AMI Stadium

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = AMI Stadium
nickname =


location = Christchurch, New Zealand
coordinates = coord|43|32|31.05|S|172|39|13.97|E|region:NZ_type:landmark
broke_ground =
opened = 1880
renovated =
expanded = 2002
closed =
demolished =
owner =
operator = VBase Venue management
surface = Grass
construction_cost =
architect =
former_names = Lancaster Park (1881 - 1998), Jade Stadium (1998 - 2007)
nicknames =
tenants = Crusaders
seating_capacity = 36,000
dimensions =

AMI Stadium, formerly Jade Stadium and Lancaster Park, is a sports stadium situated in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It has hosted various sports, including rugby union, rugby league, cricket, soccer, athletics, trotting (until, in 1899, this club moved to Addington Racecourse), and non-sporting events such as concerts by Bon Jovi in 2008, U2 in 1989 and 1993 and Billy Joel in 1987, but is primarily a rugby and cricket ground and is the home of the CRUru rugby union team, who compete in the Super 14. Its current capacity is 36,000. [ [http://www.amistadium.co.nz/ami_stadium/venue_overview www.amistadium.co.nz] ]

Formerly known as Lancaster Park, the stadium was renamed as 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 as AMI Stadium. The park on which the stadium stands is still called Lancaster Park.

Ownership

In 1880 Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd was established. The company then purchased 10 acres, 3 rods 30 perches (4.426 hectares) of the Lancaster Estate for £2,841 at £260 per acre (NZ$ 1284.95/hectare). In 1904 Canterbury cricket would became 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 due to 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 Hadlee 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).

Before the 2011 Rugby World Cup the Eastern Stands (No. 1, 2 and 3 stands) will be demolished and replaced with a new stand (see Deans Stand below) in the same design of the newly completed Western Stand. The total capacity is expected to be raised to 43,000, making it the second largest stadium in New Zealand, after Eden Park, which is planned to hold 60,000 after similar upgrades.

Deans Stand

On Tuesday April 22, 2008 a press release was issued announcing that Eastern Stands, which were demolished in 2007, will be named the Deans Stand when it is officially opened in January 2010. 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 team, 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 Millie 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. [ [http://www.amistadium.co.nz/Site/Files/a/06cc20404d351cbaa2520fcd0d5adc3/cf48727407fecc4952c8caba17dc65b2/Deans%20Stand%20Media%20Release%2022%20Nov%2008.pdf Deans Stand Press Release] ]

Rugby union

uper 14

AMI Stadium is home to the Crusaders Super 14 franchise and the Canterbury team in the Air New Zealand Cup (formerly the National Provincial Championship, or NPC), both of which have been very successful in their respective competitions. The Crusaders do not play all of their home games at AMI Stadium, however, because the franchise draws players from several unions in the South Island that compete in the Air New Zealand Cup and the NPC's other successor, the Heartland Championship. The team plays one game annually at Trafalgar Park in Nelson or at Alpine Energy Stadium in Timaru. They have hosted four Super 12/Super 14 finals in 2002, 2005, 2006 and in 2008.

Ranfurly Shield

Canterbury 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.

Cricket

Cricket has long been played at AMI 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.

Rugby League

AMI Stadium has served over years as a 'home away from home' stadium for teams in the Australasian NRL competition, such as the Wests Tigers, as despite the name of the team New Zealand Warriors insinuating AMI Stadium is part of their franchise base, this team is based at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.

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 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.

Religious events

In 1954 Lancaster Park held a Roman Catholic prayer rally. This drew a large attendance. Pope John Paul II also held a public mass on the oval in 1986, attracting 28,000 people.

2011 Rugby World Cup

During the debate surrounding Auckland's stadium for RWC 2011, RWC Minister Trevor Mallard said that AMI Stadium in Christchurch would be the main cup venue if Auckland could not decide which of its stadiums it would prefer (see Stadium New Zealand). [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000A874E-7CB6-1554-97BA83027AF1010E] Eden Park was eventually chosen as Auckland's preferred stadium and the main venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Other facts

* Amusingly, a cricket game was suspended for 2 hours in 1883 so a rugby game could occurFact|date=August 2007.

* During New Zealand's involvement in World War II from 1940 to 1944 the park's facilities were used for military training, 800 troops were accommodated in the grounds at one point.

* In 1976 the main playing field was graffitied using acid with the words "Welcome to Racist Game" marked on the field as a protest against the presence of two South African international rugby players - John Williams and Johan Oosthuizen.

* On Friday 18 August 2000 Jade Stadium became officially smokefree - "Smoking is banned in all indoor areas, seating bowls, including access ways and around entry gates."

* The 2006 Super 14 final was played in thick fog at Jade Stadium. People at the stadium could not see much of the game, and amused themselves with paper darts instead. Television coverage was also affected.

References

External links

* [http://www.amistadium.co.nz/ AMI Stadium Official Site]