A weekend at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch from the best seat in the house - did it live up to the hype?

Monday, 27 April 2026

The Crusaders and Waratahs open the new One NZ Stadium.

ANALYSIS: Christchurch’s glitzy new indoor stadium carried the weight of expectation on its impressive roof structure ahead of its much-anticipated opening.

With so much fanfare and excitement would the $683 million project deliver at its first event, Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round?

Three straight sold-out days, more than 75,000 fans through the turnstiles, and hordes of happy rugby fans clad in jerseys of all 10 teams in attendance, capped off a dream debut for the venue.

Even the Christchurch autumn weather played ball outside the monumental central city cauldron with three straight days where the temperature nudged 20C.

Hurricanes and Highlanders fans enjoy the new facilities.

Cantabrians have had to wait patiently for a world-class sports and entertainment stadium following the earthquakes and One New Zealand Stadium delivered in spades on opening weekend.

Labour MP Megan Woods summed up the mood well at the stadium’s blessing and soil-turning in 2022, remarking the idea of Canterbury without a permanent sports stadium “is a bit like a pub with no beer”.

After more than a decade, toughing it out at the humble makeshift Apollo Projects Stadium in Addington, the state-of-the-art citadel is another world away.

Seating-wise, the views are excellent from nearly all angles, minus a couple in the tight corners.

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge has wasted no time in declaring the venue the new national stadium. While that might be a little premature, given the rich history of Auckland’s Eden Park, One New Zealand Stadium will immediately become the preferred place to watch live sport or concerts in the country.

The very first pitch invader in the new stadium was tackled before he even reached the field during the Blues clash against the Reds.

The stadium’s arrival is clearly bad news for Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, previously the only covered multi-purpose sports stadium in the country. Concerts, All Blacks tests, and big ticket sports events will naturally gravitate to the Garden City.

Super Round in Christchurch was a roaring success and competition boss Jack Mesley would be wise to bring the weekend-long rugby bonanza back to the city next year.

There was nearly the first pitch invader at the stadium in the Blues clash with the Reds on Saturday, but he was dropped to the surface before reaching the field.

In sharp contrast to Apollo and even Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena, the ample leg room between seats is a welcome change.

Fridges filled with beer and crisps are seen on the the end of the premium hospitality aisles at One New Zealand Stadium.

Even from the upper decks the vantage points are clear, but the ascent is steep with about 70 steps to the highest row.

What quickly sticks out about the new stadium is the wonderful eating and drinking options, which would rival any of the premier venues in the world. All are local retail providers from Canterbury and provide a Riverside Market or Little High Eatery vibe.

Bizarrely, Apollo Projects did not even have a main kitchen. Food and beverage choices are ample with 32 outlets around the venue offering everything from pies, hotdogs, fish and chips to slow-cooked barbecue and Korean fried chicken. Punters can even purchase a deep fried pie sandwich.

A nice Kiwi touch is ‘The Dairy’, which provides quick snacks, including Cookie Time biscuits, Pineapple Lumps, RJ’s licorice, chocolate, and other sweet treats.

The outdoor premium hospitality section comes equipped with a personal bar, catering for each of the 11 seats in the row.

An in-house DJ worked up the crowd before each game, cranking the beats, including Groove Armada’s banger, Superstylin’, and even a Gorillaz throwback, 19-2000. Acoustics-wise, the stadium ticked all the boxes with the large viewing screen also adequate, even from the other side of the building.

Media-wise, it is a world away from the outdoor set-up at the Crusaders’ former home, where some even brought along hot water bottles to keep themselves warm while tapping away. The lone bugbear among the media pack, which featured travelling Australian journalists, was frustration the windows do not open in the press box, reducing the atmosphere – a minor gripe.

As the games wrapped up and fans spilled out onto the surrounding streets, and Christchurch night-life, there was a buzz in the air.

After 15 years of waiting for a world-class facility to be proud of, the new Christchurch stadium didn’t just deliver. It kicked it out of the park.