Waikato Stadium - History

History

In 1925, Rugby Park opened. In 1930, a rugby union match between Waikato and Great Britain was first broadcast on the radio in Hamilton. In 1937, South Africa visited Hamilton in front of a record crowd of 13,000 at Rugby Park. One of the most memorable events happened in 1956 with Waikato beating the Springboks and 31,000 people in attendance. In 1958, Rugby Park commenced the upgrade of a new grandstand which opened in 1959. In 1996, the city of Hamilton announced plans to replace both Rugby Park and the city's major cricket venue, Westpac Park, with a single large oval stadium at the Rugby Park site. However, the city had second thoughts upon discovering that it only had commitments for NZ$270 million in funding, far short of the estimated NZ$520 million cost. It then decided instead to rebuild both stadiums on a smaller scale, reducing the total cost to NZ$30 million. In 1981, Rugby Park hosted part of the infamous 1981 Springbok tour where the match was cancelled due to the pitch being invaded by protesters. 1987 saw Rugby Park host its first Rugby World Cup match, Fiji v Argentina. In 1996, the Waikato Regional Sports and Event Centre Trust were formed as it was decided that the city required a new sports stadium to attract more sports fixtures and events. In 2000, the construction of Waikato Stadium commenced, and in 2002, Waikato Stadium officially opened with a Super 12 rugby match between the Chiefs and Crusaders.