Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome said the club had a memorandum of understanding with the NZCIS and planned to base its operations out of the hub pending finances.
The $30 million sports hub will not only cater for traditional sports but will have applications for the rapidly growing e-sports, or video game, industry.
Most local sporting organisations could not hope to independently fund the sorts of facilities that would be on offer.
The hub would be a game-changer for sport in New Zealand, Dome said. "It will be one of the top facilities in Australasia and the Southern Hemisphere."
Dont think $30 million is much to spending on this type of facility.To have all the latest gear and backup services would have thought the investment required would have to have been considerably more.For that sort of figure sounds like a budget model being considered.
Dont think $30 million is much to spending on this type of facility.To have all the latest gear and backup services would have thought the investment required would have to have been considerably more.For that sort of figure sounds like a budget model being considered.
Depends what infrastructure already exists I guess. $80m overall spend on site they said so some stuff might sit in that.
Would have thought that would still be a bit light,if they are talking about all the latest gear backed up with the bells and whistles of sports science.Might be fine just seems to its not much to spend as aset up cost.
Dont think $30 million is much to spending on this type of facility.To have all the latest gear and backup services would have thought the investment required would have to have been considerably more.For that sort of figure sounds like a budget model being considered.
Heard about this about a year back, really exciting facility, but yeah, 30m is not much to spend on something like this. Great that they're all getting involved though.
Other potential issues would be the Wallaceville Estate development north of the racecourse (basically all of that area north of the racecourse has been subdivided with many houses already built) and HIBS using the racecourse for school fields.
Interesting that Andy Leslie says that he supported the stadium at Petone Rec because his club (Petone Rugby) vehemently opposed it. However, Andy is one of the first Rugby Heads to acknowledge the pitiful Rugby crowds that turn up for the NPC.
What's the deal with support for the ideas for Lower Hutt but the baulking at Upper Hutt?
If peps don't wanna catch a train to Upper Hutt, or 2 trains up the other coast/driving over the Haywards, then surely the same issues are there for both options?
Don't want to get into a Hutt slinging match, just trying to understand the logic.
Hutt Rec would or should have been the place. 2 min walk from trains, plenty of parking, close to shopping and buses. A couple of bar/resturants nearby for prematch meet ups. A Square rounded corners stadium. terracing at each end for 2500 at each end and two seated stands for 4000 in each = 13k.
What's the deal with support for the ideas for Lower Hutt but the baulking at Upper Hutt?
If peps don't wanna catch a train to Upper Hutt, or 2 trains up the other coast/driving over the Haywards, then surely the same issues are there for both options?
Don't want to get into a Hutt slinging match, just trying to understand the logic.
It's about positioning it as close as possible to the population base. Wellington has a population more than 4x that of Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt has a population more than 2x. The ideal place for a stadium is where we currently have a stadium, it's just the wrong shape and size.
Upper Hutt is also not very accessible. Mirimar to Upper Hutt, for instance, is going to take you an hour. We just don't have the culture of traveling an hour to go see our teams play, a lot of Phoenix ticket sales are spur of the moment walk up crowds.
What's the deal with support for the ideas for Lower Hutt but the baulking at Upper Hutt?
If peps don't wanna catch a train to Upper Hutt, or 2 trains up the other coast/driving over the Haywards, then surely the same issues are there for both options?
Don't want to get into a Hutt slinging match, just trying to understand the logic.
It's about positioning it as close as possible to the population base. Wellington has a population more than 4x that of Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt has a population more than 2x. The ideal place for a stadium is where we currently have a stadium, it's just the wrong shape and size.
Upper Hutt is also not very accessible. Mirimar to Upper Hutt, for instance, is going to take you an hour. We just don't have the culture of traveling an hour to go see our teams play, a lot of Phoenix ticket sales are spur of the moment walk up crowds.
Mirimar to Hutt Rec is 48 minutes according to Google. Is 12 minutes really the difference between football fans going to the Nix and not?
What's the deal with support for the ideas for Lower Hutt but the baulking at Upper Hutt?
If peps don't wanna catch a train to Upper Hutt, or 2 trains up the other coast/driving over the Haywards, then surely the same issues are there for both options?
Don't want to get into a Hutt slinging match, just trying to understand the logic.
It's about positioning it as close as possible to the population base. Wellington has a population more than 4x that of Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt has a population more than 2x. The ideal place for a stadium is where we currently have a stadium, it's just the wrong shape and size.
Upper Hutt is also not very accessible. Mirimar to Upper Hutt, for instance, is going to take you an hour. We just don't have the culture of traveling an hour to go see our teams play, a lot of Phoenix ticket sales are spur of the moment walk up crowds.
Mirimar to Hutt Rec is 48 minutes according to Google. Is 12 minutes really the difference between football fans going to the Nix and not?
It feels like it, that's why Petone was such a good spot, probably the second best location after the current stadium. But, as the second largest population base in the region, Lower Hutt will have it's own walk up crowd, and has more bus and train options.
I live in Wellington but often work in Trentham and go out to brewtown reasonably often, so I don't have that much of a problem with it, but I know people who've lived in Wellington for years and have never been to the Hutt.
Train from Upper Hutt to Wellington 50-60 minutes & Visa versa . I get home to Upper Hutt from games 15-20 minutes before the train Upper Hutt bound even leaves Wellington Station after a game and I don't speed. Yet some from Upper Hutt that do catch a train don't complain about it. Think of the large number of fans that come from the outer areas, Wanganui, Napier, The Waiarapa & further afield. They are amazing with their travels.
I don't think a stadium in Upper Hutt it the best idea but the love for Hutt Rec but against Upper Hutt seems incredibly arbitrary.
I would hope Nix fans would like their team a little bit more than 12 minutes but shark maybe our team is on even more on a knife edge than I thought.
I suppose from my perspective it's a tiny difference as I lived in Masterton for 2 years and didn't miss a game, that included getting home after 11PM on a Sunday because we had some shark 7PM games. Heck one game I drove from Upper Hutt to Whanganui to drop my whānau off at the in laws, then drove back the next day to watch the game and drove back the next day to bring them home. Just because I live this team, and that was during a shark season.
So it just seems so bizarre that people would travel to Lower Hutt for the Nix but 15ish minutes up the road, nope.
Shark the Lower Hutt bug population base would still be closer if it was in Uppers vs Wellington.
It's awesome that you're so passionate about the team, but, sadly, you guys aren't the normal fans, and neither are the people who post on this forum. The few thousand that come game after game won't be affected much if the team is in Upper Hutt or Wellington, it's about making it easy for the casual fan to make a spur of the moment decision to come to the game.
There's even people on this forum, i.e. heavily engaged in the team, that find it inconvenient to come to the game now, imagine how much more inconvenient it will be if you add 30 - 60 minutes to their trip.
Remember that even Hutt Rec didn't sell out, despite the < 10k capacity, awesome atmosphere, great location, and a team that was flying high and performing well (they were fighting for the top of the table at the time, and briefly hit it), the Phoenix actually had a drop in attendance IIRC.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think the Hutt is the ideal spot at all. Short of on Petone beach where you could see it from Welly Central, the harbour does make a barrier.
Also the hills for Hutt Valley and Porirua make neither the ideal option.
It's just the distinction between Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt that feels arbitrary.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
Heretaunga Train Station is about 150 meters from the training pitches.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
The timing off train maintenance and Nix games really sharks me. It's why I usually drive and don't drink anymore... Though that's pretty good for my wallet.
Hindsight blood sucks. If they made it a rectangle and sunk some money into the Basin that could have been ideal as hell.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
The timing off train maintenance and Nix games really sharks me. It's why I usually drive and don't drink anymore... Though that's pretty good for my wallet.
Hindsight blood sucks. If they made it a rectangle and sunk some money into the Basin that could have been ideal as hell.
Problem is putting lights in the basin, the locals are dead set against it. So, the basin works for tests but not so much for ODIs.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
The timing off train maintenance and Nix games really sharks me. It's why I usually drive and don't drink anymore... Though that's pretty good for my wallet.
Hindsight blood sucks. If they made it a rectangle and sunk some money into the Basin that could have been ideal as hell.
Problem is putting lights in the basin, the locals are dead set against it. So, the basin works for tests but not so much for ODIs.
very few locals around teh basin, a couple of apartments that were built after the basin and some busiensses.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
The timing off train maintenance and Nix games really sharks me. It's why I usually drive and don't drink anymore... Though that's pretty good for my wallet.
Hindsight blood sucks. If they made it a rectangle and sunk some money into the Basin that could have been ideal as hell.
Problem is putting lights in the basin, the locals are dead set against it. So, the basin works for tests but not so much for ODIs.
very few locals around teh basin, a couple of apartments that were built after the basin and some busiensses.
i assume its the mt Vic residents, one of the apartments closest to the basin is a Massey hall of residents, so I doubt they care.
Problem with building a new stadium in town would be where the heck could you even put it? Newtown Park is a no no unless you were to keep the running track, could put it where the logs go on the waterfront but then it’s literally right next to Sky Stadium. Options I can think of would be Kelburn Park (already been shot down by nimbys), Anderson Park (not ideal location and a squeeze), Kilbirnie Park, Rugby League Park in Newtown, MacAllister Park or demolishing and squeezing it in where Courtenay Central is.
A good few options but not sure how feasible any of them would actually be.
your average YF fan is liekly to travel tot he ends of the earth for this team, but, like or not we are not the target audience when considering a new stadium's location because we iwll follow them wherever! It's your mum and dad with a kid in tow that only see a game or two a seaoson during the holidays or a fine day that the nox need to encourage to more games. Are they gonna travel from Seatoun, miramar, Kilbernie to Upper Hutt or Petone, at 5pm on a Friday/Satiurday/sunday evening - unlikely. Upper Hutt majkes sense cos that's where the club now trains, brewtown makes it appealing, I think it's close. The trains are always an issue, especially when they are not running, which seems to coincide with nix games more often than it should. Petone is almost the same as far as location, good pubs surrounding the area, a decent train station, but we all know what we think of the trains in this city. Ideally we get a rectangle football stadium in Wellington, we have for some unknown reason two decent cricket grounds in the current stadium and the basin. Once again our council of 20+ years ago screwed the football and rugby fans over with the cake tins design.
The timing off train maintenance and Nix games really sharks me. It's why I usually drive and don't drink anymore... Though that's pretty good for my wallet.
Hindsight blood sucks. If they made it a rectangle and sunk some money into the Basin that could have been ideal as hell.
Problem is putting lights in the basin, the locals are dead set against it. So, the basin works for tests but not so much for ODIs.
very few locals around teh basin, a couple of apartments that were built after the basin and some busiensses.
i assume its the mt Vic residents, one of the apartments closest to the basin is a Massey hall of residents, so I doubt they care.
The cricket would be telling them to keep it down ;)
Problem with building a new stadium in town would be where the heck could you even put it? Newtown Park is a no no unless you were to keep the running track, could put it where the logs go on the waterfront but then it’s literally right next to Sky Stadium. Options I can think of would be Kelburn Park (already been shot down by nimbys), Anderson Park (not ideal location and a squeeze), Kilbirnie Park, Rugby League Park in Newtown, MacAllister Park or demolishing and squeezing it in where Courtenay Central is.
A good few options but not sure how feasible any of them would actually be.
What would be wrong with having the stadium next to Sky Stadium? Adelaide (Adelaide Oval & Memorial Drive Tennis Courts) and Melbourne (MCG & Australian Open courts) have precincts next to eachother, and if anything there would be barely any NIMBY feedback due to the fact that there's already a stadium there.
Problem with building a new stadium in town would be where the heck could you even put it? Newtown Park is a no no unless you were to keep the running track, could put it where the logs go on the waterfront but then it’s literally right next to Sky Stadium. Options I can think of would be Kelburn Park (already been shot down by nimbys), Anderson Park (not ideal location and a squeeze), Kilbirnie Park, Rugby League Park in Newtown, MacAllister Park or demolishing and squeezing it in where Courtenay Central is.
A good few options but not sure how feasible any of them would actually be.
What would be wrong with having the stadium next to Sky Stadium? Adelaide (Adelaide Oval & Memorial Drive Tennis Courts) and Melbourne (MCG & Australian Open courts) have precincts next to eachother, and if anything there would be barely any NIMBY feedback due to the fact that there's already a stadium there.
A la Cardiff arms park 👍
FWIW, Upper Hutt would make going very difficult for me. No direct public transport from Porirua pretty much rules it out. Even petone wouldn’t be ideal but at least that transition from Welly central isn’t too bad.
When it comes to walk up crowds that make a spur of the moment decision to go, it would not matter where the stadium is. i have read on here people saying that someone in Mirimar or Seatoun would be unlikely to go under those circumstances to say Upper Hutt (where I live). But the opposite would apply if the stadium was near where they now train and a new walk up group would become established. my next-door neighbour tells me he watches every game home or away. But does so via his Sky subscription and not making the trip into town. I would guess that he has seen no more than a dozen games over the last 15 years that we have been in existence actually at the game and some of those would have been at the Hutt Rec. I have offered to take him in my car to no avail.
To my mind accessibility to public transport is the key to any location. That was a significant selling point of the ROF in its planning. Egg ball friends tell me of the difference in going to ROF rather than the old Athletic Park.
On a nicer note. I went for a walk a couple of nights ago and walked across the grass where both the men's and women's Phoenix first team squads train now on a daily basis in Trentham. Three fully marked full sized pitches and i counted eight of those full-sized netted goals that are easily movable on two wheels. The quality of the grass is unbelievable. When I saw it from a raised bank from about 100 metres away, I honestly thought it was artificial. But when you are on it, you realize it is real. i have seen the outfield on international standard cricket outfields close up, and this training area is probably better. Without a word of a lie, you could play a reasonable game of lawn bowls on it, although they would probably say it was a little long. I do honestly believe that the ROF pitch is not as good and match day pitch is now a downgrade from training. Having read about the gym facilities they have got there as well, they truly have I reckon a world class facility, possibly the leader in the A League. If another club/s have something better, they are very lucky.
Problem with building a new stadium in town would be where the heck could you even put it? Newtown Park is a no no unless you were to keep the running track, could put it where the logs go on the waterfront but then it’s literally right next to Sky Stadium. Options I can think of would be Kelburn Park (already been shot down by nimbys), Anderson Park (not ideal location and a squeeze), Kilbirnie Park, Rugby League Park in Newtown, MacAllister Park or demolishing and squeezing it in where Courtenay Central is.
A good few options but not sure how feasible any of them would actually be.
What would be wrong with having the stadium next to Sky Stadium? Adelaide (Adelaide Oval & Memorial Drive Tennis Courts) and Melbourne (MCG & Australian Open courts) have precincts next to eachother, and if anything there would be barely any NIMBY feedback due to the fact that there's already a stadium there.
A la Cardiff arms park 👍
FWIW, Upper Hutt would make going very difficult for me. No direct public transport from Porirua pretty much rules it out. Even petone wouldn’t be ideal but at least that transition from Welly central isn’t too bad.
Headingley & Old Trafford (Cricket & Rugby League/Football).
But Cardiff is best example (74,000 & 12,000 capacity) yes I can think 2 rectangular grounds side by side.
Some stadiums also have retractable seating. Reducing the capacity for smaller crowds, so still creating an atmosphere. Think BC Place (where Vancouver Whitecaps play) is one example. The mooted Aucklkand Waterfront Stadium was also going to have retractable seating from memory.
Maybe when they knock down Sky Stadium and rebuild it in 40 years, they'll do that!
If you could rebuild the stadium from scratch, what is the number one thing you would change? Probably a roof. And more to keep out the wind than the rain.
What about those yellow seats? Have you ever considered changing colour? Not really, mainly because there are other pressing requirements that we feel we would get a better bang for our buck from. Changing the colours of the seats might make people feel better about themselves watching on TV, but it doesn’t actually bring an extra person in the stadium. We like our yellow.
Are New Zealand stadiums not too big? You might sell out a one-off All Blacks test, but it’s a different story for the Hurricanes and Phoenix... It is challenging, because if you compare us to our closest neighbour, Australia, you’ve got state governments that are responsible for building those infrastructures. Here it’s local councils and our markets are quite small, so the facilities that are there need to cater for many, many different kinds of events. Although it’s hard to justify, I believe in most cities having multiple stadiums of different sizes for different styles of events. If we didn’t have a venue of this capacity, we would not attract Eminem, Ed Sheeran and British and Irish Lions tests. It’s a balance between the size of the market and the affordability of maintaining stadiums.
