Editorial: Why not run with a rugby stadium?

The TECT Arena received another ringing endorsement at the weekend from the happy fans who flooded through the gates to watch the Silver Ferns take on South Africa.

The international double-header, which also featured Australia v England, was certainly a highlight for the new facility.

As reported yesterday, the animated full house of 3100 fans loved every second of the matches and in particular, the Silver Ferns' storming 63-24 victory.

The success adds to the arena's record of exceeding expectations.

The $42 million centre has attracted 325,000 users in its first year - nearly 30 per cent more than predicted.

It's not only sports groups and supporters, who make up 62 per cent of all TECT users, making up those numbers. It's people attending conferences and shows and cultural events.

The figures suggest that a facility of this scale and design was well overdue and the community has embraced it.

Perhaps, in light of TECT Arena's success, it is time for the city to reconsider building an outdoor stadium to host rugby matches. It may be out of the question in the short-term due to the economic downturn but at least some plans would be in place when things turn around.

Baypark Stadium has copped a fair bit of criticism in the past - usually on the grounds that it's actually a speedway in the guise of a rugby ground. This means the closest seat to the action is about 30m from the ground.

Access to the site can also be difficult, given its proximity to a major intersection.

The idea of a purpose-built outdoor stadium gained real momentum when Noel Pope was mayor but was shelved when the costs came in and it looked a bridge too far for cost-sensitive ratepayers.

It is still talked about today as an opportunity lost, during an era when Tauranga was flush with growth and people were making a lot of money from development.

The economy may have taken a battering since then, but surely Tauranga, the fifth-largest city in the country, deserves a facility that will give rugby fans the same opportunity to enjoy their sport as netball fans had on Sunday night.