Yarrow Stadium
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| Yarrow Stadium | |
|---|---|
| The Bull Ring/The Fish Bowl | |
| Location | New Plymouth, New Zealand |
| Broke ground | January 2002 |
| Opened | September 2002 |
| Closed | Open |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Owner | |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | NZ $15 million |
| Architect | Warren & Mahoney |
| Former names | Rugby Park |
| Tenants | Taranaki Rugby Union Team Taranaki |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu St. The primary tenant of this 25,000-capacity stadium is the Taranaki representative team in the country's principal rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship. The stadium also occasionally hosts matches of the Hurricanes Super 14 team in the same sport, although that team's primary home is in Wellington.
Contents |
[edit] Venue Description
- Yarrow Stadium has four sports fields, the Legends Lounge, concourse and a variety of function rooms.
- The turf on the main field is laid over irrigation lines and drains on a sand profile.
- The main field has two grandstands providing undercover seating, terraced and embankment uncovered seating and standing areas.
- The stadium also has a full sound system, fully electronic scoreboard and floodlights.
- Fields one, two and three have training level floodlighting. Field two is behind the Eastern Stand (TSB STAND), field three and four are behind the scoreboard on the Southern end of the ground.
- Car parks are situated behind the TSB Bank (eastern side) stand and a parking area for Broadcasting units behind the Noel and Melva Yarrow Stand (western side).
[edit] Legends Lounge
The Legends Lounge is on the top floor of the TSB Bank Stand and has panoramic views of both playing arenas and the back fields. It is used for business conferences, dinners, sales presentations and meetings, and has a capacity of three-hundred seated and 650 standing.
Features
- Internal speaker system.
- Power.
- Data points.
- Portable stage.
- Staircase and lift access is at each end of the lounge with direct access to the seating deck.
- Two kitchen, bar and toilet facilities are located at each end of the lounge so that the area can be partitioned for smaller functions.
[edit] Players Area
- Two main change rooms, each with a connecting warm up room, are located at ground level of the TSB Bank Stand. Five subsidiary changing rooms are located at ground level of the TSB Bank Stand.
- A medical room, drug testing room, media interview room and match day office are all located adjacent to the main changing room at the ground level of the TSB Bank Stand.
- Media: There is media facilities on the Western grandstand. "Noel and Melva Yarrow Stand". There is a lounge were the TV cameras (usually 2 or 3) are situated for rugby union/league and 4 media boxes for radio commentary, TV commentary, Television Match Official (TMO) or Third Umpire and an other media box for international commentary.
[edit] Hosted Events
In the past, Yarrow Stadium has hosted:
- Hurricanes rugby games
- Taranaki versus British and Irish Lions rugby match
- Taranaki NPC rugby games
- New Zealand Maori versus England (rugby)
- New Zealand Maori versus Scotland (rugby)
- Japan vs Tonga Pacific 6 Nations Cup 2006 (Rugby)
- New Zealand Jnr All Blacks Pacific 6 Nations Cup 2006 (Rugby)
- Central Districts versus Sri Lanka (cricket)
- New Zealand Warriors versus Parramatta Eels (rugby league)
- Multi-ethnic Extravaganza
- Searchlight Tattoo
- Relay for Life.
Major rugby is played on the number 1 field. Other fixtures are on the 3 outside fields. Cricket is usual played at Pukekura Park, becasue of the incorrect size of Yarrow Stadium number 1 field.
The All Blacks will play a test match against Samoa on September 3, 2008. This will be the first time the All Blacks have played in New Plymouth.
