It’s on at the new Eden Park!

New Eden Park official opening and charity public open day set for 10 October.

9 September 2010, Auckland N.Z. – The new look Eden Park will be officially opened on Sunday October 10, 2010 with a charity public open day.

Eden Park Trust Chief Executive David Kennedy said the opening of the new stands will mark the culmination of one of New Zealand’s highest profile re-development projects.

“This is the moment we unveil a new era in Eden Park’s rich legacy. An amazing stadium for New Zealand and Auckland, to host Rugby World Cup 2011 and beyond,” Mr Kennedy says.

Prime Minister John Key will officially open the stadium, with other dignitaries expected to include the Minister for Sport and the Rugby World Cup Hon. Murray McCully and the day-old Mayor-elect of Auckland’s Super City.

“The region’s biggest stadium opens at a landmark time for Auckland, just as the new Super City gets underway,” says Mr Kennedy.

Public entry to the Eden Park Open Day is by gold-coin donation and all proceeds will go to a range of local and national charity organisations.including,the Christchurch Earthquake fund.

A wide range of activities are planned for the open day, including the opportunity for the public to visit parts of the stadium normally off-limits, such as the players’ changing rooms, coaches boxes and media room. Musical and cultural performances will be held throughout the venue and there will be opportunities to interact with sporting legends.

Sports stars from Auckland Rugby and Cricket, the Kiwis, the Vodafone Warriors, and The Black Ferns, will also be on hand to celebrate, reflecting Eden Park’s evolution to serve a broader range of sporting, cultural, entertainment and community needs. Mr Kennedy also highlighted the excellent support received from key sponsors and suppliers gen-i, Panasonic and Cisco. “Fletcher Building are another important partner on the day and we thank everyone for their contribution.”

"Fletcher Building has completed construction two months ahead of schedule. The public will experience the new three-tier 21,500 seat South Stand and two-tier East Stand, along with the extension of the northern ASB Stand. They can also walk around the new concourse linking the stands inside the stadium, with access now via four main gates, one at each corner.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) is planning extra transport to and from Eden Park on the day, with further details to be announced closer to the time.

“We look forward to hosting thousands of visitors on the day. This promises to be a fun family day out at one of New Zealand’s most unique venues and we hope a lot of people can join us to mark the start of a new era for Eden Park,” Mr Kennedy said.

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