Lancaster Park

Lore & Background

The park was originally established in 1880 when Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Co. Ltd purchased 10 acres 3 roods 30 perches (approximately 4.45 hectares) of swampy farmland for £2,841. The first event held on the ground was an athletics meeting on 15 October 1881. The stadium was the venue for 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.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Lancaster Park is thick with anticipation as the sun dips below the Christchurch hills. The crowd, a sea of black and silver, hums a low vibration that shakes the ground beneath the players' boots. As the All Blacks step onto the grass, the roar builds to a crescendo, a primal sound that has echoed from these banks for generations. In this moment, history feels tangible; every tackle on the worn turf connects the current squad to the legends who stood here before them.

Reader's Guide

The park is now a public recreational park with sporting facilities including fields for cricket, rugby, touch rugby and association football. As of February 2025, 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 48 All Blacks test matches from 1913 to 2010.
• In 1915, during World War I, the main oval was ploughed up and used as a potato field to raise revenue.
• The 1911 Davis Cup was played at Lancaster Park, where Australasia defeated the United States 5–0.
• On 28 March 1976, protesters used weed-killer to write 'WELCOME TO RACIST GAME' on the pitch at Lancaster Park, in protest against the Springboks tour.