North Harbour Stadium, multi-purpose sports stadium in Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
North Harbour Stadium in Albany, Auckland, has a rectangular grass pitch with white markings. A covered grandstand on the southern side seats 12,000 under a white roof supported by white beams, its façade carrying a blue band with white "TOSHIBA" and "FUJITSU" text. Opposite, an uncovered stand of green seats seats 7,000, with a dark scoreboard above its centre and white goal posts at each end.
Construction began in 1990 and cost 41 million dollars; the stadium opened on 8 March 1997, replacing Onewa Domain as North Harbour's home ground. It hosted the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final, was a venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and staged nine matches of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, including the final. In 2024 Moana Pasifika made it their fulltime home from 2025.
North Harbour Stadium is closely tied to rugby on Auckland's North Shore, serving as the home ground of the North Harbour provincial team. On match days, local families and supporters fill the stands, giving the ground a strong community feel.
The stadium sits in Albany, north of Auckland city center, and is easiest to reach by car, with parking available on site. Arriving a little early on event days is a good idea, as traffic in the area can build up around the venue before and after matches.
The stadium was the official reserve venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, which went to Eden Park. Its media facilities were upgraded for the tournament, including a broadcast tower on the western side with three levels: venue operations and ground announcer on the first floor, television and radio commentators and the television match official on the second, and a retractable window for cameras on the third.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,457 contributors worldwide.