| FMG Stadium or 'The Boneyard' | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Palmerston North Showgrounds, Arena 1 |
| Location | Palmerston North Central, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand |
| Renovated | March 2005 |
| Owner | Palmerston North City Council |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Tenants | |
| Hurricanes Manawatu Turbos Robertson Holden International Speedway Wellington Phoenix |
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Arena Manawatu is the current name of the 180,000 square metre publicly owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city centre in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand.
It has three linked indoor stadiums, with movable tiered seating. Outdoor facilities include football fields and a speedway track with grandstand.
It claims to handle around 8,000 bookings per year, regularly catering for 36 different sporting codes in addition to annual or other infrequent events such as the "A & P Show", religious conventions and festivals.
The facility has had a number of international fixtures as of late; these include: Netball between New Zealand and England, Super Rugby games and a Hyundai A-League game.
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FMG Stadium is home to Manawatu Rugby. Generally one club game will be played on the ground per week, whilst it is the Manawatu Turbos' home ground. Since Manawatu Turbos has been included in the Air New Zealand Cup, crowd attendances have been among the highest in the competition, averaging 7,000 per game.
The Stadium was the host of the 1987 Rugby World Cup game between Wales and Tonga on 29 May. Wales won 29–16.
It also hosted New Zealand's victory in their first test of the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The ground was a venue for the British and Irish Lions on the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand with a game against Manawatu Turbos on 28 June.
The stadium will also host two pool games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, in which New Zealand is the host nation. With the city's central location, large student population, the stadium's close proximity to the CBD, International Pacific College, as well as the New Zealand Rugby Institute (a facility in which the All Blacks used to use), the idea of basing a team and having a pool game in Palmerston North is attractive.
Other users of the stadium include the Robertson Holden International Speedway, with the stockcar track encircling the field this is easy and it has been regarded as one of the country's premiere Speedways. The national Teams Championships are often held there, bringing racers from all over New Zealand.
The YoungHeart Manawatu association football team used to play at the ground, however they have since moved to Memorial Park, Palmerston North.
On 28 March 2009, The Highlanders (rugby) played a home game at FMG Stadium against the Bulls. The game attracted a large crowd of over 10,000; one of the Highlanders' biggest of the 2009 season.
It was announced on 20 April that FMG Stadium would host the Wellington Phoenix in a home game against Sydney FC on 12 December 2009 in the Hyundai A-League.
On 4 September 2011, The Manawatu Turbos hosted The Hawkes Bay Magpies in the ITM Championship Cup Final at FMG Stadium. Crowd attendants was 13,100.
Redeveloped in 2004, Arena 2 is a multipurpose indoor sporting facility, capable of holding exhibitions, conventions and entertainment events. It has been the host of International netball fixtures between New Zealand and Australia in 2004, international motor shows, conferences and is the home ground to the Manawatu Jets who play in the National Basketball League.
FMG stadium has a capacity of 18,000. Meanwhile temporary seating is added sometimes for major events allowing the capacity to reach 21,000. Minor upgrades are likely take place in early 2011 for the Rugby World Cup games later that year. Capacity will be increased.
FMG Stadium was formerly known as Arena 1 and was the venue for the first ever Super 12 rugby match in 1996, which was played by the Wellington Hurricanes and the Auckland Blues.
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