Inside Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium

Friday, 14 March 2025

One New Zealand Stadium will see the Crusaders and Matatū ditch the cold drafts of Apollo Projects Stadium for a covered 30,000 seat capacity sports arena in April 2026.

Select Crusaders and Matatū management alongside Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley and mayor Phil Mauger were offered a tour of the site earlier this week.

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said: “Everything that’s good about Apollo is in this place and more, I’ll be sad to see it go but I can’t wait to get in here.”

The stadium is located in the block bordered by Madras St, Hereford St, Barbadoes St, and Tuam St in the heart of the city, just a 5-minute walk from Cathedral Square and the Christchurch Bus Exchange.

It is expected to attract large sporting games such as All Blacks tests, which have been infrequent since the 2011 earthquake.

“To have this [the stadium] at the end of the rainbow if you like, it’s just a real joy for the city,” said Crusaders head coach Rob Penney.

The Christchurch City Council released their latest update, stating that the $683 million project remains on budget and on track for an April 2026 opening.