Blogs

All Blacks Test Debutants

All Blacks Test Debutants

The ultimate reward for any aspiring New Zealand rugby player is a test match jersey for the All Blacks. There were 65 test debutants who earned th...
NZ's first live radio broadcast

NZ's first live radio broadcast

We know that Lancaster Park delivered a unique range of firsts: national firsts in women’s and men’s cricket and rugby. But there is another notabl...
William Reeves - the all-rounder

William Reeves - the all-rounder

In an era when Canterbury and NZ was developing at a rapid pace, it was not uncommon for some men to stand out for their incredible contributions. ...
Turner's Tonnes

Turner's Tonnes

It was not until the 1970’s that Australia took NZ serious in test match cricket. Arranging the home and away test series of 1973 and 1974 had take...
Opening Events at Lancaster Park

Opening Events at Lancaster Park

It was in October 1881 that the new Lancaster Park officially opened. Some enterprising local businessmen had arranged the purchase of 10 acres nea...
The Supreme Pontiff comes to town

The Supreme Pontiff comes to town

In November 1986 the Supreme Pontiff completed an extensive Pacific Pilgrimage, involving Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. Pope John Paul II flew i...
The Cycling Capital of New Zealand

The Cycling Capital of New Zealand

Christchurch has always been the cycling capital of New Zealand. The first record of a ‘velocipede’ was recorded in 1869, and by the late 1870’s th...
Build it and they will come...

Build it and they will come...

Whilst Christchurch debates the size of the new stadium we thought we would present some historical facts around crowd sizes. The sell-out of All B...
The Missed Generation

The Missed Generation

Lancaster Park (the field, not the stadium) hosted the All Blacks 48 times in test matches between 1913 and 2010. Since then the number of test mat...
The attitude that inspired Olympic success

The attitude that inspired Olympic success

The famous German world record holder Dr. Otto Peltzer visited Lancaster Park, with a young athletic protégé, for a race meeting in 1930. He was he...
An incredible range of sporting firsts

An incredible range of sporting firsts

Lancaster Park played host to a disproportionate amount of cricket and rugby firsts, for both men and women. Men’s cricket recorded a triumvirate: ...
The Day the Music Died

The Day the Music Died

Alongside the incredible array of sporting memories over 130 years there was a halcyon period when huge music concerts came to town. Over a 25-year...