Eden Park - History

History

Eden Park has been in existence as a sports ground since 1900. It began its life as a swamp, but by 1914 the ground had been drained and turned into two ovals. Eden Park was exclusively a cricket ground in its early years, known variously as the Kingsland Cricket Ground and, after a merger with the Eden Cricket Club, as the Eden Cricket Ground. The name ‘Eden Park’ settled into general usage sometime around 1912, soon after it had been taken over by the Auckland Cricket Association (which was founded in 1883). Still to this day the home of Auckland Cricket, Eden Park has hosted many international Tests, One Day International and Twenty/20 cricket matches. Rugby first came to the park in 1913 when, after negotiations with the Auckland Cricket Association, Auckland Rugby was granted a 21 year lease to use the park for games during the winter season. The first test rugby game at Eden Park was held on August 27, 1921, when the Springboks beat the All Blacks 9-5 before a crowd of 40,000. The Auckland Rugby Football Union officially made Eden Park its home in 1925. In 1926 a Trust was set up that provided for a group of Trustees to manage Eden Park primarily for the benefit of Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby. The Trust still manages the Park today. The ground is not simply a venue for rugby and cricket matches – as well as the occasional soccer, league and hockey internationals, plus major track and field events like the 1950 British Empire Games, Eden Park has been the stage for British royalty, Russian gymnasts and the Dalai Lama.