Central Energy Trust Arena is the current name of the 180,000 square meter publicly owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city center in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
It has three linked indoor stadiums with movable tiered seating. Outdoor facilities include football fields and a speedway track with a grandstand.
In June 2015, FMG Insurance chose not to renew the sponsorship deal for the main stadium name.[1]
History
Originally founded in 1886 as the Palmerston North Showgrounds, its pavilion burnt down in a fire in 1977. It was replaced with a new stand, and the ground was reopened in 1981 as the Manawatu Sports Stadium. Since 1973 it has been owned by the Palmerston North City Council.[2]
Arena 1: Central Energy Trust Arena
Capacity
Central Energy Trust Arena has a capacity of 15,000.[3] Temporary seating is added for major events, allowing the capacity to reach 20,000.
Central Energy Trust Arena is home to Manawatu Rugby. It is the home ground of the Manawatu Turbos, and also generally hosts one club game per week. Playing in the Air New Zealand Cup, crowd attendances at Turbos' games have been among the highest in the competition, averaging 7,000 per game.[4]
History
Central Energy Trust Arena was formerly known as Arena 1 and FMG Stadium. It was the venue for the first ever Super 12 rugby match in 1996, which was played by the Wellington Hurricanes and the Auckland Blues.
On 28 March 2009, The Highlanders played a Super Rugby 'home' game at Central Energy Trust Arena against the Bulls. The game attracted a large crowd of over 10,000—one of the Highlanders' biggest of the 2009 season.
On 4 September 2011, The Manawatu Turbos hosted the Hawkes Bay Magpies in the ITM Championship Cup Final at Central Energy Trust Arena. Crowd attendance was 13,100.
The stadium hosted two pool games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, in which New Zealand was the host nation. With the city's central location, large student population, the stadium's close proximity to the CBD, International Pacific College, as well as the New Zealand Rugby Institute (a facility which the All Blacks used to use), the idea of basing a team and having a pool game in Palmerston North was attractive.
On 18 March 2016, The Hurricanes played another Super Rugby 'home' game at Central Energy Trust Arena against the Western Force. The game attracted a crowd of over 8,000.
Rugby league
The stadium hosted its first rugby league test match when New Zealand lost to Great Britain 11–10 on 24 June 1990 in front of 8,073 fans.
Palmerston North also hosted the second game of the 1993 Trans-Tasman series against Australia, played on a water-logged ground after constant rain. Despite the arctic like conditions, an overflow crowd of 19,000 hardy fans saw the Mal Meninga led Aussies run out 16-8 winners.
Overall, the stadium hosted six test matches between 1990 and 1996. Its last test to date saw New Zealand defeat Great Britain 18–15 on 25 October 1996 in front of 12,000 fans.
Rugby league Test matches
List of Test matches played at Palmerston North.[5]
Today it is called the Robertson Holden International Speedway, with a 434 metres (475 yards) track encircling the field. The national Teams Championships have been held there, early February, bringing racers from all over the country. The season starts mid-October and finishes by the start of May.
Central Energy Trust Arena was twice host of Te Matatini nationwide Kapa haka competition.
Arena 2
Redeveloped in 2004, Arena 2 is a multipurpose indoor sporting facility, capable of holding exhibitions, conventions, and entertainment events. It has been the host of the Central Pulse home matches in Palmerston North and International netball fixtures between New Zealand and Australia; international motor shows; conferences and houses the home court to the Manawatu Jets who play in the New Zealand National Basketball League. The arena has also played host to international basketball, hosting the New Zealand Tall Blacks on occasions, including the FIBA Oceania Championship. For sponsorship reasons, the arena is known as the Fly Palmy Arena.[9]
Arenas 3, 5, and 6
Arena 3 has a floor area of 2100 square metres and is an indoor sports centre. It has a capacity of 2,000 persons.
Arena 5 includes Bell Hall, Barber Hall, Waldegrave Lounge and gym.
Arena 6 has the Outdoor No. 2, 3 & 4 sports grounds.
B&M Centre
The B&M Centre is a multipurpose indoor stadium.
Military Use
The Palmerston North Showgrounds have had a long military association, which saw it recognised as a Place of Remembrance by the Palmerston North City Council and the New Zealand Poppy Places Trust in 2019.[10]
From the early 1900s, the Palmerston North Showgrounds was the venue for various Military Tournaments, with Boxing Day Military displays popular with the local community. Examples of Military Tournaments held at the Palmerston North Showgrounds were:
2 February 1901, the Imperial Representative Corps paraded in the Square with the Manawatu Mounted Rifles and the Palmerston North Rifles. The parade concluded at the Showgrounds with military displays.
9 November 1908, The Wellington Engineer Volunteers participated in a Military Tournament at the show grounds, where they engaged in an improvised bridge-building display.
3 January 1911, a large Naval and Military Tournament took place at the Palmerston North Showgrounds with crowds numbering 7,000 to 8,000.
During the 1st World War, the showgrounds were used as a remount depot for the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and as a stop-over location for men passing through Palmerston North as they transited to other various military camps around New Zealand.
On 19 July 1919, the showgrounds were the venue for Palmerston Norths celebrations marking the end of World War One. After a parade around the Square followed by speeches watched by a crowd of about 7,000 including 800 children from all the local schools.
During the Second World War, the Showgrounds were requisitioned for military use for the duration of the war by the New Zealand Army, and was by the following units:
The 28th (Māori) Battalion was formed at the Showgrounds on 25 January 1940, and after initial training for three months en-trained at the Palmerston North Railway Station on 2 May 1940 for overseas service,
On 31 December 1944 a large fire occurred in the building occupied by Ordnance Depot, destroying Halls 1, 2, and 3 and causing stock losses of £225,700 ($18,639,824.86 at 2018 value), including around 1500 Charlton Automatic Rifles, a successful New Zealand conversion of obsolete Lee–Metford and Lee–Enfield rifles into an automatic rifle.
^McKie, Robert. "No 2 Sub-Depot Palmerston North Showgrounds". To the Warrior his Arms: The History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps and its Predecessors. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
