Is Rugby Park still an iconic stadium or should the Invercargill City Council invest its money into a new smaller venue that can benefit a wider group of users?
These questions have been put to Southland Rugby by Mayor Nobby Clark, who is starting to think more futuristic for the city, and whether all that space on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street needs to be set aside just for the nation’s big game. Related: Southland Stags’ Special Jersey Fundraiser Scores Big for Hawthorndale Care Village
There’s the annual Otago vs Southland match to think about – attracting a crowd of 6000, but Rugby Park has capacity for 14,000 and that’s a lot of space not being regularly used.
Rugby Southland believes it can get the numbers to grow the crowds back again. Its Stags home games only attract 3500 people, and Mayor Clark has questioned whether the days of traditional sports like rugby might be changing.
He’ll be meeting with Rugby Southland officials next week to talk more, and to ask them if they are sure they still want to be at Rugby Park long term.
“I think there might be a shift in the tide,” he said.
There is also the ongoing cost to ratepayers to keep a facility like that maintained, and will residents still want to wear that? Sport Southland’s ‘Spaces and Places’ consultation in 2021 noted the high number of single-use facilities catering for traditional sports. But there has been a trend of declining participation levels and use of these facilities, and they may no longer be affordable.
The ICC has budgeted $4.9 million in its Long Term Plan for maintenance and earthquake strengthening work of Rugby Park. This work is vital for staff to be able to move back in again under the grandstand.
In 2021 consultants found that if they kept the stadium it would be better utilised by improving it and making it more multi-purpose.
Mayor Clark has questioned whether the venue is still the best one for rugby in the future and has talked about a smaller boutique facility such as at Surrey Park where the Pirates-Old Boys club is based.
He’s done quite a bit of thinking about cost and the Rugby Park site being sold would fetch around $14 million to pay for it.
It could certainly start ruffling a few feathers in the rugby world, where passionate fans and supporters have been coming to Rugby Park to watch provincial matches since 1908 when it was first built.