Lancaster Park

Lore & Background

In 1880, Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd was established. In 1882, Edward Stevens and Arthur Ollivier arranged the purchase of a parcel of swampy farmland which became Lancaster Park. Benjamin Lancaster was the absentee vendor. The first event held on the ground was an athletics meeting on 15 October 1881. The stadium hosted various sports including rugby union, cricket, rugby league, association football, athletics and trotting. It is perhaps best known for being the track where Peter Snell broke the world record for 800 metres and for 880 yards in a single race in 1962. The stadium was primarily a rugby and cricket ground and was the home of the Crusaders rugby union team and the Canterbury cricket team. Its capacity was 38,628.

Reader's Guide

The park was re-opened in June 2022 as a public recreational park with sporting facilities including fields for cricket, rugby, touch rugby and association football. In February 2025, the Christchurch City Council announced that a community centre and changing rooms were under construction at the northeastern part of the park, with construction scheduled to be completed in October. Lancaster Park Cricket Club and Ōtautahi Rugby Club were involved in the planning.

Did You Know?

• The stadium hosted the 1911 Davis Cup, where Australasia defeated the United States 5–0.
• During World War I in 1915, the main oval was ploughed up and used as a potato field to raise revenue.
• The Deans Stand, opened in 2010, was named after the Deans family, which includes All Blacks Bob, Bruce, and Robbie Deans.