Christchurch celebrates the opening of Hagley Oval Pavilion
Hagley Oval Pavilion was officially opened on Monday 15th September at a ceremony attended by over 150 guests including Prime Minister John Key and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.
The Pavilion is the first anchor project to be delivered in Christchurch and facilitates the return of international cricket to the region.
Lee Robinson, Chairman of Canterbury Cricket Trust is delighted to see the Hagley Oval Pavilion fully completed. ” The Pavilion looks spectacular and I am extremely proud of the end result. We have truly delivered a venue that will enhance Hagley Park and have created an iconic sporting venue. Today’s completion marks many months and years of hard work. Special thanks needs to go to the building team, our funding partners and all our supporters. Without them we wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Christchurch’s Hagley Oval has the honour of hosting the opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on February 14. Canterbury will also host the opening ceremony, two other pool matches and two warm up matches in the days leading up to the World Cup.
Canterbury Cricket Chief Executive, Lee Germon is delighted to see the world class venue come to fruition. “We have a fantastic summer of cricket ahead of us with the first Boxing Day test in more than a decade, and a first for the South Island, being held at Hagley Oval not to mention the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 which is only 151 days away.”
“The Pavilion provides an incredible viewing experience for cricket fans. Christchurch has really delivered an international quality venue for cricket in Canterbury and a world class venue for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015” says Germon.
Construction started nine months ago with the first sod being turned on December 17th 2013. Despite the build being interrupted by multiple deluges of rain, construction has come in on time. The Pavilion is 166m long and see’s over 120 square metres of concrete laid in the foundations for the two-tier pavilion, 36 tonnes of structural steel installed and 2.5 tonnes of fabric utilized for the floating tensile roof.
Christchurch Mayor, Lianne Dalziel sees the development as enhancing the city’s reputation. “The Pavilion is an impressive design that will put Christchurch on the international map as offering a world-class sporting venue. The unique thing about the ground is its location in the heart of our city, Hagley Park. I look forward to seeing the venue come alive in the months and years ahead. I believe international cricket fans will visit Christchurch on the strength of this ground alone.”
Membership packages for the new Pavilion are now on sale. Membership into the Pavilion will secure supporters a seat for the next 5 years and members will have varying rights to all Canterbury Cricket Association games, New Zealand Cricket international games, all ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 games held at the Hagley Oval (conditions apply).