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Former names | Palmerston North Showgrounds, Manawatu Sports Stadium, Arena Manawatu, FMG Stadium |
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Location | Palmerston North Central, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand |
Coordinates | 40°21′24″S175°36′4″E / 40.35667°S 175.60111°E |
Owner | Palmerston North City Council |
Capacity | 15,000 (Arena 1) 5,000 (Arena 2) 2,000 (Arena 3) |
Construction | |
Opened | July 1886 |
Renovated | March 2005 |
Rebuilt | April 1981 |
Tenants | |
Hurricanes Manawatu Turbos Robertson Prestige International Speedway Wellington Phoenix Manawatu rugby league team |
Central Energy Trust Arena is the current name of the 180,000 square meter publicly owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city center in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
It has three linked indoor stadiums with movable tiered seating. Outdoor facilities include football fields and a speedway track with a grandstand.
In June 2015, FMG Insurance chose not to renew the sponsorship deal for the main stadium name. [1]
Originally founded in 1886 as the Palmerston North Showgrounds, its pavilion burnt down in a fire in 1977. It was replaced with a new stand, and the ground was reopened in 1981 as the Manawatu Sports Stadium. Since 1973 it has been owned by the Palmerston North City Council. [2]
Central Energy Trust Arena has a capacity of 15,000. [3] Temporary seating is added for major events, allowing the capacity to reach 20,000.
Central Energy Trust Arena is home to Manawatu Rugby. It is the home ground of the Manawatu Turbos, and also generally hosts one club game per week. Playing in the Air New Zealand Cup, crowd attendances at Turbos' games have been among the highest in the competition, averaging 7,000 per game. [4]
Central Energy Trust Arena was formerly known as Arena 1 and FMG Stadium. It was the venue for the first ever Super 12 rugby match in 1996, which was played by the Wellington Hurricanes and the Auckland Blues.
The stadium was the host of the 1987 Rugby World Cup game between Wales and Tonga on 29 May. Wales won 29–16.
The ground was a venue for the British & Irish Lions on the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand with a game against Manawatu Turbos on 28 June.
On 28 March 2009, The Highlanders played a Super Rugby 'home' game at Central Energy Trust Arena against the Bulls. The game attracted a large crowd of over 10,000—one of the Highlanders' biggest of the 2009 season.
On 4 September 2011, The Manawatu Turbos hosted the Hawkes Bay Magpies in the ITM Championship Cup Final at Central Energy Trust Arena. Crowd attendance was 13,100.
The stadium hosted two pool games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, in which New Zealand was 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 which the All Blacks used to use), the idea of basing a team and having a pool game in Palmerston North was attractive.
On 18 March 2016, The Hurricanes played another Super Rugby 'home' game at Central Energy Trust Arena against the Western Force. The game attracted a crowd of over 8,000.
The stadium hosted its first rugby league test match when New Zealand lost to Great Britain 11–10 on 24 June 1990 in front of 8,073 fans.
The stadium hosted New Zealand Kiwis' victory in their first rugby league test of the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand. In front of 11,548 fans, the Kiwis defeated Great Britain 15-14 after a late Daryl Halligan field goal.
Palmerston North also hosted the second game of the 1993 Trans-Tasman series against Australia, played on a water-logged ground after constant rain. Despite the arctic like conditions, an overflow crowd of 19,000 hardy fans saw the Mal Meninga led Aussies run out 16-8 winners.
Overall, the stadium hosted six test matches between 1990 and 1996. Its last test to date saw New Zealand defeat Great Britain 18–15 on 25 October 1996 in front of 12,000 fans.
Rugby league Test matches
List of Test matches played at Palmerston North. [5]
Game# | Date | Result | Attendance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 June 1990 | ![]() ![]() | 8,073 | 1990 New Zealand vs Great Britain series |
2 | 12 July 1992 | ![]() ![]() | 11,548 | 1992 New Zealand vs Great Britain series |
3 | 25 June 1993 | ![]() ![]() | 19,500 | 1993 Trans-Tasman Test series |
4 | 16 June 1995 | ![]() ![]() | 10,846 | 1995 New Zealand vs France series |
5 | 11 October 1996 | ![]() ![]() | 2,000 | 1996 New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea series |
6 | 25 October 1996 | ![]() ![]() | 12,000 | 1996 New Zealand vs Great Britain series |
The site has been used as a motorcycle speedway venue for many years. Originally known as Palmerston North Showgrounds speedway track, it hosted several important events, including a qualifying round of the Speedway World Championship in 1976, [6] [7] and the New Zealand Solo Championship in 1949, 1962, 1963, 1969 and 1975. [8]
Today it is called the Robertson Holden International Speedway, with a 434 metres (475 yards) track encircling the field. The national Teams Championships have been held there, early February, bringing racers from all over the country. The season starts mid-October and finishes by the start of May.
The YoungHeart Manawatu association football team used to play at the ground, however they have since moved to Memorial Park, Palmerston North.
Central Energy Trust Arena hosted the Wellington Phoenix association football team in a home game against Sydney FC on 12 December 2009 in the Hyundai A-League.
Central Energy Trust Arena was twice host of Te Matatini nationwide Kapa haka competition.
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 the Central Pulse home matches in Palmerston North and International netball fixtures between New Zealand and Australia; international motor shows; conferences and houses the home court to the Manawatu Jets who play in the New Zealand National Basketball League. The arena has also played host to international basketball, hosting the New Zealand Tall Blacks on occasions, including the FIBA Oceania Championship. For sponsorship reasons, the arena is known as the Fly Palmy Arena. [9]
Arena 3 has a floor area of 2100 square metres and is an indoor sports centre. It has a capacity of 2,000 persons.
Arena 5 includes Bell Hall, Barber Hall, Waldegrave Lounge and gym.
Arena 6 has the Outdoor No. 2, 3 & 4 sports grounds.
The B&M Centre is a multipurpose indoor stadium.
The Palmerston North Showgrounds have had a long military association, which saw it recognised as a Place of Remembrance by the Palmerston North City Council and the New Zealand Poppy Places Trust in 2019. [10]
From the early 1900s, the Palmerston North Showgrounds was the venue for various Military Tournaments, with Boxing Day Military displays popular with the local community. Examples of Military Tournaments held at the Palmerston North Showgrounds were:
During the 1st World War, the showgrounds were used as a remount depot for the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and as a stop-over location for men passing through Palmerston North as they transited to other various military camps around New Zealand.
On 19 July 1919, the showgrounds were the venue for Palmerston Norths celebrations marking the end of World War One. After a parade around the Square followed by speeches watched by a crowd of about 7,000 including 800 children from all the local schools.
During the Second World War, the Showgrounds were requisitioned for military use for the duration of the war by the New Zealand Army, and was by the following units:
On 31 December 1944 a large fire occurred in the building occupied by Ordnance Depot, destroying Halls 1, 2, and 3 and causing stock losses of £225,700 ($18,639,824.86 at 2018 value), including around 1500 Charlton Automatic Rifles, a successful New Zealand conversion of obsolete Lee–Metford and Lee–Enfield rifles into an automatic rifle.
Palmerston North is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manawatu River, 35 km (22 mi) from the river's mouth, and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatū Gorge, about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington. Palmerston North is the country's eighth-largest urban area, with an urban population of 82,500. The estimated population of Palmerston North city is 91,800.
Stadium Australia, commercially known as Accor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Sydney Olympic Park, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Olympic Stadium, Homebush Stadium or simply the Olympic Stadium, was completed in March 1999 at a cost of A$690 million to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Stadium was leased by a private company, the Stadium Australia Group, until the Stadium was sold back to the NSW Government on 1 June 2016 after NSW Premier Michael Baird announced the Stadium was to be redeveloped as a world-class rectangular stadium. The Stadium is owned by Venues NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.
The Hurricanes is a New Zealand professional men's rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in Super Rugby. The Hurricanes were formed to represent the lower North Island, including the East Coast, Hawke's Bay, Horowhenua Kapiti, Manawatū, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui and Wellington unions. They currently play at Sky Stadium, having previously played at the now-defunct Athletic Park.
Carisbrook was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it was also used for other sports such as cricket, football, rugby league and motocross. In 1922, Carisbrook hosted the first international football match between Australia and New Zealand. The hosts won 3-1.
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Olympic Park Stadium was a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne, Australia. The stadium was built as an athletics training venue for the 1956 Olympics, a short distance from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which served as the Olympic Stadium. Over the years it was the home of rugby league side, Melbourne Storm and the A-League team, Melbourne Victory; throughout its life the stadium played host to athletics. Olympic Park Stadium was located in Olympic Park, which is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
The Adelaide Showground holds many of Adelaide's most popular events, including the Royal Adelaide Show.
Palmerston North Boys' High School is a boys' school in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The former Sydney Showground (Moore Park) at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The old site was then leased to News Corporation on a 99-year lease from the Government of New South Wales to be used for the site of Disney Studios Australia (formerly Fox Studios Australia), and is now part of The Entertainment Quarter.
The Waikato Rugby Union (WRU) is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Headquartered in Hamilton, WRU was founded in 1921.
The Manawatu Rugby Football Union (MRU) serves as the governing body of the sport of rugby union in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
Aaron Wiremu Cruden is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Waikato and formerly Montpellier, Manawatu and New Zealand internationally. Cruden's usual position is fly-half.
Sydney Showground Stadium is a sports and events stadium located at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It hosted the baseball events for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Showground, including the stadium, is operated by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS), under lease from the New South Wales Government.
Jason Emery is a New Zealand rugby union player who represents the Sunwolves in Super Rugby, as well as for Manawatu in the Mitre 10 Cup. He also plays for Rugby New York (Ironworkers) in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. His position of choice is centre.
FMG Insurance is a mutual insurance company in New Zealand that was established from a merger of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Association, Taranaki Farmers' Mutual Insurance Association and Primary Industries Insurance Company Limited in 1978. The company is incorporated under the Farmers’ Mutual Group Act 2007 and can trace its origins back to the original farmers' fire mutual organisations established in 1905.
Koinonia Halafungani Laumape is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays as a centre for Kobelco Kobe Steelers. Laumape previously played in Super Rugby for the Hurricanes and was previously a rugby league player for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League.
The New Zealand Superstock Teams Championship is a 2-day event held annually at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The event attracts crowds of 14,000 people on each day of the event, as they are entertained by up to 14 teams, all fighting with full-contact allowed for the ultimate New Zealand speedway crown. In 2018, the event gave the region a $5.2M economic boost, an estimated $1.5M up from 2017.
Manawatu are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1886, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. The team is affiliated with the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are green and white.
Eric Gordon Fletcher was a rugby union and rugby league player. He represented the New Zealand rugby league team in 1 test against Australia in 1935. In the process he became the 239th player to represent New Zealand. Fletcher also played rugby union representatively for Manawatu province and the combined Manawatu-Horowhenua side whilst a member of the Old Boys and later Massey College club sides. After moving to Auckland he also represented Auckland in a sub-union match with Thames. After switching to rugby league he played for the Richmond Rovers club and played for Auckland, and Auckland Province. He was also a talented cricketer and played a handful of games for Manawatu in his younger years. After retiring from rugby he played representative golf in the Manawatu region and in 1939 played in the New Zealand Golf Open.