Lancaster Park (1881)

Lancaster Park was established in 1880-1881 as a sports ground in Christchurch, New Zealand, with the stadium opening in 1881 as a multi-purpose venue for cricket, rugby, and other sports. The park was built on land in the suburb of Waltham, and quickly became the premier sporting venue in Christchurch and one of the most important in New Zealand, hosting a wide range of sports and events over its 130-year history. The stadium's cricket oval hosted its first men's Test match on 10-13 January 1930, when New Zealand played England, and went on to host 18 men's Test matches over the following decades, with the last men's Test played on 7-9 December 2006, when New Zealand played Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted men's One Day International matches from 11 February 1973, when New Zealand played Pakistan, with the last men's ODI played on 29 January 2011, when New Zealand again played Pakistan, just weeks before the devastating earthquake that would close the stadium. The ground hosted men's T20I matches from 7 February 2008, when New Zealand played England, with the last men's T20I played on 30 December 2010, when New Zealand played Pakistan. The ground also hosted women's international cricket, including women's Test matches from 16-18 February 1935, when New Zealand played England, with the last women's Test played on 29 November-2 December 1957, and women's ODI matches from 7 February 1982, with the last women's ODI played on 15 February 1999, and a single women's T20I on 28 February 2010. The stadium's rugby history was equally distinguished, with the venue becoming the home of the Canterbury rugby union team in the domestic ITM Cup, and later the home of the Canterbury Crusaders in Super Rugby from 1996, when the competition was established, to 2011, during which time the Crusaders became one of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, winning multiple titles and establishing a passionate following. The stadium underwent significant renovations and expansions between 1995 and 2009, with the most recent expansion in 2009 increasing the capacity to 38,628, reflecting the growing popularity of rugby in Christchurch and the stadium's status as one of New Zealand's premier sporting venues. The stadium was known commercially as Jade Stadium from 1998 to 2007, under a naming rights sponsorship, and as AMI Stadium from 2007 to 2011, under another sponsorship, reflecting the increasing commercialisation of sport in New Zealand. The stadium's end names reflected its cricket heritage, with the Hadlee Stand End named after the famous New Zealand cricketing family, and the Port Hills End named after the hills visible from the ground. On 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, one of the deadliest natural disasters in New Zealand history, causing severe damage to the stadium, including damage to the stands, the playing surface, and the infrastructure, and resulting in the deaths of 185 people across the city. The stadium was closed after the earthquake, as the damage was too extensive to repair, and the site was deemed unsuitable for a major sporting venue due to the ongoing seismic risk and the liquefaction damage to the land. The stadium was demolished between 2012 and 2019, a long and complex process that took several years due to the extent of the damage and the need to carefully dismantle the stands and infrastructure. The Canterbury Crusaders moved to Rugby League Park (now known as Orangetheory Stadium), which was redeveloped as a new home for the team, while cricket moved to Hagley Oval, which became the new home of international cricket in Christchurch, ensuring that the city continued to have world-class sporting venues despite the loss of Lancaster Park.

Lancaster Park was one of New Zealand's oldest and most historic sporting venues, opened in 1881 and used for 130 years, making it one of the longest-serving major stadiums in New Zealand history. The stadium was a true multi-purpose venue, hosting both rugby and cricket at the highest level, with 18 men's Test cricket matches played there from 1930 to 2006, and numerous international rugby matches, reflecting the versatility of the venue and the importance of both sports in New Zealand culture. The stadium was the home of the Canterbury Crusaders in Super Rugby from 1996 to 2011, during which time the Crusaders became one of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, winning multiple titles and establishing a passionate following, making the stadium one of the most feared away grounds in the competition. The stadium was known commercially as Jade Stadium from 1998 to 2007 and as AMI Stadium from 2007 to 2011, reflecting the increasing commercialisation of sport in New Zealand and the growing importance of naming rights sponsorship in modern sport. The stadium's cricket end names reflected its rich heritage, with the Hadlee Stand End named after the famous New Zealand cricketing family, which produced several international cricketers including the legendary Richard Hadlee, and the Port Hills End named after the hills visible from the ground, adding to the character and charm of the venue. The stadium hosted its first men's Test match on 10-13 January 1930, when New Zealand played England, and its last men's Test on 7-9 December 2006, when New Zealand played Sri Lanka, spanning 76 years of Test cricket at the venue. The stadium hosted its last men's ODI on 29 January 2011, when New Zealand played Pakistan, just 24 days before the devastating earthquake that would close the stadium, making it one of the last major sporting events held at the venue. On 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing severe damage to the stadium and resulting in the deaths of 185 people across the city, one of the deadliest natural disasters in New Zealand history, and leading to the closure and eventual demolition of the stadium. The stadium was demolished between 2012 and 2019, a process that took several years due to the extent of the earthquake damage and the need to carefully dismantle the stands and infrastructure, making it one of the longest and most complex stadium demolitions in history. After the stadium's closure, the Canterbury Crusaders moved to Rugby League Park (now Orangetheory Stadium), which was redeveloped as a new home for the team, while cricket moved to Hagley Oval, ensuring that Christchurch continued to have world-class sporting venues despite the loss of Lancaster Park.