Mt Smart Stadium
Encyclopedia
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
. Built within the quarried remnants of the Mount Smart
volcanic cone, it is located 10 kilometres south of the city centre, in the suburb of Penrose
.
The stadium hosted track and field events including the highly successful Pan Am series during the early 1980s as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1990 Commonwealth Games
. It was where the New Zealand national football team (the All Whites) played all their home qualifying games for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
. This was the first occasion that New Zealand had qualified for a FIFA World Cup
and the event captured the imagination of the nation with large crowds packing the stadium.
The Auckland Warriors' home ground record at the stadium is 32,174, who saw them play the Illawarra Steelers
in Round 6 of the 1995 ARL season.
Ericsson Stadium hosted the final of the 1999 Rugby League Tri-nations
series, which New Zealand lost 20-22.
The stadium is now owned by the Auckland Council
, following the merger of Auckland's regional authorities.
of the Australia
n National Rugby League
. It is the former home of the Football Kingz of the Australian National Soccer League; however, its A-League
successor, the now defunct New Zealand Knights, played on the other side of Waitemata Harbour
at North Harbour Stadium
.
The Athletics Ground (officially Mt Smart Stadium Number 2) hosts athletics meets, right down to Primary School Level. It also holds local rugby league
matches and serves as the home ground for the Auckland franchise in the Bartercard Premiership.
Mt Smart Stadium is the Auckland venue of the Big Day Out
music festival. It also has had Michael Jackson
perform in the HIStory Tour for 2 concerts in November 1996 and U2
in the U2 360° Tour
for 2 concerts in November 2010.
In preparation for the 2006 U2 Vertigo Tour
concerts, the North Stand was shifted to sit behind the South Stand, effectively doubling the size of the South Stand, leaving a hill at the North end. In 2010, in preparation for concerts by Bon Jovi
and the U2 360° Tour, a large temporary stand was built on the northern hill to increase capacity of the venue to over 50,000 - up from approximately 42,000 in the 2006 concert configuration.
, owners of the stadium stated they had considered other offers, but felt they did not suit. Auckland Regional Council did not actively pursue a replacement sponsor.
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
Stadium, is a stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
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...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the home ground of National Rugby League
National 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...
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...
. Built within the quarried remnants of the Mount Smart
Mount Smart
Mount Smart is one of the volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Field. Quarrying removed almost all of the scoria cone, which was 87 m high . It was the site of a pā and was known as Rarotonga...
volcanic cone, it is located 10 kilometres south of the city centre, in the suburb of Penrose
Penrose, New Zealand
Penrose is an industrial suburb in Auckland City, New Zealand. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, at a distance of about nine kilometres, between the suburbs of Oranga and Mount Wellington, and close to the Mangere Inlet, an arm of the Manukau Harbour...
.
History
The Mount Smart Domain Board was established in 1942 with the purpose of transforming the former quarry site into a public reserve. In 1953 a plan was approved for a sports stadium which was offically opened in 1967.The stadium hosted track and field events including the highly successful Pan Am series during the early 1980s as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
. It was where the New Zealand national football team (the All Whites) played all their home qualifying games for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. This was the first occasion that New Zealand had qualified for a FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the event captured the imagination of the nation with large crowds packing the stadium.
The Auckland Warriors' home ground record at the stadium is 32,174, who saw them play the Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
in Round 6 of the 1995 ARL season.
Ericsson Stadium hosted the final of the 1999 Rugby League Tri-nations
1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations
-Tournament standings:-Final:Teams:NEW ZEALAND: 1. Richie Barnett ; 2. Nigel Vagana , 3. Ruben Wiki , 5. Willie Talau , 5. Leslie Vainikolo ; 6. Henry Paul , 7. Robbie Paul ; 8. Joe Vagana , 9. Richard Swain , 10. Craig Smith , 11. Stephen Kearney , 12...
series, which New Zealand lost 20-22.
The stadium is now owned by the Auckland Council
Auckland Council
The Auckland Council is the council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It began operating on 1 November 2010, combining the functions of the existing regional council and the region's seven previous city and district councils into one "super council" or "super city" governed by a mayor, 20...
, following the merger of Auckland's regional authorities.
Tenants
It currently serves as the home ground for the New Zealand WarriorsNew 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...
of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n National Rugby League
National 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...
. It is the former home of the Football Kingz of the Australian National Soccer League; however, its A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
successor, the now defunct New Zealand Knights, played on the other side of Waitemata Harbour
Waitemata Harbour
The quite famous Waitemata Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is only one of two harbours surrounding the city, and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The Waitemata forms the north...
at North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape....
.
The Athletics Ground (officially Mt Smart Stadium Number 2) hosts athletics meets, right down to Primary School Level. It also holds local 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...
matches and serves as the home ground for the Auckland franchise in the Bartercard Premiership.
Music
The capacity of the stadium for concerts is roughly 42,000 people.Mt Smart Stadium is the Auckland venue of the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
music festival. It also has had Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
perform in the HIStory Tour for 2 concerts in November 1996 and 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 the U2 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
for 2 concerts in November 2010.
Recent developments
The Eastern Stand, built in 1995 for the Warriors' first season, was demolished at the conclusion of the 2003 National Rugby League season to make way for a new stand, with a roof, corporate and dining facilities, training facilities for the Warriors as well as offices for the team management, which was completed in late 2004.In preparation for the 2006 U2 Vertigo Tour
Vertigo Tour
The Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the band visited arenas and stadiums from 2005 through 2006. The Vertigo Tour consisted of five legs that alternated between indoor arena shows in...
concerts, the North Stand was shifted to sit behind the South Stand, effectively doubling the size of the South Stand, leaving a hill at the North end. In 2010, in preparation for concerts by 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...
and the U2 360° Tour, a large temporary stand was built on the northern hill to increase capacity of the venue to over 50,000 - up from approximately 42,000 in the 2006 concert configuration.
Naming rights
As of 12 July 2006, the stadium reverted to its original name, Mt Smart Stadium. In a press release, the Auckland Regional CouncilAuckland Regional Council
The Auckland Regional Council was the regional council of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989...
, owners of the stadium stated they had considered other offers, but felt they did not suit. Auckland Regional Council did not actively pursue a replacement sponsor.