North Harbour Stadium
| Company type | Stadium |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports and entertainment venue |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Albany, North Shore City , New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand |
| Products | Rugby union, association football, rugby league, baseball events, concerts venue |
| Website | www |
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium situated in Albany, within North Shore City, New Zealand. Officially opened in 1997 after almost ten years of planning and building, it serves as a venue for rugby union, association football, rugby league, and baseball events. The nearby oval is utilized for senior cricket fixtures. Additionally, the stadium hosts major outdoor concerts.
History
Beginning in 2025, the stadium became the permanent base for Moana Pasifika, marking the first time a Super Rugby franchise has established its home there fulltime.
Since its inauguration, North Harbour Stadium has been the home venue for the North Harbour side competing in the National Provincial Championship, taking over from Onewa Domain in Takapuna. Between 1997 and 1998, it also served as a venue for several home matches of the Chiefs. In 1999, ownership shifted to the Auckland Blues, who generally hosted one home game annually at this location until 2019. The Blues made a single return match appearance in 2022 due to COVID-19 related restrictions.
The stadium has accommodated international fixtures in both rugby union and rugby league, along with pre-season matches for the New Zealand Warriors NRL squad. It was the home ground for the New Zealand Knights throughout their participation in the A-League from 2005 until 2007. Notably, it hosted matches during the 2008 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup and was the site of the final match during the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
From January 2014 through January 2019, sponsorship by QBE Insurance led to its temporary renaming as QBE Stadium.
Since renovations were completed to accommodate baseball, the Auckland Tuatara of the Australian Baseball League have called North Harbour Stadium their home starting in 2019.
In July 2024, newly established A-League club Auckland FC announced a five-year agreement designating the stadium as their headquarters and training facility.
By September 2024, confirmation arrived that Moana Pasifika would host five home fixtures at North Harbour Stadium during the 2025 season—the first occasion since 2015 with multiple Super Rugby matches held there in one year.
Layout
For sporting occasions, the stadium officially accommodates up to 22,000 spectators across four distinct seating zones: a primary southern grandstand offering 12,000 seats along with corporate amenities; an uncovered stand opposite it providing seating for 7,000; and grass embankments at each end that hold approximately 3,000 fans each.
The overall capacity was decreased after significant sections of the northwestern stand were removed to make space for a baseball diamond to serve the Tuatara team.
Ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a media tower was constructed overlooking both the uncovered stand and grandstand areas. The facility’s lighting is supplied by four towers standing 45 metres tall.
Rugby Union World Cup 2011
Following New Zealand’s successful bid in 2005 to host the tournament, this stadium was shortlisted alongside Eden Park and Stadium New Zealand as a potential final venue. Ultimately, it acted as an official backup site while Eden Park hosted the championship final. To support media operations during the event, a three-level broadcast tower was installed on the western side to accommodate commentators and camera teams.
References
https://archello.com/project/north-harbour-stadium-broadcast-tower