Christchurch’s long-awaited new stadium, One New Zealand Stadium Te Kaha, is officially open for business.
The $683 million stadium has been four years in the making, with construction beginning in April 2022 - and it's all set to host Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round this weekend.
Venues Otautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well countdown is on to the official opening of One
New Zealand Stadium at Teka. It's now less than one
hundred hours until the Crusaders kick off against the Warratars
and the opening match of Super Rugby's Super Round, which
marks the opening of this long awaited and hugely anticipated
addition to the Canterbury sporting landscape. Chief Executive of Venues
(00:36):
AU Taltahi is Caroline Harvey Tia. She's with us on
sports Talk. Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Oh? I don't You've just sad one hundred hours? I
hadn't thought about it in that context. Yeah, no, we're ready,
We're ready. I drove to the stadium this morning and
at the first traffic management sign was out saying major
event at one New Zealand Stadium twenty four or April.
So it's all thinking and that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
How confident are you that everything will go well, go
smoothly with the old Tea problem? Of course, I mean
we can expect those. How confident are you about the weekend?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We feel good? It was it was so good to
have those couple of test events that we had with
the Warriors Watch party and the Crusader's Open training session.
It really gave us those opportunities to see how the
venue works under a little bit of pressure, even though
we divided it up into chunks, and you're really seeing
that it is a fit for purpose venue versus you
(01:32):
know what we deal with it Apollo, which is a
very temporary stadium, albeit it's done us an absolute solid
over the years, but we're working in a new, new
environment like this. It's just an absolute game changer for us.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Has anything in particular kept you awake at night or
sorrowed your brow over the last couple of months, I.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Think my brow might be permanently furrowed. I think it's
just it's a it's a it's a lot of new
activity in that part of the city, and so you've
got this beautiful new venue in the middle of the city.
But it's a lot of foot traffic, it's a lot
of movement, and it's a lot of congestion in an
(02:13):
area of the city that isn't used to having it.
And so I guess that the traffic and the way
people move around the city, that's probably the one thing
that keeps me awake. The venue itself is wonderful. It's
going to, you know, deliver such an incredible experience, not
only for Guess but for Venue Highers. But yeah, it
really is that, you know, how people move around the city.
(02:35):
We don't want to see too much congestion to the
road network. We don't want things to freeze up. But yeah,
that's probably the one thing that I worry about.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It's been a long journey to get here. For the
fine folk of your region, what's the biggest emotion you're
hearing from the community right now?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Oh, look, I think it's a whilst it's a venue United,
a stadium, and there are others. This is a symbol,
symbol of recovery really last in ink approject And so
when you think about what our city's been through over
the last fifteen years, which is more than any city
should have, it feels like this is a symbol of
(03:16):
closing the loop on there and it's providing a real
platform for what the future looks like. And it's a
total change in event landscape here in christ Church, And
I don't know, it feels like a real symbol of hope.
For some reason, as they say it's a building at
the end of the day, but it means so much
more to that for the city that's been through just so.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Much, absolutely so from an operational point of view. Then Caroline,
what does the weak ahead hold you as you really
get ready for Friday?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, so tonight all of the so we've still got
some construction fences around the perimeter of the precinc so
they're coming down tonight. All the traffic management facilities that
are being set up obviously over the next few days
super A Round, so obviously the venue will be locked
down from Wednesday Tuesday for the bumpin for Super Round.
(04:06):
Really are just loading fridges. We're getting ourselves sorted with
all our staff facilities being set up, all of our
contracted facilities being set up, and yeah, everyone's just continuing
to kind of test and get ready and we'll be
good as gold.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
For fans walking through the gates for the first time,
which many of them will be on the weekend, Yes,
you've had the test events and I know they've been
well attended and reports I'm hearing everybody's blind away by it.
But for fans who walk in through the gates for
the first time, this weekend. What do you think will
stand out immediately to them?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, and that's actually one thing. It was quite I
felt quite emotional actually the first time I saw people's
faces coming in for those tests events, the first time
people cleaf eires on that place. It is such a
beautiful venue and despite its scale from the outside, when
you get inside it feels intimate and you're genuinely so
close to the action. And I think that's the thing
(05:03):
that really stands out, is that it's this colisey and
this big scale, beautiful building, but actually when you get inside,
it's a really intimate space and it feels truly local.
You know, when you look around the concourse, you've got
all these local eacheries and it just feels like a
piece of us on a grand scale.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
As you look ahead. I mean, I know, you know
this has been sitting in your calendar for a long time,
super Round ANZEC weekend. But it's just the start, isn't it.
Have you had the chance to say, right, okay, we'll
get this out of the way, but we've still got
quite a bit coming in And I guess you start
then planning for attracting events to one New Zealand stadium, do.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
You Yeah, yeah, it's you know, you don't want this
to be like a wedding. You know, when you're planning
a wedding and you don't think about anything beyond it.
So no, I mean, we've got about twenty major ticketed
events already in the program, so that's five hundred thousand
people coming into the venue over the next ten months.
So we've got plenty on But it's that's just the
(06:02):
medium term.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We need to think about what is the long term
strategy for attracting major content here, both entertainment sport and
so we're continuing to work on what are those one
off entertainment events, but what do those longer term partnerships
look like like the warriors like the Phoenix, you know,
what are those you know, those longer term opportunities to
(06:23):
have regular content like that here in christ Church and
we just want to continue to build that.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Do you think you'll actually get the chance to sit
back and enjoy the weekend?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I really am going to try and take it a
couple of moments here and there. I will genuinely try.
Whether I'll achieve that, I don't know, but I'll give
it a good crap.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Well, you mentioned weddings before. Someone gave me that piece
of advice before my wedding day. They said, at least
once or twice during the night, get together with your
wife and enjoy the moment while it's happening, because honestly, Carolyn,
I'm sure it'll be Monday morning before you know it
and you'll be reviewing.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're having a little get
together today to celebrate the handover date because today is
there for handover to venues Utal Tacky and then we'll
I think we will take our moments where we can.
But it's a pretty big event this three days, so
seventy five thousand people across three days, so we are
(07:20):
going to be under it a bit.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
What is the plan for Apollo Project Stadium.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Now, Yeah, so obviously we've delivered our last event there,
so the venue hands back to council and council will
consider what they do, both with the infrastructure and the land.
I think there's plenty of interest around for who might
want to pick up some of the infrastructure. I mean,
it's a great setup. It's been a fantastic venue, so
(07:46):
I'm sure there are other places around the country that
could utilize that infrastructure, but for us, we hand over
and the next sort of week or two and dispose
of our as sets that. The rest of those decisions
are really for counsel.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Do you think that, well, as you say, it's not
your decision to make, but do you think there's a
scenario under which it will remain a sporting venue?
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I don't know. I don't know. It comes down I
guess too, what does the master planning look for around
this area and what the broader needs are in the
city for sporting facilities or other. Is it residential or
is it commercial? So I know there's a few ideas
bubbling around, but I guess it comes down to, yeah,
what does that sort of master plan look like and
(08:31):
what does this part of the city need.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I live in Wellington, and honestly, if you could pick
that stadium up and drop it down to Wellington. I
was there for the Phoenix on the weekend, it would
be absolutely perfect for Wellington. You know that size rectangular? Yeah,
I know that you can't do that. You can't pick
up a stadium and drop it down, But I don't know.
It just feels like it's still got a purpose to serve,
I guess with one New Zealand Stadium though you're you
know you're undergoing a major upgrade, aren't you. So as
(08:56):
you say, out of your hands, Caroline, probably.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, yeah, out of our hands. But I agree with you.
It's actually it's a brilliantly size We knew, you know,
like obviously christ Uche we need something bigger now and
probably something at a higher standards, you know, we need
to be able to attract more major events here and
international content. But it serves a purpose and it's done
brilliantly over fourteen years and it's delivered some incredible events.
(09:21):
So I would love to see it set up somewhere
else to continue on its legacy in some way. It's
been a sort of bit of sweet say.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Goodbye to it, to be honest, I bet the end
of an era, but the start of an exciting new one. Caroline,
thank you for chatting to us about ninety nine and
a half hours now for you to get ready for
the weekend. So thank you for taking the time and
all the best for a very very exciting time for
you and your team.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Awesome, thank you, no.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Thank you, Caroline, Caroline Harvey tear CEO of venues Old Teltahi.
So here we are. We're on the home straight now
towards Friday, souper round across the weekend. I had it
suggested today and this is actually a bad shout that
maybe they might have looked at just doing one game,
you know, five games a rugby. It's like it's a
(10:05):
hard launch. It's a hard launch, but I guess you
might as well hit with a bang. They've had the
couple of test events, nothing actually in terms of a game.
There was a Warriors watch party and a Crusader's training
run that members were allowed to go along to last week.
But this is a hard launch on Friday night, every
(10:27):
ticket sold, every space taken. They will be hitting with
a bang. So yeah, looking forward to to being down
there actually and seeing how it all goes.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well countdown is on to the official opening of One
New Zealand Stadium at Teka. It's now less than one
hundred hours until the Crusaders kick off against the Warratars
and the opening match of Super Rugby's Super Round, which
marks the opening of this long awaited and hugely anticipated
addition to the Canterbury sporting landscape. Chief Executive of Venues
(00:36):
AU Taltahi is Caroline Harvey Tia. She's with us on
sports Talk. Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Oh? I don't You've just sad one hundred hours? I
hadn't thought about it in that context. Yeah, no, we're ready,
We're ready. I drove to the stadium this morning and
at the first traffic management sign was out saying major
event at one New Zealand Stadium twenty four or April.
So it's all thinking and that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
How confident are you that everything will go well, go
smoothly with the old Tea problem? Of course, I mean
we can expect those. How confident are you about the weekend?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We feel good? It was it was so good to
have those couple of test events that we had with
the Warriors Watch party and the Crusader's Open training session.
It really gave us those opportunities to see how the
venue works under a little bit of pressure, even though
we divided it up into chunks, and you're really seeing
that it is a fit for purpose venue versus you
(01:32):
know what we deal with it Apollo, which is a
very temporary stadium, albeit it's done us an absolute solid
over the years, but we're working in a new, new
environment like this. It's just an absolute game changer for us.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Has anything in particular kept you awake at night or
sorrowed your brow over the last couple of months, I.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Think my brow might be permanently furrowed. I think it's
just it's a it's a it's a lot of new
activity in that part of the city, and so you've
got this beautiful new venue in the middle of the city.
But it's a lot of foot traffic, it's a lot
of movement, and it's a lot of congestion in an
(02:13):
area of the city that isn't used to having it.
And so I guess that the traffic and the way
people move around the city, that's probably the one thing
that keeps me awake. The venue itself is wonderful. It's
going to, you know, deliver such an incredible experience, not
only for Guess but for Venue Highers. But yeah, it
really is that, you know, how people move around the city.
(02:35):
We don't want to see too much congestion to the
road network. We don't want things to freeze up. But yeah,
that's probably the one thing that I worry about.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It's been a long journey to get here. For the
fine folk of your region, what's the biggest emotion you're
hearing from the community right now?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Oh, look, I think it's a whilst it's a venue United,
a stadium, and there are others. This is a symbol,
symbol of recovery really last in ink approject And so
when you think about what our city's been through over
the last fifteen years, which is more than any city
should have, it feels like this is a symbol of
(03:16):
closing the loop on there and it's providing a real
platform for what the future looks like. And it's a
total change in event landscape here in christ Church, And
I don't know, it feels like a real symbol of hope.
For some reason, as they say it's a building at
the end of the day, but it means so much
more to that for the city that's been through just so.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Much, absolutely so from an operational point of view. Then Caroline,
what does the weak ahead hold you as you really
get ready for Friday?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, so tonight all of the so we've still got
some construction fences around the perimeter of the precinc so
they're coming down tonight. All the traffic management facilities that
are being set up obviously over the next few days
super A Round, so obviously the venue will be locked
down from Wednesday Tuesday for the bumpin for Super Round.
(04:06):
Really are just loading fridges. We're getting ourselves sorted with
all our staff facilities being set up, all of our
contracted facilities being set up, and yeah, everyone's just continuing
to kind of test and get ready and we'll be
good as gold.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
For fans walking through the gates for the first time,
which many of them will be on the weekend, Yes,
you've had the test events and I know they've been
well attended and reports I'm hearing everybody's blind away by it.
But for fans who walk in through the gates for
the first time, this weekend. What do you think will
stand out immediately to them?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, and that's actually one thing. It was quite I
felt quite emotional actually the first time I saw people's
faces coming in for those tests events, the first time
people cleaf eires on that place. It is such a
beautiful venue and despite its scale from the outside, when
you get inside it feels intimate and you're genuinely so
close to the action. And I think that's the thing
(05:03):
that really stands out, is that it's this colisey and
this big scale, beautiful building, but actually when you get inside,
it's a really intimate space and it feels truly local.
You know, when you look around the concourse, you've got
all these local eacheries and it just feels like a
piece of us on a grand scale.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
As you look ahead. I mean, I know, you know
this has been sitting in your calendar for a long time,
super Round ANZEC weekend. But it's just the start, isn't it.
Have you had the chance to say, right, okay, we'll
get this out of the way, but we've still got
quite a bit coming in And I guess you start
then planning for attracting events to one New Zealand stadium, do.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
You Yeah, yeah, it's you know, you don't want this
to be like a wedding. You know, when you're planning
a wedding and you don't think about anything beyond it.
So no, I mean, we've got about twenty major ticketed
events already in the program, so that's five hundred thousand
people coming into the venue over the next ten months.
So we've got plenty on But it's that's just the
(06:02):
medium term.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We need to think about what is the long term
strategy for attracting major content here, both entertainment sport and
so we're continuing to work on what are those one
off entertainment events, but what do those longer term partnerships
look like like the warriors like the Phoenix, you know,
what are those you know, those longer term opportunities to
(06:23):
have regular content like that here in christ Church and
we just want to continue to build that.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Do you think you'll actually get the chance to sit
back and enjoy the weekend?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I really am going to try and take it a
couple of moments here and there. I will genuinely try.
Whether I'll achieve that, I don't know, but I'll give
it a good crap.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Well, you mentioned weddings before. Someone gave me that piece
of advice before my wedding day. They said, at least
once or twice during the night, get together with your
wife and enjoy the moment while it's happening, because honestly, Carolyn,
I'm sure it'll be Monday morning before you know it
and you'll be reviewing.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're having a little get
together today to celebrate the handover date because today is
there for handover to venues Utal Tacky and then we'll
I think we will take our moments where we can.
But it's a pretty big event this three days, so
seventy five thousand people across three days, so we are
(07:20):
going to be under it a bit.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
What is the plan for Apollo Project Stadium.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Now, Yeah, so obviously we've delivered our last event there,
so the venue hands back to council and council will
consider what they do, both with the infrastructure and the land.
I think there's plenty of interest around for who might
want to pick up some of the infrastructure. I mean,
it's a great setup. It's been a fantastic venue, so
(07:46):
I'm sure there are other places around the country that
could utilize that infrastructure, but for us, we hand over
and the next sort of week or two and dispose
of our as sets that. The rest of those decisions
are really for counsel.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Do you think that, well, as you say, it's not
your decision to make, but do you think there's a
scenario under which it will remain a sporting venue?
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I don't know. I don't know. It comes down I
guess too, what does the master planning look for around
this area and what the broader needs are in the
city for sporting facilities or other. Is it residential or
is it commercial? So I know there's a few ideas
bubbling around, but I guess it comes down to, yeah,
what does that sort of master plan look like and
(08:31):
what does this part of the city need.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I live in Wellington, and honestly, if you could pick
that stadium up and drop it down to Wellington. I
was there for the Phoenix on the weekend, it would
be absolutely perfect for Wellington. You know that size rectangular? Yeah,
I know that you can't do that. You can't pick
up a stadium and drop it down, But I don't know.
It just feels like it's still got a purpose to serve,
I guess with one New Zealand Stadium though you're you
know you're undergoing a major upgrade, aren't you. So as
(08:56):
you say, out of your hands, Caroline, probably.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, yeah, out of our hands. But I agree with you.
It's actually it's a brilliantly size We knew, you know,
like obviously christ Uche we need something bigger now and
probably something at a higher standards, you know, we need
to be able to attract more major events here and
international content. But it serves a purpose and it's done
brilliantly over fourteen years and it's delivered some incredible events.
(09:21):
So I would love to see it set up somewhere
else to continue on its legacy in some way. It's
been a sort of bit of sweet say.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Goodbye to it, to be honest, I bet the end
of an era, but the start of an exciting new one. Caroline,
thank you for chatting to us about ninety nine and
a half hours now for you to get ready for
the weekend. So thank you for taking the time and
all the best for a very very exciting time for
you and your team.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Awesome, thank you, no.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Thank you, Caroline, Caroline Harvey tear CEO of venues Old Teltahi.
So here we are. We're on the home straight now
towards Friday, souper round across the weekend. I had it
suggested today and this is actually a bad shout that
maybe they might have looked at just doing one game,
you know, five games a rugby. It's like it's a
(10:05):
hard launch. It's a hard launch, but I guess you
might as well hit with a bang. They've had the
couple of test events, nothing actually in terms of a game.
There was a Warriors watch party and a Crusader's training
run that members were allowed to go along to last week.
But this is a hard launch on Friday night, every
(10:27):
ticket sold, every space taken. They will be hitting with
a bang. So yeah, looking forward to to being down
there actually and seeing how it all goes.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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