Waikato Stadium
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| Former names | Rugby Park (1925–99) |
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| Location | Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 37°46′52″S 175°16′6″E / 37.78111°S 175.26833°ECoordinates: 37°46′52″S 175°16′6″E / 37.78111°S 175.26833°E |
| Owner | Hamilton City Council |
| Capacity | 25,800 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2000 |
| Opened | 2002 |
| Tenants | |
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Waikato Rugby Union (2002–present) Chiefs (2002–present) WaiBop United (2015-2016) |
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FMG Stadium Waikato is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold up to 5,000 people. The capacity can be extended, however, by temporarily adding 5,000 seats to the Goal Line Terrace area. The stadium, owned by the Hamilton City Council, regularly hosts two rugby union teams:
In 1925, Rugby Park opened. In 1930, a rugby union match between Waikato and Great Britain was first broadcast on the radio in Hamilton. In 1937, South Africa visited Hamilton in front of a then record crowd of 13,000. One of the most memorable games at the ground was in 1956 when Waikato beat the visiting Springboks Rugby team with over 31,000 people in attendance. In 1958, Rugby Park commenced the upgrade of a new grandstand which opened in 1959. In 1981, Rugby Park hosted part of the infamous 1981 Springbok tour where the match was cancelled due to the pitch being invaded by protesters. 1987 saw Rugby Park host its first Rugby World Cup match, Fiji v Argentina.
In 1996, the Waikato Regional Sports and Event Centre Trust were formed as it was decided that the city required a new sports stadium to attract more sports fixtures and events. The city of Hamilton announced plans to replace both Rugby Park and the city's premier cricket venue, Westpac Park, with a single large oval stadium at the Rugby Park site. However, this was reconsidered upon a funding of only NZ$270 million in funding, far short of the estimated NZ$520 million cost. It then decided instead to rebuild and modernise both stadiums on a smaller scale, reducing the total cost to NZ$30 million. In 2000, the construction of Waikato Stadium commenced, and in 2002, Waikato Stadium officially opened with a Super 12 rugby match between the Chiefs and Crusaders.
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