Christchurch, New Zealand, head of major events Karena Finnie said the Super Round was projected to attract about 13,500 visitors to the city, who would spend about $6m over the long weekend. It’s a chance for rugby fans of all ages to rejoice in the game we love, reconnect with old friends, make new friends, bop to world-class music, and have a bloody good time.
The idea for the stadium at 218 Madras Street, Christchurch Central, was first proposed in July 2012 in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, administered by the fifth National Government. In 2019, Lancaster Park, damaged in the 2011 earthquake, was demolished.
On 12 August 2021, the Christchurch City Council approved construction of a $683 million NZD stadium with 25,000 permanent seats, 5,000 temporary seats, and a maximum capacity of 37,000 for concerts. Construction began in 2023, led by Populous Holdings and Warren and Mahoney. Populous Holdings is a multinational construction company based in Kansas, London, and Brisbane, known for projects like Yankee Stadium in New York and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Warren and Mahoney is an international architecture and design firm founded in 1955 by Kiwis Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney.
It has designed buildings such as Christchurch Central Library, the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, and the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi, India. The stadium's name, Te Kaha, means "strength" in Māori and was gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri, a local sub-tribe of Ngāi Tahu.
The name and the arena’s architecture represent the strength and resilience of Canterbury and its people. The land and stadium precinct are named Te Kaharoa, meaning "enduring strength.” One New Zealand is one of the largest telecommunications and internet service providers in the country. It employs more than 3,000 people.
Te Kaha/One New Zealand Stadium was formally opened on 27 March 2026. Among the attendees were Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger, and Crusaders and All Blacks legend Daniel Carter. “Super Round” is the first major event. The best way to get there?
The Fan Trail runs from the Bridge of Remembrance along City Mall and Cashel Street. It is an eight-minute gateway festival with buskers, dancers, and musicians starting two and a half hours before every kick-off, turning the walk to the ground into part of the occasion. Inside the stadium, there are at least 14 different retail food and beverage offerings from favourite local eateries, including Bacon Bros Burgers, Litt Fish Co and Arbour Woodfired Pizza.
With 63 merchants, 3,000 carparks within 500 metres, and 10,000 visitors a day, Riverside Market is a jewel of Christchurch cuisine. This place is truly the United Nations of food, so how do you choose? Local legend Tony Bilbrough went from skateboarding around the world to becoming a National Barbecue champion. His Shaka Bros restaurants will fill you up fast. The Butcher's Pie Shop offers a quintessential Kiwi snack, while Indo Tempeh House is a locally owned, generously priced Indonesian restaurant with delightful meat and vegetarian options. Better still, wash it down with a beer from the Canterbury Brewers Collective, a small horseshoe bar downstairs offering more than a dozen world-class, award-winning local beers from Cassels, Two Thumb, Ghost, and Three Boys Brewers. Frequent duty manager Thomas Sharples is an affable raconteur of beer, rugby, and cricket. Nearby are many other restaurants, bars, and shops. The Church Brew Pub - The Trinity Church on Worcester Street is a Category I heritage building that was damaged in the earthquakes, revived, and turned into a smashing pub. With a dozen beers on tap (an Emerson’s Orange Roughy goes, good!), a $16 lunch special plus pizza, pasta, and burgers on the menu, there’s plenty to stick your teeth into.
Live music from some of Christchurch’s most renowned artists is also common. On Saturday night from 10 pm, Black and Gold hit the stage with an extensive setlist, including timeless classics from The B-52s and Fleetwood Mac, as well as modern pop. Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre - Parakiore is the largest aquatic and indoor recreation venue of its kind in New Zealand, accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Located on Saint Asaph Street, only 2km from the stadium, it will be open this weekend and offers hydro slides, swimming, parks, a cafe and a gym.
School of Rock Duncan
knows how to put on a show. In 2023, as head of music at St Andrew’s College on Papanui Road, he brought together over 100 students to perform Led Zeppelin’s 1971 classic Stairway to Heaven. Their performance wowed a crowd of 3,500 people at the school’s end-of-year prize-giving at Wolfbrook Arena. Many students hadn’t heard of Led Zeppelin before, but the performance quickly went viral and has now been watched over half a million times on YouTube.
In 2024, on the same stage, a seven-minute version of Coldplay’s 2008 hit Viva La Vida, featuring flute, violin, and guitar solos, attracted just as much attention. Last year’s showcase paid tribute to Aotearoa with a medley of Kiwi bangers sung in Te reo Māori and English. The set included Crowded House's 'Don't Dream It's Over', Stan Walker's 'Aotearoa', Shapeshifter's 'In Colour', and 'Don't Forget Your Roots' by Six60. That setlist will be performed at halftime during the Hurricanes versus Brumbies game at Super Round on Saturday. “It better be good. We’ve only got four and a half minutes. The original is six minutes and forty seconds,” Ferguson laughed. “It’s a huge buzz for the students to be part of this event. It’s even more special because it falls on ANZAC Day.
“There will be a choir of 40 on stage with six soloists and a quartet of guitars, bass, and drums. “We can’t fit the 60-person orchestra in, so we’ve pre-recorded their parts and integrated them into the show to ensure it captures the spirit of the original. But it is different. Many new students are in the band. They’ve worked hard to make sure it sounds fresh and exciting.” Rehearsals are held at school, some after school, but Ferguson encourages the musicians to put in several hours themselves to grow. Ferguson has invested his life in music, citing jazz musicians Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker as seminal influences. A modern favourite is the American pop-soul group, Lawrence. After earning two degrees in music from the Christchurch Jazz School and Christchurch College of Education, he played various instruments, mostly bass, professionally on cruise ships and in jazz ensembles. In 2002, he decided late nights and uncertain schedules weren’t for him, so he became a music teacher at Linwood College.
He also founded Ideas Limited, a company providing music technology resources for New Zealand high school teachers. About 95% of New Zealand high schools use his resources. With support from the Papanui Youth Development Trust, he built a music studio delivering educational programmes for young musicians. In 2010, he was appointed head of Music at St Andrew’s College. “The position hadn’t come up for 25 years. I didn’t think I was a serious contender,” recalled Ferguson. “The school has a prestigious history in music; the pipe band, for example, has been going since 1919. “Our prize-giving performances started in 2014. The idea was to bring all our musicians together for a bit of fun. The first song we performed was You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban, and it sounded amazing. “In 2023, we added a light show for Stairway to Heaven, which elevated the performance. I decided to record it only half an hour beforehand when I plugged in a laptop.
“I think it resonated because of the quality of the performances. For example, Mia Fraser's guitar solo, emerging from dark to light, playing Jimmy Page in a kilt, isn’t something you’d expect in a Led Zeppelin rock song. It introduced younger people to a classic with a modern spin. “I think it’s important to teach traditional classical music but also be open to all genres, be that hip hop, dubstep, or electronic music.” What about the Rugby? “Richie Mo’unga plays a handy guitar. Those of us who knew him at school are very proud of what he went on to achieve,” Ferguson said. Crusaders to win Super Rugby Pacific? “I’m actually Wellington. Go, the Hurricanes.”
Other Musical Acts: Scribe, New Zealand Army Band, Royal New Zealand Navy Band, Mellow Studios, Te Aratai College Polyfest Group and the Cook Islands Christchurch Drummers, DJ Danny-Ill Les McFadden - The Biggest Fan Les McFadden (QSM) gave away two free tickets to buy five for his family, who are coming to Super Round from as far as Oklahoma and Perth. McFadden, 83, has been to a hospitality pilot where he described the food as “local and pretty good.” If anyone knows, it’s McFadden.
He is one of only ten living life members of Canterbury rugby and has attended games for eight decades, long enough to regale tales of Tiny Hill and Dennis Young. The opening of Te Kaha/ One New Zealand stadium is a moment he's yearned for. “It’s a gift," McFadden said in characteristically understated fashion. “I was struggling to get up the stairs and handle the cold at the old Apollo. “This is wonderful for Rugby and our city.” Les was born in Belfast and joined the club at 10 in 1953. He played for a junior team that won its division in his first year, with 11 wins from 11 games and only 3 points conceded all season. A neck injury ended his playing days at 16, so he dedicated himself to the club as a coach, administrator, and in any needed role. He received Belfast life membership in 1990. From 1996 to 2024, he managed the club’s finances.
He also donated 196 historical items, including old test jerseys. McFadden managed Canterbury during the famous Ranfurly Shield era from 1982 to 1985, when they defended the Log O’ Wood 25 times. He was the All Blacks liaison officer in Christchurch for 28 years and, in 1996, became the Crusaders’ first liaison officer, helping both home and away teams. A liaison officer organises off-field logistics, including accommodation, bus travel, and match-day details. McFadden is the GOAT of liaison officers and was chosen by the 15-time Super Rugby champions to train others. Jake White, who coached the Springboks to a Rugby World Cup win in 2007, led the Sharks to a rare 30-25 victory over the Crusaders at Apollo Projects Stadium in 2014.
White and McFadden became friends. In Crusade On! Celebrating 25 Years of the Crusaders, White called McFadden “The best player a successful coach never picked.” He added, “If everything ticks like clockwork off the field, the players have no excuses. They are either good enough, or they’re not.”
This weekend, McFadden - co-founder of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union Historical Trust and organiser of book launches for All Blacks Billy Bush and Sir Wayne Smith - will attend the Super Round simply as a fan. Les’s son, 1987 New Zealand Under-19 representative Greg McFadden, has played, coached, and organised rugby in Edmond, Oklahoma, for nearly two decades.
This weekend, the outdoor living sales rep is also celebrating a 40th anniversary gathering with the 1986 St Bede’s College First XV, who are attending Super Round. The fullback was their top points scorer with 112 points in 21 games in the year of the “Baby Blacks.” St Bede's toured Australia and finished with a 16-7 record. Aaron Flynn, now a recruitment manager, played halfback. He was part of the first three Crusaders Super Rugby-winning teams from 1998 to 2000. Despite a four-win, five-loss record, Les is confident the Crusaders will open Te Kaha/One New Zealand Stadium with a win on Friday night.
“No, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, David Havili and Codie Taylor for the last game. It’s tough to win without them. Some of them will be back, and the whole team will learn and be fired up,” he warned.
*The 1987 New Zealand Under-19’s beat Wales 54-7 in Pukekohe. All Blacks John Timu, Jason Goldsmith, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Walter Little and Craig Innes were members of the team. Little and Innes later played Super Rugby, as did Errol Brain, who scored three tries and captained the Chiefs.
Life of Riley Reily Brown, 6, beat thousands to win a More FM radio competition on the popular "Si & Lana" show to deliver the first match ball at Te Kaha. The middle of three children plays rugby for Lincoln Rugby Football Club and says his favourite player is All Blacks captain Scott Barrett, who played for Lincoln and the Crusaders. Reily has been practising for his big day in the hallway or, when the weather permits, at a nearby park.
