Last night the final test was played at Carisbrook in Dunedin.
Set in the heart of South Dunedin, Carisbrook; “the mighty Brook”, more recently known as the “House of Pain”, has been an iconic rugby venue in New Zealand. The first international rugby match played at Carisbrook was Otago vs NSW, on September 11 1886.
The first rugby test match was played in 1908, where the All Blacks beat the Anglo-Welsh 32 to 5 in front of 23,000 people. The last test, All Blacks vs Wales was played last night in front of 30,000. The All Blacks won resoundingly 42 to 9.
Carisbrook got its name from a stream that flowed through the Dunedin property of the first superintendent of Otago, James Macandrew, who honeymooned at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.
From 1874, the ground was first used by the Carisbrook Cricket Club, but in 1886 started sharing the ground with Pirates Rugby Club. Pirates still exists.
Carisbrook is being replaced with a new stadium situated on the other side of the city.
Its future is uncertain but there’s currently a community consultation process in place. When I stood for parliament I said it was essential that the people of South Dunedin and Caversham had a say in what happened to their iconic ground.
Last night was pretty emotional. After the match, the Terraces stayed full for ages as people couldn’t bear to leave the ground. You could feel the sadness and the pride and the history.
Today, a taxi driver told me that the players are going to really miss the Brook because of the amazing connection they felt with the people on the Terraces. It’s truly the end of an era, said Cuddy.
I got to stand on the hallowed turf last night. I felt proud to be South D.
YEAH WE DID!!!!!!!!! The All Blacks Rock!!!
!
Where about will the new stadium be Clare?
Um David, methinks you already know the answer. On the waterfront, near the university. The new Forsyth Barr Stadium.
I don’t mind admitting I feel lots of regret about losing Carisbrook. And I don’t agree with Wynne Gray in yesterday’s NZ Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10652891
It seems to be the weekend for everything in Dunedin to be shutting down – the stadium AND Gardies!
Forsyth Barr Stadium eh. They should’ve spent $50M doing up the ‘Brook and the other $150M on building up industry, design centres and research institutions in Dunedin, and then a couple million more attracting top talent to the city.
Ah well, missed opportunity.
DPF @5.53pm The other side of the road from the nude rugby David.
LOL
@Loota
Wrong
This is a good idea, one that Auckland and Christchurch should have done because:
1. The area they’re building in is run down, decripit etc etc
so this will do up that area and make it look good
2. The ABs can now safely play a night test somewhere in NZ and guarantee the elements won’t affect it
3. Will attract more people to the uni and (hopefully) improve Otago rugby
Admittidly I hope whoever is sorting the pitch out has dealt with grass under a covered stadium before…
great stuff Clare (and your third sports post!). I basically grew up at Carisbrook- in the stands watching rugby and cricket, from club to provincial to test level. My personal sporting highlight was being a ball boy at the 1983 Lions v All Blacks test, and I did not even mind almost getting hypothermia.
I have very mixed feelings about the new stadium. There is no doubt it will be a tremendous facility, and a roof will be very handy, but I think that it puts enormous pressure on Dunedin’s ratepayers, many of whom are on fixed or low incomes. I heard Iain Galloway on radio the other day and he said what many feel- that 30 million or so invested in Carisbrook might have delivered many of the benefits that the new stadium for a fraction of the cost.
Anyway, there are still quite a few games to go at the ‘Brook in terms of NPC and probably next years Super 15, so I hope to get to a game some time before it finishes for good.
“1. The area they’re building in is run down, decripit etc etc so this will do up that area and make it look good”
So using the money to revitalise the local economy, engaging in long term city-wide projects, supporting new and developing businesses in the city and making sure Dunedin’s infrastructure is modern and efficient would not have helped this area?
“2. The ABs can now safely play a night test somewhere in NZ and guarantee the elements won’t affect it”
So being able to play matches at night time is worth that amount of money and the inherent opportunity costs?
“3. Will attract more people to the uni and (hopefully) improve Otago rugby”
The University has capped enrolments so this does not stack up.
The stadium is being built now so we have to accept it, but we can still challenge the process that led to it and make sure such waste and frivolous behaviour is not repeated. The opportunity costs in this project are painful.
Chris73 said:
Now lets not forget that the nice people who sold the land to the Council made a $hipload of money off the deal – and just ask who *they* were.
As for run down and decrepit, a nice park in the spot would have cost 0.5% as much.
Andrew, yes, Dunedin is going to be paying for the lack of future vision and opportunity costs incurred by this current City Council for a long time.
But yes Chris73, now the All Blacks will have somewhere to play a couple times a year where they can stay dry, that’s very important.
By the way, you know that the DHB down here cut home help to the elderly and frail in order to save, what $2.5M.
I guess you got to look after the priorities in life huh.
@Loota, Andrew and Spud
I’m glad you see why a new stadium is important, my work here is done
‘I got to stand on the hallowed turf last night. I felt proud to be South D. ‘
Lucky you. Didn’t see you at the karaoke at Heffs afterwards though…
@Chris, I was talking about the loss of home help!
No, I think the stadium is a huge waste of money, I understand there was a huge protest against this by the poor saps who now have to pay for this through increases to rates, parking, reduction in road quality …
Almost all the steel and a lot of the more highly paid senior managers for this Stadium project have come from the upper North Island – local ratepayers are barely benefitting from their own spend and now their own City Council’s indebtedness. And the top CEO job for the Stadium has gone to someone from outside NZ. Clearly we don’t have faith in home grown talent to be able to run and market a freakin sports stadium.
Thats the problem with you Labour supporters, all so negative…the new stadiums gonna rock!
I’m not saying the new stadium won’t be fun, but it comes at a heavy price and Dunedin will be paying for it for some time to come.
@Spud
Things that are importent always come with a price…but this one is sooooo worth it! Yes!!
Chris73, the rate payers of Dunedin are happy to service your every pleasure (whether they want to or not)
@Loota
Sometimes the people need to be told what to do as they can get easily sidetracked
Yeah, to the minority who stand to make money from the stadium, if they can get enough events to fill it and people to go…
Seriously dude, one of the reasons people are so down on Labour is because they’re so negative and disparaging of anything new
You’re right, I should just always look on the bright side of life, do do, da doo da do da do…
(Sorry gramps you’ll have to get used to the taste of dust)
@Chris73 Stop trolling. This is a warning Clare
Sorry Clare