Started off the morning playing a few games of soccer! We stayed in the same teams that were drafted for netball and floor hockey. It was fun to be able to play again, but I forgot how easy it is to get out of shape! After three intense games, everyone cleaned up and headed to Sport New Zealand and learned about their operations and we then ventured on over to Westpac Stadium. We met a man who led us on a tour of the stadium and gave us a little insight into the history and facts of this stadium. It was really cool to see one of their bigger stadiums and learn the history of it. Maori has been slowly trying to reclaim some of their heritage to ensure it does not become lost. As you can see in the picture there are three feathers on the gate. The feather on the left represents the spirit that every member of the wondering Albatross has within themselves. The middle feather represents high self-esteem and self-confidence. The tribe leader wanted them to remember they cant feel good about others if they do not first feel good about themselves. The final feather, the furthest right, reminds the tribe members to practice good will to other women and men. These feathers were taught as a part of the culture and their leader would wear these three feathers in his hair at all times.
The different looking figures that are on the right and left side of the feathers are the guardians of the stadium. The left figure is the woman warrior and the right figure is the man warrior. The spirals that are on the outside represent that life will go on forever. It was good to hear that the stadium was able to incorporate part of the native culture into this amazing multi-sport stadium. As we went inside, we learned more about the operation aspect of the stadium. I mentioned earlier that Westpac Stadium is a multipurpose stadium. The sports that are often played there are futbol, cricket, and rugby! Not only do they host many sports, but they also have concerts at the stadium. Ozzie Osborne has even played there, which was cool to see. We were informed that there were 31,500 yellow seats, but 35,000 total seats including the corporate boxes that are located on the fourth floor of the stadium. Some of the corporate sponsors were Lion Breweries, Toyota New Zealand, RWB Nominees, ANZ Bank New Zealand, Savage Group Limited, and many more. Even though there only 35,000 seats, 40,000 seats is about max capacity when they allow spectators to buy ground/grass tickets.
They adjusted the field to be slightly elevated in the center so the water runs off the sides of the pitch. They also alter the length of the grass depending on what sport will be held in there. If its soccer, the grass is cut to an inch, but if cricket is being played then they cut the grass shorter to a half of an inch. Another interesting tidbit about the facility was the modern equipment to help it withstand earthquakes. Since New Zealand sits on the Ring of Fire, they are especially susceptible to earthquakes, so this facility put in equipment to be able to withstand an earthquake up to a 7.8. The man giving us a tour also talked to us about the security of the stadium, and how they deal with the drunks who cause trouble. Instead of getting kicked out of the game, or going straight to jail in the States, they take people to a cell in the stadium where they hold them until the end of the game. At the end of the game, they decide who “has learned their lessen” and “who hasn’t learned their lessen.” Those thought to have sobered up and behaved in the drunk tank are let go and given a bus ticket those. The spectators that are still causing a disturbance will be taken to jail to pay for the consequences. I thought this was very interesting in comparison to how things are handled back home.
