March 22, 2025 • 8 mins
In the space of four nights, Eden Park has played host to multiple high-profile events.
The White Ferns faced off against the Aussies on Friday - and the Black Caps took on Pakistan.
Last night, the Blues played against the Crusaders - and got defeated 42-19.
And tomorrow evening, the All Whites will play against New Caledonia.
Eden Park turf manager Blair Christiansen joined Piney to discuss the challenges.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB Well.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
In the space of four nights, Eden Park is hosting
three different elite sports. On Friday, a T twenty cricket
doublehead of the White Ferns and the Black Apps faced
Australia and Pakistan respectively. Last night Super Rugby Blues v. Crusaders,
and then tomorrow night the FIFA World Cup qualifier the
All Whites up against New Caledonia. How challenging is that
(00:33):
to achieve for the turf team. Let's find out. Eden
Park turf manager Blair Christiansen is with us. Blair, is
this the first time you've had three different sports in
four days?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Yep, it sure as jas, thanks for having me on. Yes,
pretty challenging on paper. And you know, while we've done
all three codes pretty regularly here at the stadium, certainly
not three and four days.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
What are the particular challenges that it presents to you
having such short turnarounds?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Just ensuring we get it right. We have some pretty
high expectations and so do the Hires and we just
want to make sure that you know, we can get
the outcomes that you know we've sort of done repeatedly
with you know, pretty reasonable lead times, but this time
we're sort of snapping from one to the next to
the next, and they're all pretty different. I'll tell you that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Well, I can imagine, Yeah, you know, three different codes
in terms of grass length. For a start, was the
grass shorter for the rugby last night than it ordinarily
would be because there had been cricket there the previous night?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, it was about half the height. So for you know,
a small ball code like cricket, we want that let
the ball running across the outfield pretty quickly, and so
we're down at say thirteen millimeter cutting height for the cricket.
And then you know, at the moment, with the nutritional
program that we're running, we can sort of get about
five plus mids of growth a day. So last night
(01:59):
for the Crusaders Blues we're up at about eighteen and
then hopefully on Monday night we'll be so of you know,
in the mid twenties. And so for rugby mid season
and getting in towards autumn and say winter, we can
be up as high as thirty two milk, but last
night they were at about seventeen, So.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You can get natural grass growth that quickly.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yep, yeah, absolutely. I mean the programs that we run
with nutrition sort of are built around sort of creating
some resilience but also growth and recovery. So you know,
five mils isn't too much to ask in twenty four hours. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, they often say, you know, it's like watching grass
grow for you. It probably is, you know, something you've
probably enjoyed doing.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, I'll tell you what I'm doing right now is
actually watching you know, grass grow and paint dry. So
not everyone gets to do that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Amazing if it had been in a different order, Blair,
if it had been rugby cricket football, could you still
have done it a.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Little bit more challenging just with the cricket element. So
you know, a good international cricket pitch takes us around
two weeks to prepare. And so while we do have
the portable pitch technology and you know, we bring pitches
in and out of the stadium, I prefer for internationals
to prepare them, you know, and sit you in the
ground and then you know, we can sort of hope
to have you know, a really high quality surface bringing
(03:24):
them in let's say after a winter code as such
and then only having one day drop them in. I
just don't have that same confidence that we can get
the quality that you know, everyone would expect. So in
terms of the order, I think it was pretty good.
I mean, if it was even better order it was
probably if we'd had the football, and second that was
(03:45):
been ideal. But fields pulled up really well after last
night Super Rugby and it's looking pretty sharpe.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And so you talked about watching some paint dry. Clearly
the ground market we don't. You don't need too many
for cricket, do you, but for rugby and football you
know quite different ground markings. Is it possible, like tomorrow
night at the football, will we still see some faint
rugby markings?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I hope not. We were out last night until after
midnight washing those rugby sidelines and twenty two and you
know every other five and fifteen off and you know
that field was actually only in for around a total
of nine hours, so sort of put it in pretty
late and then washed it off pretty quick. So plan
(04:32):
is not to see any sort of resemblance of that
game from last night outstanding.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
How many of your team are involved in this, how
bigs you work force, the whole team.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You know, we've got seven seven guys on the ground
and you know everyone's been here. I haven't been home
for three days now and that's the same as everybody else.
And we're sort of, you know, fully into it. We
hadn't done it before and want to make sure that
we sort of do everything we can to make sure
it's a success.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So are you sleeping at the ground.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Well, yeah, without being Elon Musk like, yep, I just
slept on my floor in my office for the last
two nights. And you know, we've had some pretty late finishes.
I think it was after moving the cricket pitch out
on Friday night after the t twenties. That was close
to four am last night. By the time you sort
of do a bit of admin after all of the
(05:22):
on the groundwork, it's probably two and then back pretty early.
So the sort of make it a bit more efficient
than just stay the night.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Outstanding FIFA. That's a FIFA event tomorrow night and they
have a reputation for wanting things to be just so
have I given you any specific requirements for tomorrow night?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Oh? Yeah, everything FIFA is extremely precise and specific. Yep.
So ball speed, surface, firmness, precision with regard to line
marking has to be one hundred percent accurate. You know,
they've got their own handbook and you know, we're doing
this woman's FIFA World Cup in twenty three. Was sort
(06:04):
of pretty familiar with that, so we know it to expect,
but I think it could be you know, a little
bit daunting for for some that may not have done
it before. So luckily we're well experienced in that space.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
And obviously you look after the turf, but there's the
there's the advertising signage as well. How much does it
help and turn around as short as this to have
electronic ground signage rather than have to lug out you know,
the big bits of advertising hoardings they would.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Have had to use to Yeah, no, it's critical to
sort of having this ability to slip from code to code.
You know. The virtual advertising now that you see on
the field is imperative and you know, it just makes
for such a high, high quality surface, whereas previously, you know,
there were painted logos that were being removed, there was
sort of shadowing, masking, you know, just using technology now
(06:54):
it's just you know, it's it's magnificent. I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Good stuff. Well, mate, tremendous what you've done up till now.
And I can just hear in your voice the confidence
you have that you'll execute tomorrow night. Well, could you
have done three and three days as the football was tonight?
Could you have done it?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Well, I'm looking at it now and we're probably ninety
percent through the line marks now and we're just sort
of been chipping away at today. I actually think we
could have done that with the singular game. Yeah, we
could have done that.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Wonderful And what's next? I think the Blues have got
to buy, haven't they? So no rugby for a lot?
Have you got a bit of a break?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
There's an away game for them? Or is that to buy? Here?
It might be next week to buy and then they're
back on the early April. We've still got a bit
of cracket going on the other oval, so you know,
just mixing a match in between the two venues and
well we'll get a rest in June and July if
it's of course, if the Blues don't make the finals,
which are sure on paper they probably still can, so
(07:55):
let's hope they do.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Good man. But well, I've often heard that the most
important man in the room is the calmest man in
the room and that sounds like you at the moment,
my friends. So thanks for taking our call. Hope you
sleep okay tonight? Are you going home to? Are you
going to camp in the office Again?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I did say we shouldn't go home until the final
whistle tomorrow night, but I think we've to see people
at home that are saying what are you doing? Have
you moved out? So now he'd home tonight.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Love it, Blair, great to jet mate. Thanks for taking
the call.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Brilliant Okay, thanks Jase, all the.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Best, Mate. Cheers Blair. Christians and their toof manager at
Eden Park. What a what a top bloke and what
a very very organized man he must be for cricket
followed by rugby followed by football tremendous.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB Well.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
In the space of four nights, Eden Park is hosting
three different elite sports. On Friday, a T twenty cricket
doublehead of the White Ferns and the Black Apps faced
Australia and Pakistan respectively. Last night Super Rugby Blues v. Crusaders,
and then tomorrow night the FIFA World Cup qualifier the
All Whites up against New Caledonia. How challenging is that
(00:33):
to achieve for the turf team. Let's find out. Eden
Park turf manager Blair Christiansen is with us. Blair, is
this the first time you've had three different sports in
four days?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Yep, it sure as jas, thanks for having me on. Yes,
pretty challenging on paper. And you know, while we've done
all three codes pretty regularly here at the stadium, certainly
not three and four days.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
What are the particular challenges that it presents to you
having such short turnarounds?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Just ensuring we get it right. We have some pretty
high expectations and so do the Hires and we just
want to make sure that you know, we can get
the outcomes that you know we've sort of done repeatedly
with you know, pretty reasonable lead times, but this time
we're sort of snapping from one to the next to
the next, and they're all pretty different. I'll tell you that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Well, I can imagine, Yeah, you know, three different codes
in terms of grass length. For a start, was the
grass shorter for the rugby last night than it ordinarily
would be because there had been cricket there the previous night?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, it was about half the height. So for you know,
a small ball code like cricket, we want that let
the ball running across the outfield pretty quickly, and so
we're down at say thirteen millimeter cutting height for the cricket.
And then you know, at the moment, with the nutritional
program that we're running, we can sort of get about
five plus mids of growth a day. So last night
(01:59):
for the Crusaders Blues we're up at about eighteen and
then hopefully on Monday night we'll be so of you know,
in the mid twenties. And so for rugby mid season
and getting in towards autumn and say winter, we can
be up as high as thirty two milk, but last
night they were at about seventeen, So.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You can get natural grass growth that quickly.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yep, yeah, absolutely. I mean the programs that we run
with nutrition sort of are built around sort of creating
some resilience but also growth and recovery. So you know,
five mils isn't too much to ask in twenty four hours. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, they often say, you know, it's like watching grass
grow for you. It probably is, you know, something you've
probably enjoyed doing.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, I'll tell you what I'm doing right now is
actually watching you know, grass grow and paint dry. So
not everyone gets to do that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Amazing if it had been in a different order, Blair,
if it had been rugby cricket football, could you still
have done it a.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Little bit more challenging just with the cricket element. So
you know, a good international cricket pitch takes us around
two weeks to prepare. And so while we do have
the portable pitch technology and you know, we bring pitches
in and out of the stadium, I prefer for internationals
to prepare them, you know, and sit you in the
ground and then you know, we can sort of hope
to have you know, a really high quality surface bringing
(03:24):
them in let's say after a winter code as such
and then only having one day drop them in. I
just don't have that same confidence that we can get
the quality that you know, everyone would expect. So in
terms of the order, I think it was pretty good.
I mean, if it was even better order it was
probably if we'd had the football, and second that was
(03:45):
been ideal. But fields pulled up really well after last
night Super Rugby and it's looking pretty sharpe.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And so you talked about watching some paint dry. Clearly
the ground market we don't. You don't need too many
for cricket, do you, but for rugby and football you
know quite different ground markings. Is it possible, like tomorrow
night at the football, will we still see some faint
rugby markings?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I hope not. We were out last night until after
midnight washing those rugby sidelines and twenty two and you
know every other five and fifteen off and you know
that field was actually only in for around a total
of nine hours, so sort of put it in pretty
late and then washed it off pretty quick. So plan
(04:32):
is not to see any sort of resemblance of that
game from last night outstanding.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
How many of your team are involved in this, how
bigs you work force, the whole team.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You know, we've got seven seven guys on the ground
and you know everyone's been here. I haven't been home
for three days now and that's the same as everybody else.
And we're sort of, you know, fully into it. We
hadn't done it before and want to make sure that
we sort of do everything we can to make sure
it's a success.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So are you sleeping at the ground.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Well, yeah, without being Elon Musk like, yep, I just
slept on my floor in my office for the last
two nights. And you know, we've had some pretty late finishes.
I think it was after moving the cricket pitch out
on Friday night after the t twenties. That was close
to four am last night. By the time you sort
of do a bit of admin after all of the
(05:22):
on the groundwork, it's probably two and then back pretty early.
So the sort of make it a bit more efficient
than just stay the night.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Outstanding FIFA. That's a FIFA event tomorrow night and they
have a reputation for wanting things to be just so
have I given you any specific requirements for tomorrow night?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Oh? Yeah, everything FIFA is extremely precise and specific. Yep.
So ball speed, surface, firmness, precision with regard to line
marking has to be one hundred percent accurate. You know,
they've got their own handbook and you know, we're doing
this woman's FIFA World Cup in twenty three. Was sort
(06:04):
of pretty familiar with that, so we know it to expect,
but I think it could be you know, a little
bit daunting for for some that may not have done
it before. So luckily we're well experienced in that space.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
And obviously you look after the turf, but there's the
there's the advertising signage as well. How much does it
help and turn around as short as this to have
electronic ground signage rather than have to lug out you know,
the big bits of advertising hoardings they would.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Have had to use to Yeah, no, it's critical to
sort of having this ability to slip from code to code.
You know. The virtual advertising now that you see on
the field is imperative and you know, it just makes
for such a high, high quality surface, whereas previously, you know,
there were painted logos that were being removed, there was
sort of shadowing, masking, you know, just using technology now
(06:54):
it's just you know, it's it's magnificent. I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Good stuff. Well, mate, tremendous what you've done up till now.
And I can just hear in your voice the confidence
you have that you'll execute tomorrow night. Well, could you
have done three and three days as the football was tonight?
Could you have done it?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Well, I'm looking at it now and we're probably ninety
percent through the line marks now and we're just sort
of been chipping away at today. I actually think we
could have done that with the singular game. Yeah, we
could have done that.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Wonderful And what's next? I think the Blues have got
to buy, haven't they? So no rugby for a lot?
Have you got a bit of a break?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
There's an away game for them? Or is that to buy? Here?
It might be next week to buy and then they're
back on the early April. We've still got a bit
of cracket going on the other oval, so you know,
just mixing a match in between the two venues and
well we'll get a rest in June and July if
it's of course, if the Blues don't make the finals,
which are sure on paper they probably still can, so
(07:55):
let's hope they do.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Good man. But well, I've often heard that the most
important man in the room is the calmest man in
the room and that sounds like you at the moment,
my friends. So thanks for taking our call. Hope you
sleep okay tonight? Are you going home to? Are you
going to camp in the office Again?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I did say we shouldn't go home until the final
whistle tomorrow night, but I think we've to see people
at home that are saying what are you doing? Have
you moved out? So now he'd home tonight.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Love it, Blair, great to jet mate. Thanks for taking
the call.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Brilliant Okay, thanks Jase, all the.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Best, Mate. Cheers Blair. Christians and their toof manager at
Eden Park. What a what a top bloke and what
a very very organized man he must be for cricket
followed by rugby followed by football tremendous.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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