Eden Park sits in the Kingsland suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, about three kilometers southwest of the city center. First used as a sports ground in 1900 and established as a dedicated cricket ground by 1903, it has grown into New Zealand’s largest stadium and the closest thing the country has to a national stadium, hosting rugby union, rugby league, cricket, football, and more recently concerts.
Few venues carry the mystique of Eden Park among rugby fans. The All Blacks have gone unbeaten there in test matches for more than two decades, and the ground made history as the first stadium in the world to host two Rugby World Cup finals, in 1987 and again in 2011. It also hosted the 2015 Cricket World Cup and remains the home ground of Auckland Cricket and the Auckland Blues Super Rugby franchise.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Auckland Blues (Super Rugby), Auckland Rugby Football Union, Auckland Cricket
- Location: Kingsland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Opened: 1900 (sports ground); 1903 (cricket ground)
- Capacity: About 50,000 (standard seating); up to 60,000 for major rugby tests with temporary seating
- Notable fact: First stadium in the world to host two Rugby World Cup finals (1987 and 2011)
The Match-Day Experience
On test match days, Eden Park’s steep, close-set stands create an intense atmosphere that visiting teams have long struggled to overcome, with the All Blacks maintaining a remarkable unbeaten streak there since the mid-1990s. The ground’s dual identity as both a rectangular rugby venue and an oval cricket ground gives it a distinctive shape unlike most single-purpose stadiums.
Beyond rugby, Eden Park has welcomed football internationals, rugby league tests, and matches during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, which it co-hosted with venues across Australia and New Zealand. In recent years the stadium has also opened its gates to major concerts, broadening its role in Auckland’s sporting and entertainment calendar.
History and Ongoing Redevelopment
The venue underwent a major NZ$256 million redevelopment completed in 2010 ahead of the Rugby World Cup it hosted a year later. More recently, Auckland Council endorsed a further multi-stage redevelopment plan, known as Eden Park 2.1, in March 2025, aimed at modernizing the stadium’s facilities and expanding its concert capacity in the years ahead.
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Eden Park FAQs
Where is Eden Park located?
Eden Park is located in the suburb of Kingsland, about three kilometers southwest of downtown Auckland, New Zealand.
What is Eden Park’s capacity?
Eden Park seats around 50,000 for standard events, with capacity expanding to about 60,000 for major rugby tests using temporary seating, and roughly 42,000 configured for cricket.
What teams play at Eden Park?
Eden Park is home to the Auckland Blues Super Rugby team, the Auckland Rugby Football Union, and Auckland Cricket.
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Photo: Wendy Harman from Washington DC, USA / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.