Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium faces an uncertain future, with its last major event scheduled for April 18 before the city council reclaims the land two days later. Despite the looming deadline, repeated council delays have left the site’s next chapter unclear, sparking debate over whether it should be retained for community use or sold for development.
The temporary stadium, which has been the home of the Crusaders for 14 years, will host its final fixture when the Wellington Phoenix play the Western Sydney Wanderers. The Crusaders played their last Super Rugby Pacific match at the Addington venue on Friday against the Fijian Drua, marking the end of an era for the team and its supporters.
The closure of the temporary facility coincides with the near completion of the new Te Kaha stadium, now named One NZ Stadium, which is set to open with Super Rugby’s Super Round over Anzac weekend. This transition was meant to be seamless, but the lack of a clear plan for the old site has created a vacuum of uncertainty.
Options report repeatedly postponed
An options report for the future of the Apollo Projects Stadium site, originally due to be presented to the council in November last year, is still being drafted. The report has been subject to multiple postponements, first pushed to the New Year, then to March, and again delayed on April 1.
Nigel Cox, the council’s head of recreation, sports and events, confirmed the completed report will be considered by the Finance and Performance Committee "soon". In the meantime, no large-scale events are planned for the venue beyond the final football match on April 18.
"However, the council may choose to use the venue for community sport if the site is safe, noting the temporary grandstands and buildings will be decommissioned," Mr Cox said.
A definitive timeline for any future action will only be established after a public tender process is completed. The ongoing delays have prompted concerns from some councillors that the valuable land could lie dormant for an extended period.
In my view, the land should be available for community use as a neighbourhood park during this period.
Community ideas clash with development pressure
Local councillor Melanie Coker has warned of the risk that the site could sit idle while decisions are being finalised. She has been actively gathering public feedback online, revealing a wide spectrum of ideas for the land. Suggestions range from returning it to Canterbury Rugby League, its original occupants, to creating a neighbourhood park, a food forest, or new sports facilities. Other proposals include more commercially focused options like carparks, housing, or shopping complexes.
Initially, Canterbury Rugby League (CRL) had publicly called to be involved in the consultation process, given the site’s history as Rugby League Park. However, CRL chief executive Malcolm Humm said the organisation has had productive discussions with the council over the past six weeks and is satisfied with its current operations at Ngā Puna Wai. He stated that tensions have been alleviated and the future of the stadium site is "not CRL’s business".
This shift has opened the door to other possibilities, with significant commercial interest in the valuable plot of land. The Arvida South Island development team, representing the neighbouring retirement village, has signalled its interest. "If the council were to consider a sale and run a formal process, we’d be interested in understanding that in more detail and potentially being involved," said manager Peter Hornby.
A difficult balancing act
The debate highlights a fundamental tension in post-quake Christchurch: how to balance the need for community spaces with pressing budget considerations and development pressures. Harewood councillor Aaron Keown, who was on the council when the temporary stadium was first approved, argued the site has served its purpose and should now be used to deliver the best economic return for the city, a sentiment echoed in other regions where Bay councils approved a water partnership amid fiery debate.
"It’s no longer needed as a sports ground. Some would like it to remain that way, but it’s too valuable," he said. Mr Keown supports redeveloping the land but has suggested retaining a small piece of the original turf as a nod to its significant sporting history, a sentiment many rugby fans would likely share.
The stadium was erected as a temporary solution following the destruction of Lancaster Park in the 2011 earthquakes and became a symbol of the city’s resilience. For many, it holds memories of the Crusaders’ golden era and the city’s slow but steady recovery. The new fully-enclosed One NZ Stadium represents a new chapter, but what to do with the old one remains a contentious issue.
The path forward
Both Cr Coker and Cr Keown acknowledge the difficulty of the decision ahead. Cr Coker noted that public opinion is "extremely mixed" and bridging the divide between different community desires and financial realities will be a significant challenge for the council.
The public will be formally consulted on the matter, though a timeline for this process has not been established. Cr Coker anticipates that consultation will not begin until after the new stadium at Te Kaha is officially open and operational.
Ultimately, she stressed that retaining the land for public or community use would require a strong and unified message from residents. A clear mandate from the people of Christchurch, she said, would be necessary to prevent the land from being sold for private development. For now, the floodlights at Apollo Projects Stadium will soon go dark, with its future illuminated only by ongoing debate and deliberation within the Christchurch City Council.
