encounter on 5 December 2010. A 14,108 crowd was the season-best record for Phoenix.
also held a public mass on the oval in 1986, attracting 28,000 people.
Waltham, New Zealand
Waltham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres southeast of the city centre. State Highway 73, part of Christchurch's ring road system, runs through the suburb, as does the Heathcote River and the Christchurch - Lyttelton rail corridor. The Christchurch gasworks was...
, a suburb of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in New Zealand.
The stadium is currently out of action owing to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and will remain closed in 2012. Seven 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
matches scheduled for the stadium in September were moved to other venues. It is currently under discussion on whether or not to demolish the stadium.
It has hosted various sports, including rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, association football, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, trotting (until, in 1899, this club moved to Addington Racecourse), rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, and non-sporting events such as concerts by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
in 2009, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
in 2008, Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
in 2006, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
in 1996, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
in 1989 & 1993 and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
in 1987, but is primarily a rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and cricket ground and is the home of the Crusaders rugby union team, who compete in Super Rugby. Its current capacity is 38,628.
Formerly known as Lancaster Park, the stadium was renamed Jade Stadium in 1998, after the naming rights were sold to Jade Software Corporation Limited. In 2007, the naming rights were sold to AMI Insurance Limited and the stadium was renamed AMI Stadium. The park on which the stadium stands is still called Lancaster Park and as such, the formal name for the venue is AMI Stadium at Lancaster Park.
Ownership
In 1880 Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd was established. In 1882, Edward StevensEdward Cephas John Stevens
Edward Cephas John Stevens MLC was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch Press for many decades...
and Arthur Morton Ollivier (a son of John Ollivier
John Ollivier
John Ollivier was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Christchurch, New Zealand.He represented the Christchurch Country electorate from 1856 to 1860 when he resigned.-References:...
) initiated the purchase of a parcel of land which became Lancaster Park. For Stevens, this was a transaction through his company, Harman and Stevens, on behalf of an absentee owner, Benjamin Lancaster. Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports purchased 10 acres 3 rods 30 perches (4.426 hectares) for £2,841 at £260 per acre (NZ$
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
1284.95/hectare). In 1904 Canterbury cricket would become the sole owner of the ground. Then in 1911 the Canterbury Rugby Union became co-owners with the Canterbury Cricket Association over the ground. An Act of Parliament in November 1919 vested title to Lancaster Park in the Crown, and established the Victory Park Board to take responsibility for its management.
JADE Stadium Limited was established in December 1998 to manage the existing facilities on behalf of the Victory Park Board and the Christchurch City Council. A five-member board of directors, drawn from Christchurch's business community and the Christchurch City Council, governs the company.
Official opening
In 1881 the first cricket match to be played on the ground was scheduled for the opening on 8 October, but it was cancelled because of rain. An athletics meeting became the first event held on the ground, on 15 October.Expansion
The embankment was expanded in 1957, increasing the capacity to 33,000. Two new stands were opened in 1965 further increasing the capacity to 38,500. In 1995 the HadleeRichard Hadlee
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer who played provincial cricket for Canterbury, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, and the brother of Dayle and Barry Hadlee. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.Hadlee was...
Stand opened in tribute to the successful cricketing family which came from Canterbury. 2000 saw the destruction of the embankment and No. 4 stand and the opening of the DB Draught stand (renamed the Tui stand in 2006) and the Paul Kelly Motor Company Stand (West Stand).
As part of a $60 million redevelopment for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the Eastern Stands (No. 1, 2 and 3 stands) were demolished and replaced with the new Deans Stand. The Stand was designed to reflect the newly completed Western Stand. The total capacity is 38,000 and to be raised to 38,628 with temporary seating for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
, making it the second largest stadium in New Zealand after Eden Park.
Deans Stand
On Tuesday 22 April 2008 a press release was issued announcing that the new East Stand, built to replace stands demolished in 2007, as part of a redevelopment of the Ground, was to be named the Deans Stand when it was officially opened in January 2010. The Deans Stand has a seating capacity of 13,000.The Deans name has been a part of rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at the stadium for more than a century. Bob Deans
Bob Deans
Bob Deans was a former All Black and Canterbury rugby union player....
was an All Black and also captained the Canterbury rugby team, Bruce and Robbie Deans
Robbie Deans
Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...
were both All Blacks and members of the Canterbury team with Robbie also coaching the Crusaders, Bob's brother Colin
Colin Deans
Colin Thomas Deans born on 3 May 1955 in Hawick in the Scottish borders was a rugby union player with Hawick RFC and . His nickname was the Hawick Hooker.He made his debut against in 1978 when Scotland lost, 16 - 19...
played rugby at the ground, Bruce & Robbie's father Tony played cricket on the ground, and in the sixth generation of the family Milly Deans is a member of the Canterbury women's rugby team. The name Deans is also the family name of the first successful settlers in the city with brothers John and William Deans building their house in 1843.
Financial difficulty
In 1912 a "Floral Fete", a festival, was held to raise funds to clear the debt of £2,000 in order to prevent the ground being cut up into building sites.The financial difficulty the ground faced was so great that during New Zealand's involvement in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1915 the main oval at Lancaster Park was ploughed up and was used as a potato field in an attempt to raise more revenue.
After the February Christchurch Earthquake the AMI stadium was badly damaged and is to be demolished. However, there are currently plans to build a 17,000 seat stadium in Addington, located near the raceway. This will become the main stadium of Christchurch.
2011 Rugby World Cup
The Stadium was scheduled to host five pool matches and two quarter finals at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and would be referred to as Stadium Christchurch owing to the IRB's advertising rules at venues for the Rugby World Cup.During the debate surrounding Auckland's
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
stadium for RWC 2011, RWC Minister Trevor Mallard said that Lancaster Park would be the main cup venue if Auckland could not decide which of its stadiums it would prefer (see Stadium New Zealand
Stadium New Zealand
Stadium New Zealand, often called the Waterfront Stadium, was the provisional name for a national stadium proposed for Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The stadium never advanced beyond a concept design....
). Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
was eventually chosen as Auckland's preferred stadium and the main venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Owing to damage suffered from the earthquake that hit Christchurch and surrounding areas on the 22 February 2011, it was announced that Christchurch would lose its rights to host the seven world cup games.
Super Rugby
AMI Stadium is home to the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise. They have hosted four Super 12/Super 14 finals in 2002, 2005, 20062006 Super 14 Final
The Final of the 2006 Super 14 season, a rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere, took place on May 27, 2006 at Jade Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. The match was won by the Crusaders 19 points to 12 over the visiting Wellington-based side, the Hurricanes...
and in 2008
2008 Super 14 season
The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' home fans. The 2008 season was the third of the expansion,...
. Due to damage AMI Stadium sustained in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
2011 Christchurch earthquake
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at on local time , The earthquake was centred west of the town of Lyttelton, and south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous...
, the Crusaders have indicated that Rugby League Park
Rugby League Park
Rugby League Park is a rugby league stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. Formerly called the Addington Showgrounds, the ground is owned by the Canterbury Rugby League.-History:...
in Addington
Addington, New Zealand
Addington is a major suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is sited south-west of the city centre.-Description:The suburb was named for the country residence of Bishop John Sumner, one of the leading members of the Canterbury Association....
will be used as their home ground for the 2012 Super Rugby season. Rugby League Park will receive an upgrade to increase seating to 18,600.
NPC/ITM Cup
The stadium is home to the CanterburyCanterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
team
Canterbury representative rugby union team
The Canterbury representative rugby union team, generally referred to as Canterbury, are the top representative rugby union team under the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in New Zealand...
in the ITM Cup (formerly the National Provincial Championship, or NPC and Air New Zealand Cup), who have been very successful in this competition, winning the four most recent competitions (2008–2011).
Ranfurly Shield
CanterburyCanterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
have a proud Ranfurly Shield history. One of their most memorable moments was when they successfully retained the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
against Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
in 1954 with a last minute try. The conversion was never taken as the crowd rushed the field
Pitch invasion
A pitch invasion or field invasion, known as rushing the field in the United States, occurs when a crowd of people who are watching a sports game run onto the field, to celebrate or protest about an incident...
before the game could be completed.
Cricket
Cricket has long been played at Lancaster Park. It was the first game to be played in this stadium and in fact, Lancaster Park was originally a cricket stadium. Day/night cricket was made possible after the lighting towers were added in 1996—the first in a major New Zealand stadium. These were first put to use in 1997 when New Zealand played England in front of a crowd of 25,000.If reopened, Lancaster Park is likely to be selected as a venue for the ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup
2015 Cricket World Cup
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup, and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The location of the games will be evenly split, with the location of the final yet to be decided....
which is to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Because of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake there are to be no more One-day Internationals to be played against South Africa in 2012 and England in 2013.
Rugby league
Lancaster Park has served over the years as a 'home away from home' stadium for teams in the Australasian NRLNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition, such as the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
due to the popularity of the sport in areas such as Christchurch. Despite the name of the country's sole NRL team the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
insinuating AMI Stadium is part of their franchise base, the team is based at Mt Smart Stadium
Mt Smart Stadium
Mt Smart Stadium, formerly Ericsson Stadium, is a stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the home ground of National Rugby League team, the New Zealand Warriors...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
In 2010 the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
took a home game to this stadium where they lost 20–18 to the Warriors.
The 2011 ANZAC rugby league Test match was originally scheduled to be played at the stadium but was moved because of the damages from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake.
Soccer
Lancaster Park hosted an Hyundai A-League match between Wellington Phoenix FCWellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...
and Adelaide United on 30 January 2010. The match attracted 19,276 which was, at the time, a record home league attendance for the Wellington team, prompting suggestions Christchurch may be able to sustain an A-League team of its own.
In the next A-League season the stadium was used again, for the same opponents encounter on 5 December 2010. A 14,108 crowd was the season-best record for Phoenix.
Religious events
In 1954 Lancaster Park held a Roman Catholic prayer rally. This drew a large attendance. Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
also held a public mass on the oval in 1986, attracting 28,000 people.