Carisbrook

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Carisbrook
nickname = "The House of Pain"


caption =
location = Dunedin, New Zealand
coordinates = coord|45|53|36.88|S|170|29|25.71|E|region:NZ_type:landmark
broke_ground = 1881
opened = 1883
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = Carisbrook Ground Company
operator =
surface =
construction_cost =
architect =
project_manager =
main_contractors =
former_names =
tenants = Otago Rugby Football Union
Highlanders
Otago United
seating_capacity = 29,000 [ [http://www.orfu.co.nz/page.pasp?pageid=20 www.orfu.co.nz] ]
dimensions =

Carisbrook is a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it has also been used for other sports such as cricket, soccer and motocross. Carisbrook has also hosted a Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game concerts before rugby matches in the 1990s.

Floodlit since the 1990s, it can cater for both day and night fixtures. Known locally simply as "The Brook", it is also often known around the world by the name "The House of Pain", due to its solid reputation as a difficult venue for visiting teams.

Located at the foot of The Glen, a steep valley, the ground is flanked by the South Island Main Trunk Railway and the Hillside Railway Workshops, two miles southwest of Dunedin city centre in the suburb of Caversham. State Highway 1 also runs close to the northern perimeter of the ground.

Carisbrook was named after the estate of early colonial settler James Macandrew (itself named after a castle in the Isle of Wight). Developed during the 1870s, it was first used for international cricket in 1883, when Otago hosted a team from Tasmania. It has been hosting rugby union internationals since 1908 and full cricket internationals since 1955.

The stadium is home to the Otago rugby team in the Air New Zealand Cup and to the Highlanders Super 14 rugby team. It is the former home of Otago cricket,which moved to the University Oval at Logan Park in the north of the city after the redevelopment in the early 2000s. It is also the home ground for Otago United Football team in the New Zealand Football Championships in the current 2007-2008 season.

Unique atmosphere

"The Scotsman's Grandstand"

The ground's current capacity is around 29,000, but has hosted crowds as high as 42,000 in the past. Until recent years, the sides of a major road overlooking the ground were known as the "Scotsman's Grandstand", from which a free view of the action could be easily obtained. At one time trains would slow to a crawl or stop on the track above the stadium allowing passengers on the train to watch an entire event; other fans would sit on the hill. This was until 1998 when development of a new stand and corporate boxes on that side of the ground blocked the view, rendering this tradition a thing of the past.

tudents and terraces

Due, at least in part, to Dunedin's sizable number of tertiary students (20,000 of the city's 120,000 population), Carisbrook has a unique atmosphere, particularly for major games. This is also partly due to the terraces, an uncovered concrete embankment at the eastern end of the ground—reputedly the last open terracing at any major sports venue in New Zealand.

The combination of students and terraces can occasionally be responsible for as much excitement and activity in the crowd as on the ground itself—on many occasions, groups (mainly "Scarfies", the colloquial term for University of Otago students) on the terraces set fire to the sofas they had carried to the ground as their own comfortable terrace seating. Mexican waves are also known to become unruly, often involving previously emptied beer cans that have been "recharged" by the crowd - this is especially true when the opportunity arises to throw the cans at Australian supporters.

The relationship between students and Carisbrook is an element in the 1999 comedy/thriller film "Scarfies", in which a major rugby clash at Carisbrook plays a pivotal part.

The future of Carisbrook

By the beginning of the 21st century, the ground in general and the terraces in particular were under threat. The demands of modern international sport have meant that the ground needs to be significantly upgraded or replaced to continue as an international venue.

On the 9 August 2006, a proposal was announced that could see the current incarnation of Carisbrook retired, and a new covered stadium built.

The new proposed stadium would be based in Awatea Street, Dunedin North, close to the north end of Anzac Avenue. It would thus be within the vicinity of the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, and close to the major sporting facilities of Logan Park and the University Oval. It would also be close to the mouth of the Water of Leith and the shore of the Otago Harbour.

Construction and ownership of the stadium would be overseen by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust, led by a former local Dunedin city councillor, Malcolm Farry. The stadium would be built in collaboration with the University of Otago and could include sports research facilities and perhaps a new university gymnasium. The stadium would be expected to be ready for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

In February 2007 more details about the proposed new stadium were released. It will have 25,000 permanent seats, with the ability to add temporary seating, bringing total capacity to 30,000. The stadium would also be equipped with a clear plastic roof, making it New Zealand's only enclosed rugby stadium.

The projected cost is $188 million (NZD), with the Dunedin City Council agreeing to pay $72 million (NZD) and the University of Otago $10 million (NZD). The Otago Regional Council will vote in 2008 on its contribution, with the rest to be funded by private enterprise.

It is yet to be announced if the stadium would be named Carisbrook, but it is current talked about in the media as "The Glasshouse". However, the Carisbrook Stadium Trust is currently negotiating with a naming-rights sponsor.

International games are no longer regularly played on these grounds. The All Blacks lost what will probably be the last ever test on Carisbrook against South Africa on 12 July 2008. [ [http://www.odt.co.nz/article.php?refid=2007,09,08,1,00100,ff5b0554e5fce1931a6eaf7bb049d0a6&sect=0 Otago Daily Times article] ]

Historic Events

*1886 November 22 - First international cricket match at Carisbrook, Otago v Australia
*1908 May 30 - First Otago Rugby defeat of international side, Anglo-Welsh
*1908 June 30 - First Rugby test at Carisbrook (NZ v Anglo-Welsh)
*1930 June 21 - First All Black defeat at Carisbrook (by Great Britain)
*1936 August 1 - First Ranfurly Shield match at Carisbrook
*1955 March 11 - First cricket test at Carisbrook
*1956 February 3-6 - First NZ cricket test victory at Carisbrook
*1987 May-June - Rugby World Cup games (Italy 18, Fiji 15; Ireland 46, Canada 19)
*1992 March 12 - Cricket World Cup (New Zealand vs India)
*1992 September 27 - First extra time in a rugby match in New Zealand (Otago 26, North Harbour 23)
*1996 March 3 - First Super 12 match at Carisbrook (Otago Highlanders 57, Queensland 17)
*1998 October 25 - National Provincial Championship Division 1 Final (Otago vs Waikato)
*1999 May 29 - 1999 Super 12 Final (Highlanders vs Crusaders)
*1999 November 12-21 - Group stage matches and one quarter-final of the FIFA Under-17 Soccer World Championship
*2005 August 27 - The last International Rugby match (All Blacks 31, South Africa 27) before the NZRFU deemed Carisbrook to no longer be a suitable venue for International Rugby.
*2008 July 12 - After a 3 year absence of International Rugby at Carisbrook a one-off match between All Blacks and South Africa was played. At the same time this was South Africa's first win at Carisbrook after beating The All Blacks 30 - 28. [cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10520875&ref=rss |title=Historic southern test packs 'em in |publisher=nzherald.co.nz |accessdate=2008-07-10 |date=2008-07-10 |last=Gilhooly |first=Daniel]

ee also

*The Edgar Centre
*Logan Park, Dunedin
*University Oval
*List of All Black Tests at Carisbrook

External links

* [http://www.carisbrook.org.nz/ Carisbrook Stadium Trust]
* [http://www.ourstadium.co.nz/ Our Stadium Visionaries Club]
* [http://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/ Stadium of Dunedin Blog]
* [http://www.otagorugbyteam.co.nz/page.pasp?pageid=8/ Otago Rugby History]

References