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 Interactive map of Okara Park | |
| Location | Whangārei, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°44′3″S174°19′46″E / 35.73417°S 174.32944°E /-35.73417; 174.32944 |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1965 |
| Renovated | 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| Northland Rugby Union (1965–present) Northern Swords | |
Okara Park, currently known commercially asSemenoff Stadium (previously known as Toll Stadium due to a sponsorship agreement) is amulti-purpose stadium inWhangārei, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly forrugby union matches and is the home stadium ofNorthland Rugby Union. The stadium is able to hold 18,500 people and was built in 1965.
The park has recently had a $16m redevelopment with the new grandstand known as the Northland Events Centre being built. The new development has turned Okara Park into a multi-purpose Northland sports hub.[1][2]
Despite Okara Park only having a capacity for 30,000 people at a stretch, there was a match of Rugby Union in 1979 where around 40,000 people crammed into the stadium thanks to its large embankment. The occasion for this record crowd was the defence by the local side, North Auckland, of the prized Ranfurly Shield against Auckland.
The stadium has held national games, including theNew Zealand Māori rugby league team beating theGreat Britain Lions 40–28 in 1996 and theNew Zealand Māori rugby union team beating theTongan national side 66–7 at Okara Park in 1998. It has also hosted matches between Northland and touring international sides such as theBritish & Irish Lions, andTonga,Samoa andFiji in the last two decades.
In 2010, Okara Park hosted a match of theNew Zealand Maori Rugby centenary series, with New Zealand Māori playing theNew Zealand Barbarians in what was effectively anAll Blacks trial match.
The stadium was used as a venue for the2011 Rugby World Cup. The stadium hosted two group stage matches, Tonga vs. Canada and Tonga vs. Japan.
On 1 November 2014, the stadium hosted its firstrugby league international whenNew Zealand playedSamoa as part of the2014 Rugby League Four Nations. New Zealand won the match 14–12.
On 3 June 2017, the2017 British & Irish Lions began their tour here with a 13–7 win againstNew Zealand Barbarians.
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