Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest city with a population of approximately 1.3m people. Located on New Zealand’s north island, the city is built on a narrow isthmus between two harbours, giving the locals plenty of opportunity to help Auckland live up to its nickname of the ‘City of Sails’.
The area was first settled by the indigenous Maori people around 1350, but it was not until 1840 that the city as it is today was founded when the British in the form of Captain William Hobson selected Auckland as the capital.
Today, Auckland is New Zealand’s most affluent, cosmopolitan and ‘international’ city, whilst still retaining the laid back attitude to life that characterises New Zealand.
The Rugby World Cup is being held in spring, so visitors to Auckland can expect average temperatures of about 13 degrees Celsius and should also expect some rain.
The History of Eden Park, Auckland
Eden Park has been a sports ground since the 1900’s, initially as a cricket ground but rugby followed close behind when the Auckland Rugby Football Union made Eden Park its headquarters in 1914.
Eden Park is synonymous with international rugby and held its first test match in 1921, the All Blacks losing 5-9. Since then, New Zealand have played 65 internationals at Eden Park, winning fifty three times.
Eden Park hosted the first ever Rugby World Cup match when the All Blacks opened the 1987 tournament against Italy and also held the first ever final, when 46,000 spectators watched the home team beat France 29-9 as New Zealand became the first ever team to win the Webb Ellis trophy.
Eden Park has been redeveloped for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with the capacity being increased to 60,000 through the building of two new stands on the South and East sides of the stadium.
The stadium is home to the Super 14 team the Auckland Blues
How to get to Eden Park Auckland
Walking - The stadium is only 4km from the centre of Auckland and can be easily reached on foot. Given the congestion which is almost inevitable for big matches at the stadium, spectators may find this the easiest way to get to the ground.
Train - Kingsland train station is situated opposite the stadium
Car - Strict parking restrictions are enforced on match days but a park and ride system is in place whereby motorists can leave their vehicles in designated parking zones and catch regular shuttles to take them to the stadium.
What RWC 2011 Matches will be played at Eden Park Auckland?
Eden Park will host nine matches during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, including the final on October 24th. This will be the first time a venue has been used for the Rugby World Cup final on two separate occasions.
September 9th Pool A – New Zealand v Tonga
September 17th Pool C – Australia v Ireland
September 24th Pool A – New Zealand v France
September 25th Pool D – Fiji v Samoa
October 1st Pool B – England v Scotland
October 15th Semi Final 1
October 16th Semi Final 2
October 23rd Bronze Final
October 24th Final
Tourist attractions of Auckland, New Zealand
Eden Park tours. Re-starting in 2011 due to the stadium refurbishment, visitors can see the changing rooms, the hall of legends and run on to the historic field.
Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is an aquarium where visitors walk through clear tubes where they can view all manner of sealife which can be found in the southern oceans including sharks and rays. Visitors can also experience the hardships of Antarctic exploration through the life-size reconstructed hut of Captain Scott.
Hauraki Gulf Islands. Visitors to Auckland should take the time to see some of the Hauraki Gulf islands. Tour companies run day trips to some of these stunningly beautiful islands (some are closed to the public for ecological reasons) and visitors can expect to see a wide variety of seabirds.
Sky Tower. Probably Auckland’s most famous landmark, the Sky Tower is New Zealand’s tallest structure at 328m. It boasts a number of restaurants with a spectacular view and also the Sky Jump, where those who feel the need can take a 192m wire controlled base jump off the tower!
SkyCity. Auckland’s premier entertainment complex offers visitors a number of restaurants and bars as well as a casino where punters can play a wide variety of table games as well as poker. A theatre offers top class entertainment.
Auckland Zoo holds the largest collection of animals in New Zealand. One of the best ways to see the zoo is to plan the visit around the eye to eye zoo encounters, where presentations by the keepers give visitors a more detailed understanding of the creatures who live at the zoo.
Neil Hughes - Growing up in West Wales, there was little doubt that rugby would be one of the great passions of my life. I played with great enthusiasm ...
Join the Conversation