Yarrow Stadium
Stadium Taranaki is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu Street. Named the third best rugby stadium on earth by New Zealand Rugby World magazine in May 2009, Stadium Taranaki conforms with the International Rugby Board's "clean stadium" policy.
In February 2025, previous stadium sponsors Yarrows the Bakers announced they were not going to renew their naming rights agreement after it was in place since August 2002.
The primary tenant of this 25,000-capacity stadium is the Taranaki Rugby Football Union which has a representative team playing in the country's principal rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship. Since 2013, the stadium has played host to the Chiefs team as part of a new alliance, after Taranaki cut their ties with the Wellington-based Hurricanes.
The venue was first developed as a rugby ground in 1931, with the first stadium completed in 1947. Further stands were built at the same end and older ones demolished. Four floodlight towers were built in 1998 to hold night events. A major redevelopment saw two new grandstands added and considerable modernisation in 2002, and further enhancements to the venue were completed in 2010, raising the capacity to more than 25,500 for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and other fixtures.
The stadium was a personal legacy of the late Noel Yarrow, a pioneering Taranaki baker and businessman, and active philanthropist. Noel was a passionate rugby supporter, and the major grandstand overlooking the field's western sideline is a tribute to his support.
The east stand was deemed earthquake prone in November 2017 with the west stand being ruled out of action in June 2018. Rugby was played at the venue in 2018 and 2019 but spectators had to watch matches from the ends, while a grandstand was erected in front of the east stand. Temporary infrastructure was bought into cater for the changes as changing facilities and corporate areas were off limits.
In May 2019 owners, the Taranaki Regional Council, made a decision to repair and refurbish both grandstands in order for both stands to comply with earthquake regulations. The Taranaki Rugby Football Union and a catering company moved to alternative locations.
It was announced in November 2020, that the East Stand will be demolished and will be replaced by a similar sized stand but with extra facilities at the back to house events without opening the entire stand.
The contract to repair the West Stand was awarded to Clelands Construction in December 2020 and involves major earthquake strengthening works including improvements to ground stability, foundation tiebacks and new steel beams. The roof of the West Stand will remain intact while the bleachers and seating are removed to gain access to the ground below. The west stand was the first to be completed in 2023, while the east stand was opened in April 2025, which holds less than its previous.
Venue description
- Stadium Taranaki has four sports fields, the Legends Lounge, concourse and a variety of function rooms.
- The turf on the main field is laid over irrigation lines and drains on a sand profile.
- The main field has two grandstands providing undercover seating, terraced and embankment uncovered seating and standing areas.
- The stadium also has a full sound system, fully electronic scoreboard and floodlights.
- Fields one, two and three have training level floodlighting. Field two is behind the Eastern Stand, field three and four are behind the scoreboard on the southern end of the ground.
- Car parks are situated behind the TSB Bank.
- It was announced in 2009 that Stadium Taranaki was to have a $1.5 million upgrade for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. An extra two thousand or so seats were added on the end embankments, and media facilities were improved.
Legends Lounge
Features
- Internal speaker system
- Power
- Data points
- Portable stage
- Staircase and lift access is at each end of the lounge with direct access to the seating deck.
- Two kitchens, bar and toilet facilities are located at each end of the lounge so that the area can be partitioned for smaller functions.
Players/Media area
- As the main stand is currently closed, temporary facilities were built in the southeastern compound which can accommodate two teams, match officials, medical personnel with two smaller changing rooms. These are built to Super Rugby standard.
- Ordinarily, two main change rooms, each with a connecting warm-up room, are located at ground level of the TSB Bank Stand. Five subsidiary changing rooms are located at ground level of the TSB Bank Stand for other teams and referees.
- A medical room, drug testing room, media interview room and match day office are all located adjacent to the main changing room at the ground level of the TSB Bank Stand. Also located at Stadium Taranaki is the HQ of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union. Their officers and a gym are located in the northern end of the TSB Bank Stand.
- Media: There are media facilities in the western grandstand, "Noel and Melva Yarrow Stand". There is a camera lounge on halfway with four adjacent media boxes for television, radio, additional commentary and television match official/third umpire usage. Other media boxes for extra commentary were built next to the primary boxes prior to 2011 for additional commentary. Scaffolding platforms are temporarily built for cameras during cricket coverage at both ends of the ground. Extra media areas for print media and non-rights holders have an area at the top of the TSB Stand side. Broadcast parking is behind the western grandstand.
- The big screen is located at the top of the southern embankment. An additional screen is brought in by the TSB Community Trust if required.
Events
In February 2007 about 8000 people attended the Crusty Demons Kiwi Carnage Tour show at Stadium Taranaki to watch the 12-strong team of Kiwi, Australian, and American motorcycle riders perform back-flips and stunts known as the "rock solid" and the "ruler".
In March 2009 the Crusty Demons Unleashed Hell Tour stopped in at Stadium Taranaki and put on a show for the approximately 6500 people who attended the event. Stunts performed by the six riders included the dangerous double back-flip.
Postponed by 24 hours due to rain, the Nitro Circus team made up of around 30 motocross, BMX, FMX, inline skaters and scooter athletes performed at Stadium Taranaki on 12 February 2017. Using a range of different sized ramps, including the 15 metre high Gigantor Ramp, the riders launched themselves into the air on everything from motorbikes and scooters to a couch and a whisky barrel.
Members of the crowd were also called onto the field to take part in the show, with three volunteers jumping on a single motorbike with one of the Nitro riders to perform a back flip, while another went down the ramp on another guy's back.
Rugby
- Seven test matches
- 17 Super Rugby Matches: ;
- Taranaki rugby games in both the ITM Cup and its predecessor, the National Provincial Championship, including 2014 ITM Cup final
! Team No. 1
! Res.
! Team No. 2
! Sport
! Attendance
! Notes
!colspan="7" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| Internationals
!colspan="7" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| NRL
!colspan="7" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| ''Historic''
IRB Rugby World Cup 2011
Stadium Taranaki, as Stadium Taranaki was temporarily renamed for the World Cup, hosted three matches during the pool play stage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup:| Date | Team No. 1 | Res. | Team No. 2 | Round | Attendance |
| 2011-09-11 | 22–10 | Pool C | 20,823 | ||
| 2011-09-15 | 6–13 | Pool C | 13,931 | ||
| 2011-09-26 | 81–7 | Pool D | 13,710 |