'The Bull Ring' 'The Fish Bowl' | |
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| Full name | Yarrow Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Rugby Park, Stadium Taranaki |
| Location | New Plymouth, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 39°4′13″S 174°3′54″E / 39.07028°S 174.06500°E |
| Capacity | 30,000 (30,345 with standing room)[1] |
| Surface | Grass with sand base |
| Scoreboard | Located at the southern end of the ground |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 1931 |
| Built | June 10th 1947 (Renovated July 18th 2002) |
| Opened | August 1972 |
| Construction cost | NZ$15 million |
| Architect | Warren and Mahoney |
| Tenants | |
| Chiefs (Super Rugby) Hurricanes (Super Rugby) (1996-2013) Taranaki Rugby Football Union (ITM Cup) Team Taranaki (Central Premier League) Taranaki Sharks (NZRL) Central Districts Stags (NZC) | |
Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu Street. Named the third best rugby stadium on earth by New Zealand Rugby World magazine in May 2009, Yarrow Stadium (known as Stadium Taranaki for the Rugby World Cup 2011) conforms with the International Rugby Board's "clean stadium" policy.[2]
The primary tenant of this 25,000-capacity stadium is the Taranaki Rugby Football Union which has a representative team playing in the country's principal rugby union competition, the Mitre 10 Cup. Since 2013, the stadium has played host to the Chiefs team as part of a new alliance, after Taranaki cut their ties with the Wellington-based Hurricanes.
The venue was first developed as a rugby ground in 1931, with the first stadium completed in 1947. Further stands were built at the same end and older ones demolished. Four floodlight towers were built in 1998 to hold night events. A major redevelopment saw two new grandstands added and considerable modernisation in 2002, and further enhancements to the venue were completed in 2010, raising the capacity to more than 25,500 for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and other fixtures.
The stadium is a personal legacy of the late Noel Yarrow, a pioneering Taranaki baker and businessman, and active philanthropist. Noel was a passionate rugby supporter, and the major grandstand overlooking the field's western sideline is a tribute to his support.
The east stand was deemed earthquake prone in November 2017 with the west stand being ruled out of action in June 2018. Rugby was played at the venue in 2018 and 2019 but spectators had to watch matches from the ends, while a grandstand was erected in front of the east stand. Temporary infrastructure was bought into cater for the changes as changing facilities and corporate areas were off limits.
In May 2019 owners, the Taranaki Regional Council, made a decision to repair and refurbish both grandstands in order for both stands to comply with earthquake regulations. The Taranaki Rugby Football Union and a catering company moved to alternative locations.[3]
It was announced in November 2020, that the East Stand will be demolished and will be replaced by a similar sized stand but with extra facilities at the back to house events without opening the entire stand. The contract to repair the West Stand was awarded to Clelands Construction in December 2020 and involves major earthquake strengthening works including improvements to ground stability, foundation tiebacks and new steel beams.[4] The roof of the West Stand will remain intact while the bleachers and seating are removed to gain access to the ground below. The west stand is now open and the east stand will be completed in 2024.
- ^ Yarrow Stadium (NZ)
- ^ "Stadium third best in the world". 18 May 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "The decision has been made, Council determines future of Yarrow Stadium". 21 May 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Stadium update: Taranaki Contractor starts West Stand repairs". 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.