 All-weather athletics track in 2023 | |
 | |
| Former names | Masterton Sports Bowl |
|---|---|
| Location | Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 40°56′48″S175°40′15″E / 40.94677°S 175.67074°E |
| Owner | Masterton District Council |
| Surface | Grass field, synthetic athletics track |
The Colin Pugh Sports Bowl is a multi-purpose stadium located in Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for athletics and football.
Athletics and cycling events had been held on a grass circuit in the oval at Queen Elizabeth Park up until the mid 1960s. In May 1964, the track was surveyed, and found to not comply with the specifications for athletics tracks. Several records awaiting acceptance were disallowed, and this was a significant blow to the athletics club. [1] : 43
Athletics events were moved to Memorial Park from August 1966. [1] : 49 However, the park was used for rugby during the winter, and each summer season there were difficulties in creating an acceptable surface for athletics and cycling, and the athletics club continued to investigate options for a dedicated facility. [1] : 62
In 1969, Colin Pugh, the parks superintendent, recommended to the Masterton Borough Council that an area of about 7 acres (2.8 ha) in Landsdowne should be considered for a dedicated athletics ground. At that time, the site was a hollow covered in gorse, blackberry and broom, with significant standing and fallen timber. There was also an old stop bank of the Waipoua River running through the site. The council needed to obtain property rights before the site could be developed. [1] : 62
Work to clear the site began in 1972. [2] : 183 Volunteers made a large contribution towards preparing the site, and a local earthmoving company also donated their services. The project was supported with significant fundraising from the community. [2] : 184
The venue was originally known as the Masterton Sports Bowl. The Athletics and Cycling Masterton club built a clubhouse at the site in 1981. [3] In 1989, the venue was renamed as the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl, after the former superintendent of parks in Masterton. [3]
Planning for an all-weather athletics track in Masterton was underway by 2007. [4] The Wairarapa Regional All Weather Track Trust was formed in 2009 to promote the need for an all-weather track and raise funds. [5] Initial funding of $300,000 was obtained from the Masterton District Council. [6] [7] However, the project was delayed by difficulties in securing the remaining funding required to reach the target of $1m. [8] In 2011, the Pelorus Trust provided a grant of $50,000 and obtained 10-year naming rights. [9] Construction was underway by November 2011. [10]
Installation of an Alsatan all-weather athletics track was completed in December 2012. Olympic medallist Nick Willis took part in the inaugural meet on the new track in January 2013. [11] [12]
In 2016, the Wairarapa Regional All Weather Track Trust handed over the track to the Masterton District Council for future management and operation, and the trust was dissolved. [5] [13] [14]
As at June 2023, the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl is accredited as a Class 2 certified facility by World Athletics. [12]
Track and field meets and championships are regularly held at the venue. [15] [16] [17] Major meets have included the 2013 North Island Secondary School Athletics Track and Field Championships, [18] and the 2022 Wellington Primary and Intermediate Schools Regional Athletics Championship. [19] The venue is also used as a base for harrier events. [20]
The venue has been used for football games. [21] [22] [23] It has also been the venue for outdoor concerts. [24] [25]
Georgina Beyer was a New Zealand Labour Party politician who served as a member of parliament. In 1995 she was elected mayor of Carterton, making her the world's first openly transgender mayor. In 1999, she became the world's first openly transgender member of parliament. As a member of the Labour Party Beyer supported progressive policies including prostitution law reform, civil unions, anti-discrimination laws and the promotion of Māori rights. She resigned in 2007, and, in 2014, unsuccessfully stood for election on behalf of the Mana Party.
Masterton is a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand that operates as the seat of the Masterton District. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges. It stands on the Waipoua stream between the Ruamahunga and Waingawa Rivers – 100 kilometres north-east of Wellington and 39.4 kilometres south of Eketahuna.
Featherston is a town in the South Wairarapa District, in the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is at the eastern foothills of Remutaka Range close to the northern shore of Lake Wairarapa, 63 km (39 mi) north-east of central Wellington and 37 km (23 mi) south-west of Masterton.
Ron Stanley Mark is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand First party, and former soldier, who served as Minister of Defence between October 2017 and November 2020. He served as mayor of Carterton from 2010 to 2014, and again from 2022 defeating incumbent Greg Lang.
Greytown, population 2,202, is a rural town in the centre of the Wairarapa region of New Zealand, in the lower North Island. It is 80 km north-east of Wellington and 25 kilometres southwest of Masterton, on State Highway 2. It was awarded the title of New Zealand's Most Beautiful Small Town 2017.
The Wellington Region has a well developed public transport system, the most used in New Zealand. It consists of electric and diesel buses, commuter trains, ferries and a funicular. It also included trams until 1964 and trolleybuses until 2017.
Sir Brian James Lochore was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at number 8 and lock, as well as captaining the side 46 times. In 1999, Lochore was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand. The line runs for 172 kilometres (107 mi), connects the capital city Wellington with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville, via Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Masterton.
Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environmental and flood protection, and the region's water supply. As of 2023, it is the majority owner of CentrePort Wellington with a 77% shareholding.
The Wairarapa Connection is a New Zealand interurban commuter rail service along the Wairarapa Line between Masterton, the largest town in the Wairarapa, and Wellington. It is operated by Wellington suburban operator Transdev under contract from the Greater Wellington Regional Council. It is a diesel-hauled carriage service, introduced by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1964 after passenger demand between Masterton to Wellington exceeded the capacity of the diesel railcars then used.
Petone railway station is a dual platform, suburban railway station located in the Lower Hutt, New Zealand suburb of Petone. It is on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, 10.5 km (6.5 mi) north of Wellington, and is the junction for the Melling Branch to Melling, which diverges westward from the main line to the north of the station. The station is served by Metlink suburban services, operated by Transdev Wellington, to Wellington, Melling, Taita, Upper Hutt and Masterton.
Featherston railway station is a single-platform, urban railway station serving the town of Featherston in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The station lies on the Wairarapa Line, and is located between Harrison Street West and Harrison Street East. It is thirty-five minutes journey time to Masterton, or fifty five minutes journey time to Wellington.
Upper Hutt railway station is a suburban railway station serving central Upper Hutt, New Zealand. The station is on the Wairarapa Line, 32.4 km (20.1 mi) north of Wellington, and is served by Transdev Wellington on behalf of the Greater Wellington Regional Council. The station is the northern terminus for the electrified Hutt Valley Line to and from Wellington. The diesel-hauled Wairarapa Connection stops at Upper Hutt on its route between Wellington and Masterton.
Newtown Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, owned and managed by Wellington City Council. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer) matches in winter, and athletic events in summer. Newtown Park is the primary athletics stadium for the Wellington region.
The 2011 ASB Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 84th knockout football competition.
Memorial Park, also known as Trust House Memorial Park for sponsorship reasons and formerly as Cameron and Soldiers' Park, is a sports facility which is located in Masterton, Wellington region, New Zealand. The two main sports that are played on the ground are Rugby and Football. It has a capacity for 10,000 spectators.
Kieran Michael McAnulty is a New Zealand Labour Party politician. First elected to parliament in 2017, he is a Cabinet minister and the Member of Parliament for the Wairarapa electorate. Formerly the Chief Government Whip, McAnulty is now the Minister of Local Government and Minister for Emergency Management, among other portfolios.
Masterton East is a suburb of Masterton, a town on New Zealand's North Island.
The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands are a major wetland, located in the South Wairarapa District in the Wellington Region at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island.
The 2022 Wellington local elections were held on 8 October 2022 as part of the wider 2022 New Zealand local elections to elect members to sub-national councils and boards. The Wellington elections cover one regional council, eight territorial authorities, and various community boards and licensing trusts.