March 7, 2025 • 10 mins
Sky Stadium is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and on Sunday opens its doors for the public to head onto the field and explore the changing rooms under the stands.
To celebrate the anniversary, Adam Cooper headed into the Newstalk ZB archives to relive some of the venue's most memorable moments.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, can you believe its Sky Stadium is celebrating its
twenty fifth anniversary this year, of course, opened up in
January two thousands, and tomorrow the stadium opens its doors
to everyone. You can head along, go onto the fields,
check out the changing rooms and have a whole bunch
of fun while you're there. Free entry for anyone that
wants to head along from eleven till three. But it's
(00:20):
brought so many strong sporting moments over the years, the
good and bad, the heartbreaking, the champion moments for Wellington
and Kiwi team. So I thought we'd have a bit
of a look back because it's all played out here
on news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He'd be over the years as well.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So let's go back first to nearly twenty five years ago,
the very first All Blacks tests at the stadium in
August two thousands, to provide some great All Blacks moments
through the game.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It goes pickick for Colum about to die at the time, Christian.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Cullum at Fine New Zealand. It comes to with them might.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Have Jeff Wilson's record, the crowd on its feet. Now
it goes to Marshall Merton has to wait for the
ball out in the center field, back to Merton and
then the double cut to Omaha. Here through he's got
color outside him, color all week well, the old time
Test try scoring record.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
He takes a round to that post.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
He dropped it down try number fifty nine Christian Cullen
and they have.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Drawn level not probably more memorable. In the dying moments
of the game New Zealand, we're up by two and
this happens.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Looking for drop goals, they're looking for tries, rough drives
in two the twenty two. The ball is there on
the New Zealand side, penalty penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
This could be the game. In their forty fourth minute
heels the Wallaby captain kicks towards the posts.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And it's over.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The Wallabies have won it us full time. The Wallabies
hold the Lettersnowe Cup, they hold a chance of the
try Nations.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The New Zealanders stand like statues, absolutely distraught.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
The Wallabies surround their captain. They have stolen this.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
In the forty forty fifth minute of the game by
twenty four.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
To twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Heartbreaking, wasn't it all right?
Speaker 6 (02:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The stadium's have been witnessed to two British and Irish
Lions tests as well, featuring the All Blacks. Remember Dan
Carter's magic in two thousand and five.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yes, soyola, soyola, looking outside them down on the outside,
little kick and chase the karter?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Is it he's only a try?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And is Daniel Cutter out on the right wing the
kick and chase the grabber and the bounce goes his way.
The most dutiful try, consummate skill, consummate cools. I think
this might be a penalty advantage numbers left. He was
offside too, but surely this has gotta be a try.
That's a Karter Cutter insider man cutters alone count I
(02:42):
try number two the Lions shot cut pieces.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
They all go now to the referee on no side.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
New Zealand has beaten the British and Irish Lions, not.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
Just beaten them, put them to the sword by forty.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Eight points to eighteen to clinch the series two nil.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Oh yes, but it was twelve years later the opposite
results here in the Capitol during the Lions tour of
twenty seventeen that had some drama.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
The direct sooner on.
Speaker 8 (03:15):
The head, I need to correct the player head and
neck is direct direct, So.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Siber Williams sets off for the second Test with the
clock showing twenty four minutes and thirty seven seconds.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Sixton. They want to go wide to Williams.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Williams why to fellatoe flatowel on.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Tag Fella Town in the corner try.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Ten minutes out of the lines as they sage Murray.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Snipe Murray's scaring.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Try fourteen from the right hand corner.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Post feral and sweeps the leg throw It's down the medal.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The Lion's laid. The Lion's laid for.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
The first time the DHL Lions series. The visitors have
the edge, Murray kicks it out.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
We got us a series people.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Airline's winning twenty four to twenty one, keeping the All
Blacks trialists in That game, of course, ended up being
a drawn series that one after three tests. Or Sticking
with rugby, we've had two Super Rugby Finals at Sky
Stadium and twenty four completed seasons of the competition.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
What a year the Hurricanes has had had had dominating
the round robin and the playoffs, and then the Highlanders
came to town for the Big dance.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
Ten seconds on the clock, all back the Hurricans look
out on their feet.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
They look resigned to their fate. They fly into the tackle,
try to force her turnover.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
It is not the case.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Time expires, the ball is at the back.
Speaker 9 (04:52):
Aaron Smith cleans into the stands and the Highlanders have
climbed to the top of the mountain and other Super
Rugby champions in twenty fifteen, the Island of twenty one.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
The Hurricane fourteen fucking wild scenes are celebration.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Had as much as that stung. In fact, it still
stings to many now, doesn't it. But we only had
to wait for one more year after that for the
Hurricanes first and only title came on a cold, wet
evening in August twenty sixteen.
Speaker 10 (05:27):
The final whistle sounds and it has happened, the Hurricane
Super Rugby Champions for the very first time at twenty sixteen.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Let the champagne flow.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, brilliant. It was nice to finally happen, wasn't it? Swell?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
We're badlock looking back on twenty five years of sporting
moments at Sky Stadium. By the way, they're celebrating the anniversary.
This weekend in football delivered some incredible memories as well.
We'll be lucky enough to have several World Cup qualifying
playoff games here in Wellington over the years. Peru here
in twenty seventeen Mexico when he thirteen, But it was
two thousand and nine when the All Whites had to
(06:03):
have a win over Bahrain in their second leg playoff
game to earn a spots at the FIFA World's Cup.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
In twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
We're underway at Westpac Stadium.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
It's FIFA World Cup qualifying action between Bahrain and the
New Zealand All Whites. And straightaway it's a Bahrain on
attack and they get a shot away. Early third corner
of the night for the All Whites, again taken by BeRTOS.
He's been on set pieces all night. Here comes Berdos
right fort it out into the mix.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I think it's.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
No, we can't have a claim.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
And I'm going to tell you I think it's Rory
Fallon who's found the back of the neck.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
The ball came in from BeRTOS.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
Rory Fallon roy this and hitting the ball powerfully pass
the keeper.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Well Paston's crucial, isn't he If he can do the unthinkable,
He's making.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Money just the night.
Speaker 7 (06:54):
Crucial moment in this game the penalty to Bahrain and
Nana take approaches.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
The ball won't put it sit.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
Don't believe.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
I said, just like you preston you champion. There can
only be seconds left.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
It's what's a close, It's fall as stain a hand,
South Africa, twenty.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Eight years old. I'm working here at Spanish.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Honestly, he's delidity all lunch back to the falls. Biggest
stage has thirty.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Five thousand sets of arms are flustered to the air
at truly unforgettable for anyone there, and of course the
Phoenix have been at the stadium since two thousand and seven.
But the biggest match has a club and for the
fans came well only earlier this year a home semi
final against Melbourne victory, and while it may not have
given us the results we all so desperately wanted, it
provided a moment of extra time magic that absolutely everyone
(07:53):
there will cherish forever.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It's still time to places.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
Daniel Elder looked on to lunch by the uselesses.
Speaker 10 (08:06):
Oscar calling out a fire.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Can't you believe it?
Speaker 10 (08:13):
The level of the Jackson and Oscar savais the playman again.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That's Lord Wellington, amazing and of course, twenty five years
ago the stadium gave Wellington a new lease of life
on its ability to host big cricket games under lights.
Stadium became home for the International white Ball Games and
some of cricket's magic moments came during that special twenty
to fifteen Cricket World Cup. And of not it's an
astonishing quarterfinal match between New Zealand and the West Indies
(08:42):
involving a particular individual performance of notes.
Speaker 8 (08:45):
Cutaway backward, a point again, this is going to be
four more as Martin Guptil starting to profit, especially through
the point region off the spinners.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
That's another good straight drive from Guttill. He's played a
number of those today and he's hit that one sweetly.
Samuel's bars to him and this one drives down the
ground and there he has back.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
To back hundreds in World Cap cricket.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Martin Guptel one hundred, one hundred.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
And eleven balls.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
He celebrates and deserves too, to a standing ovation here
at the Wellington Stadium.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Here is the delivery. Martin Guptil drives down the crowd.
Speaker 6 (09:17):
Four more, Stand up New Zealand, stand up, the world's
two one hundred and three not out Martin Guptel, just
glorious start of the fiftieth.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That's co Be on the roof.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
It's enormous and that's off the road Fridy.
Speaker 8 (09:34):
About the fourth or fifth time here at Wellington Stadium,
Martin Guptel has sent people out of the arena on.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
The top of the cake turn.
Speaker 8 (09:43):
But it's been a quite magnificent effort from the New Zealander's,
particularly Martin Guptel.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Rare a fight here.
Speaker 8 (09:52):
The second highest score of One Day International cricket history.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
People have taken twenty off the last.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Over twenty five years of sporting memories at Sky Stadium.
Their open day is eleven till three tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
Well, can you believe its Sky Stadium is celebrating its
twenty fifth anniversary this year, of course, opened up in
January two thousands, and tomorrow the stadium opens its doors
to everyone. You can head along, go onto the fields,
check out the changing rooms and have a whole bunch
of fun while you're there. Free entry for anyone that
wants to head along from eleven till three. But it's
(00:20):
brought so many strong sporting moments over the years, the
good and bad, the heartbreaking, the champion moments for Wellington
and Kiwi team. So I thought we'd have a bit
of a look back because it's all played out here
on news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
He'd be over the years as well.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So let's go back first to nearly twenty five years ago,
the very first All Blacks tests at the stadium in
August two thousands, to provide some great All Blacks moments
through the game.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It goes pickick for Colum about to die at the time, Christian.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Cullum at Fine New Zealand. It comes to with them might.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Have Jeff Wilson's record, the crowd on its feet. Now
it goes to Marshall Merton has to wait for the
ball out in the center field, back to Merton and
then the double cut to Omaha. Here through he's got
color outside him, color all week well, the old time
Test try scoring record.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
He takes a round to that post.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
He dropped it down try number fifty nine Christian Cullen
and they have.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Drawn level not probably more memorable. In the dying moments
of the game New Zealand, we're up by two and
this happens.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Looking for drop goals, they're looking for tries, rough drives
in two the twenty two. The ball is there on
the New Zealand side, penalty penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
This could be the game. In their forty fourth minute
heels the Wallaby captain kicks towards the posts.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And it's over.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
The Wallabies have won it us full time. The Wallabies
hold the Lettersnowe Cup, they hold a chance of the
try Nations.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
The New Zealanders stand like statues, absolutely distraught.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
The Wallabies surround their captain. They have stolen this.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
In the forty forty fifth minute of the game by
twenty four.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
To twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Heartbreaking, wasn't it all right?
Speaker 6 (02:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The stadium's have been witnessed to two British and Irish
Lions tests as well, featuring the All Blacks. Remember Dan
Carter's magic in two thousand and five.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yes, soyola, soyola, looking outside them down on the outside,
little kick and chase the karter?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Is it he's only a try?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And is Daniel Cutter out on the right wing the
kick and chase the grabber and the bounce goes his way.
The most dutiful try, consummate skill, consummate cools. I think
this might be a penalty advantage numbers left. He was
offside too, but surely this has gotta be a try.
That's a Karter Cutter insider man cutters alone count I
(02:42):
try number two the Lions shot cut pieces.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
They all go now to the referee on no side.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
New Zealand has beaten the British and Irish Lions, not.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
Just beaten them, put them to the sword by forty.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Eight points to eighteen to clinch the series two nil.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Oh yes, but it was twelve years later the opposite
results here in the Capitol during the Lions tour of
twenty seventeen that had some drama.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
The direct sooner on.
Speaker 8 (03:15):
The head, I need to correct the player head and
neck is direct direct, So.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Siber Williams sets off for the second Test with the
clock showing twenty four minutes and thirty seven seconds.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Sixton. They want to go wide to Williams.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Williams why to fellatoe flatowel on.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Tag Fella Town in the corner try.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Ten minutes out of the lines as they sage Murray.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Snipe Murray's scaring.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Try fourteen from the right hand corner.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Post feral and sweeps the leg throw It's down the medal.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The Lion's laid. The Lion's laid for.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
The first time the DHL Lions series. The visitors have
the edge, Murray kicks it out.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
We got us a series people.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Airline's winning twenty four to twenty one, keeping the All
Blacks trialists in That game, of course, ended up being
a drawn series that one after three tests. Or Sticking
with rugby, we've had two Super Rugby Finals at Sky
Stadium and twenty four completed seasons of the competition.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
What a year the Hurricanes has had had had dominating
the round robin and the playoffs, and then the Highlanders
came to town for the Big dance.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
Ten seconds on the clock, all back the Hurricans look
out on their feet.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
They look resigned to their fate. They fly into the tackle,
try to force her turnover.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
It is not the case.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Time expires, the ball is at the back.
Speaker 9 (04:52):
Aaron Smith cleans into the stands and the Highlanders have
climbed to the top of the mountain and other Super
Rugby champions in twenty fifteen, the Island of twenty one.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
The Hurricane fourteen fucking wild scenes are celebration.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Had as much as that stung. In fact, it still
stings to many now, doesn't it. But we only had
to wait for one more year after that for the
Hurricanes first and only title came on a cold, wet
evening in August twenty sixteen.
Speaker 10 (05:27):
The final whistle sounds and it has happened, the Hurricane
Super Rugby Champions for the very first time at twenty sixteen.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Let the champagne flow.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, brilliant. It was nice to finally happen, wasn't it? Swell?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
We're badlock looking back on twenty five years of sporting
moments at Sky Stadium. By the way, they're celebrating the anniversary.
This weekend in football delivered some incredible memories as well.
We'll be lucky enough to have several World Cup qualifying
playoff games here in Wellington over the years. Peru here
in twenty seventeen Mexico when he thirteen, But it was
two thousand and nine when the All Whites had to
(06:03):
have a win over Bahrain in their second leg playoff
game to earn a spots at the FIFA World's Cup.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
In twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
We're underway at Westpac Stadium.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
It's FIFA World Cup qualifying action between Bahrain and the
New Zealand All Whites. And straightaway it's a Bahrain on
attack and they get a shot away. Early third corner
of the night for the All Whites, again taken by BeRTOS.
He's been on set pieces all night. Here comes Berdos
right fort it out into the mix.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I think it's.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
No, we can't have a claim.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
And I'm going to tell you I think it's Rory
Fallon who's found the back of the neck.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
The ball came in from BeRTOS.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
Rory Fallon roy this and hitting the ball powerfully pass
the keeper.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Well Paston's crucial, isn't he If he can do the unthinkable,
He's making.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Money just the night.
Speaker 7 (06:54):
Crucial moment in this game the penalty to Bahrain and
Nana take approaches.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
The ball won't put it sit.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
Don't believe.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
I said, just like you preston you champion. There can
only be seconds left.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
It's what's a close, It's fall as stain a hand,
South Africa, twenty.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Eight years old. I'm working here at Spanish.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Honestly, he's delidity all lunch back to the falls. Biggest
stage has thirty.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Five thousand sets of arms are flustered to the air
at truly unforgettable for anyone there, and of course the
Phoenix have been at the stadium since two thousand and seven.
But the biggest match has a club and for the
fans came well only earlier this year a home semi
final against Melbourne victory, and while it may not have
given us the results we all so desperately wanted, it
provided a moment of extra time magic that absolutely everyone
(07:53):
there will cherish forever.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It's still time to places.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
Daniel Elder looked on to lunch by the uselesses.
Speaker 10 (08:06):
Oscar calling out a fire.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Can't you believe it?
Speaker 10 (08:13):
The level of the Jackson and Oscar savais the playman again.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That's Lord Wellington, amazing and of course, twenty five years
ago the stadium gave Wellington a new lease of life
on its ability to host big cricket games under lights.
Stadium became home for the International white Ball Games and
some of cricket's magic moments came during that special twenty
to fifteen Cricket World Cup. And of not it's an
astonishing quarterfinal match between New Zealand and the West Indies
(08:42):
involving a particular individual performance of notes.
Speaker 8 (08:45):
Cutaway backward, a point again, this is going to be
four more as Martin Guptil starting to profit, especially through
the point region off the spinners.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
That's another good straight drive from Guttill. He's played a
number of those today and he's hit that one sweetly.
Samuel's bars to him and this one drives down the
ground and there he has back.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
To back hundreds in World Cap cricket.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Martin Guptel one hundred, one hundred.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
And eleven balls.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
He celebrates and deserves too, to a standing ovation here
at the Wellington Stadium.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Here is the delivery. Martin Guptil drives down the crowd.
Speaker 6 (09:17):
Four more, Stand up New Zealand, stand up, the world's
two one hundred and three not out Martin Guptel, just
glorious start of the fiftieth.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That's co Be on the roof.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
It's enormous and that's off the road Fridy.
Speaker 8 (09:34):
About the fourth or fifth time here at Wellington Stadium,
Martin Guptel has sent people out of the arena on.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
The top of the cake turn.
Speaker 8 (09:43):
But it's been a quite magnificent effort from the New Zealander's,
particularly Martin Guptel.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Rare a fight here.
Speaker 8 (09:52):
The second highest score of One Day International cricket history.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
People have taken twenty off the last.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Over twenty five years of sporting memories at Sky Stadium.
Their open day is eleven till three tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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