Location | Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Coordinates | 41°19′2″S 174°46′37″E / 41.31722°S 174.77694°E |
Owner | Athletic Park Company (1896–1908) Wellington Rugby Football Union (1908–1999) |
Capacity | 800 (1898) 1,100 (1902) 5,700 (1928) 59,000 (1959) 39,000 (1999) |
Surface | Grass |
Opened | 6 April 1896 |
Closed | 10 October 1999 |
Tenants | |
Wellington Rugby Football Union (1896-1999) New Zealand national rugby union team (1904-1999) Wellington Hurricanes (1996-1999) |
Athletic Park was a rugby union ground located in Newtown, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It was owned and operated by the Wellington Rugby Football Union, and was used for Wellington first-class matches, as well as local club matches. It hosted the first New Zealand national rugby union team (All Blacks) home test match in 1904, and continued to be used as a regular venue for All Blacks home matches until its closure and demolition in 1999.[1] It was also the primary home ground of the Wellington Hurricanes (now known as the Hurricanes) between 1996 and 1999.