Waitaha Canterbury’s brand new, multi-purpose venue, One New Zealand Stadium, is 17 months away from opening its gates and a host of sports are champing at the bit to take to the field. 

One NZ Stadium will host more than 200 events per year from concerts, sports, to expos and private events. Venues Ōtautahi Chief Executive, Caroline Harvie-Teare, said a wide variety of sports teams are enthusiastically waiting for their opportunity to play at New Zealand's premier stadium.

“For a sports-mad province like Canterbury, it is exciting to look ahead to some of the top tier sporting events we will be able to attract. In fact, the prospect of this stadium opening in 2026 has already led to a deals with the One NZ Warriors and Wellington Phoenix committed to play home games in Christchurch over the coming years, and prompted talk of potential South Island NRL and A-League football teams in the future.

The Crusaders have launched their membership offering giving fans priority access to seats at One NZ Stadium once it opens, and we look forward to bringing tier one international rugby back to Canterbury as well,” Harvie-Teare said.

In terms of rugby union, One New Zealand Stadium is the home of the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific, Matatū in Super Rugby Aupiki, Canterbury Rugby NPC and FPC teams, while also hosting our teams in black, the All Blacks and Black Ferns.

The One NZ Warriors, Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns will play rugby league matches at the Stadium, and football fans can look forward to watching the All Whites and Football Ferns play there, along with matches from the Phoenix in the A-League.

For anchor tenant, the Crusaders, the opening of One New Zealand Stadium will be something of a homecoming celebration.

“Watching One NZ Stadium take shape is exciting and emotional for the Crusaders organisation and fans. It’s like watching your dream home being built,” Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said.

“This will be an incredible venue, both from a player and spectator perspective. From the turf quality and players facilities to the hospitality options and prime views from every seat, every detail has been considered in the design. We can’t wait for the opening celebrations.”

Harvie-Teare said sports at the Stadium would not just be limited to the grass.

“While the rectangular playing field and natural turf will be ideally suited to football, rugby union and rugby league, the roofed arena will also be adaptable enough to host other sport events including tennis, boxing, motorsports and e-sports. We are talking with a wide range of sporting bodies already and the anticipation for this venue is high,” she said.

The potential for one of the fastest growing sports globally, esports, to host tournaments in One New Zealand Stadium is a huge opportunity for the region and for New Zealand, according to NZ Esports CEO, Jonathan Jansen.

“The E Blacks, our kiwi national esports team, travels all over the world competing in esports events and no matter where we are in the world, the demand for teams wanting to visit New Zealand is always significant. Having a state of the art esports-enabled facility to host international events is something a lot of countries are now planning – but we're already ahead of the curve thanks to One NZ Stadium.

“Late last year the IOC announced an Olympic Esports Commission to explore the idea of an Olympic Esports Games between the Summer and Winter Olympics. New Zealand was already perfectly paired with our picturesque landscapes and our time zone allowing for Asian and American audiences, but now we have real infrastructure that enables us to explore opportunities like this even further,” Jansen said.

Harvie-Teare said the Stadium's state-of-the-art design meant opportunities to host there were endless. 

“With a covered arena that can host up to 30,000 people seated and 40,000 people in concert mode, all under the cover of a roof, the types of events we will be able to host are many and varied. The combination of capacity, flexibility and clever design means this is going to be a truly multi-purpose venue and, as venue managers, we are loving being able to think outside the box about the type of events that we will be able to attract and host here from 2026."

July 2024

We are proud to announce One New Zealand has joined the Venues Ōtautahi whānau as our Stadium naming rights partner. 
 
Venues Ōtautahi CEO Caroline Harvie-Teare says One New Zealand is the perfect partner for the stadium, with its extensive experience and insights which will be invaluable in driving event attraction and venue activation.

“This partnership will enable us to generate significant commercial value while staying true to our core values of diversity, inclusion and social good. Together, we look forward to seeing One New Zealand Stadium become an iconic venue not only hosting world-class events but also enriching the social, cultural, environmental and economic fabric of our community.”

The current partnership spans 10 years, from 2026-36, which One New Zealand CEO Jason Paris says is a reflection of One New Zealand’s commitment to the South Island and Canterbury.

“One New Zealand Stadium will bring the best music, live entertainment and sports, including the mighty One New Zealand Warriors, to Christchurch and we’re stoked to be the naming rights partner. Cantabrians have been waiting a long time for a world-class stadium, and this multi-use arena is certain to deliver. We're proud of our existing long-term partnerships, whether it’s our 25-year longest in NRL history with the One New Zealand Warriors, or five years of music with Live Nation, and we believe the best partnerships are when both companies share a passion for truly delivering for their customers over the long term.” 

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger congratulated Venues Ōtautahi and One New Zealand on their new partnership.

“This announcement is so exciting for Christchurch, as it’s a huge step towards realising this world-class venue that our city has waited so long for. With the extensive event activation experience that One New Zealand and Venues Ōtautahi share, the future is looking very bright for the Christchurch events landscape.  We cannot wait to roll out the welcome mat at One New Zealand Stadium to the local and international artists, the corporate events and the sports fixtures that it will attract.”

One New Zealand Stadium is the last of the major post-Earthquake Anchor Projects, each of which symbolises another step in a long road to recovery. The stadium is a symbol of resilience, endurance and strength and, while the venue’s name will now be One New Zealand Stadium, the whenua and precinct will continue to carry the Te Kaha name that was gifted to the city by Ngai Tūāhuriri.