| Mount Smart Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Ericsson Stadium (1995 – 2006) |
| Location | 2 Beasley Avenue, Penrose, New Zealand |
| Broke ground | 1965 |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Owner | Auckland Council |
| Operator | Auckland Council |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | Rugby League / Rugby union / Soccer: 30,000 Concerts: 47,000 |
| Tenants | |
| New Zealand Warriors (NRL) / (SL) (1995-present) Football Kingz (NSL) (1999-2004) Counties Manukau Rugby Union (ITM Cup) (2006-08) 1990 Commonwealth Games |
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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.
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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 officially 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. 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.[1]
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.[2]
It currently serves as the home ground for the New Zealand Warriors of the Australian 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.
The capacity of the stadium for concerts is roughly 42,000 people.
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.
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 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.
As of 12 July 2006, the stadium reverted to its original name, Mt Smart Stadium. In a press release, the Auckland Regional Council, 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.
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