Te Kaha officially opens 13 years after earthquake destroyed Lancaster Park
To walk around Christchurch is to see a city that has greatly recovered since the devastating earthquake of February 22, 2011.
There are still traces of it in the form of vacant lots and occasionally abandoned buildings where shops and offices once stood. The famous Christchurch cathedral is fenced and supported by thick steel beams and is awaiting restoration.
But 15 years after the deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake devastated the region, Christchurch has been rebuilt and revitalized and on Friday night one of the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
The cathedral may still be closed, but a few blocks away a new home has opened for one of Canterbury’s other religions: rugby.
The $625 million Te Kaha venue, known as One New Zealand Stadium, hosted an opening event with the popular Crusaders rugby team taking on the Waratahs. The venue will host 10 teams across five matches in a revived Magic Round-style presentation of the 15-man game Super Round.
Opening night and the days before it proved surprisingly emotional for many Cantabrians after a long wait for the city to return to a football stadium as its beating heart.
In the weeks after the earthquake, Lancaster Park, the former homeland of the Crusaders, was one of hundreds of sites condemned and demolished.
The Kiwi champions have moved into a “temporary” venue at modest Eddington Park, which has been renovated with second-hand materials in 100 days. But the Crusaders’ stay lasted 13 years as reconstruction officials worked steadily to rebuild Christchurch.
After three years of construction, the new stadium is finally completed.
“This feels like the puzzle has been completed,” Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said.
“There’s work to be done on the cathedral, but this is the last big work. It’s the work that people are focusing on the most, and it’s really captured people emotionally. It’s something tangible, right?”
After the fences came down on Thursday, a TV crew interviewing people about the stadium saw many passersby choke on camera. A man wiped away his tears.
Former All Blacks supporter Wyatt Crocket, who played 202 games for the Crusaders, can understand this. The stadium is located across the road from the former Canterbury TV building, which collapsed during the earthquake, killing 115 people; Almost two-thirds of the 185 lives lost in the tragedy. This is now a garden of remembrance.
“Whenever these milestones occur, it takes you back to 2011, and when that happens, what you experienced in those moments, but also those weeks and months later, if your home was damaged or you moved to another location. People lost their lives. That stirs up some emotions,” Crockett said.
“It was a long time ago, and it took a long time to get here. But yes, it takes you back.”
Located just minutes from the city centre, the stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people, or 30,000 if the open end in the north is filled with temporary seating. The venue is nearly sold out throughout the three-day Super Round.
Designed by former Wallaby Al Baxter, One NZ Stadium has a permanent transparent roof made of a hard plastic-like material that allows sun to penetrate the grass. It is supported by massive steel structures and designed to withstand all types of seismic activity.
“What they’ve done here is a very special stadium,” Crockett said. “When you look back over the last three or four years, the city has gained momentum and gotten its groove back. When you talk to people who come to Christchurch, they say, wow, how much this place has changed.”
“And funny enough, the final piece of the puzzle is probably what Cantabs is so well known for: hosting the rugby team.”
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley told a press conference with World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson at a live site in Christchurch that 14,000 visitors to Christchurch, including 4000 from Australia, will visit Christchurch this weekend.
But the shadow of Moana Pacifica’s impending collapse loomed large and Robinson was harsh in responding to criticism that World Rugby had not done enough to support the team and the code in Pacifica.
In a five-minute response, the former Wallaby outlined tens of millions of dollars of investment by World Rugby across all formats for men and women in the Pacific region.
“World Rugby does not sponsor professional teams anywhere in the world… that is none of our business,” Robinson said.
Robinson dismissed fears of Tonga and Samoa losing out to rugby league, saying: “I have to say to my friend Mr V’landys: [ARL Commission chairman Peter]With the utmost respect for your game, we are the game of the Pacific.”
As Robinson spoke, hundreds of people in nearby bars ignored the media commotion and prepared for opening night.
Mansbridge said it would be a great weekend party in the city and the new stadium.
“There’s really a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I think we deserve it. People have always been a little humble here, but now I’m starting to say ‘no, this city, these people deserve this. It’s time to celebrate and have fun.'”
Watch every match Super Rugby Pacific lively and special Stan Sports.
Iain Payten is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
