18,000 sports fans check out Cup park

Kids grab the chance to play rugby on Eden Park during yesterday's unveiling of its transformation for the World Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell

It was hard to tell who was more excited at Eden Park's open day - the parents or their children.

More than 18,000 sports fans and ratepayers flocked in to see the new stadium at its first open day yesterday.

Some brought balls and flags for their sporting heroes to sign, others were happy just to get a photo with rugby, league and cricket players who were on standby to throws balls, dish out autographs and chat to fans.

Carrying candy floss, sausages in bread rolls and balloons, the fans wandered around the stadium, meeting big-name players and getting to talk to and take photos of them.

Visitors had the chance to go underneath the grandstands to see inside the players' changing rooms, while others lined up around the stadium's new concourse to see the tournament's prize, the Webb Ellis Cup.

North Shore man Leigh Williamson was rapt that his son Caleb, 8, was able to have his photo taken with sporting celebrities.

"It's very impressive," Mr Williamson said of the open day. "You never get an opportunity like this."

Caleb said his experience was "cool".

Hinemoana Lowther, 13, was delighted to get up close to the Webb Ellis Cup, which she described as "exciting".

Others went along, simply curious to see what was on the other side of the $240 million construction they had watched progressing from the outside for so long.

Many had walked from nearby suburbs or caught the train to the park, as side streets throughout Mt Eden were set aside for residents' vehicles only.

Vaughan Freeman and his son Ethan, 5, came to satisfy their curiosity because their family had driven past the construction site most days for years, taking Ethan to preschool in nearby Bellwood Ave.

Frank Moses, from the North Shore, said he had been to Eden Park several times but he wanted to see the transformation and show his children the stadium for the first time.

"It's good to see Auckland ratepayers' money going to something as brilliant as this. It's the future, isn't it really? The kids' future."

Stephen Osborne of Henderson and his son Doltyn, 11, were getting flags signed by Black Ferns players.

"They've done a good job," he said of the changes to the park.

"We've been through the tunnel in the players' changing rooms, up in the coaches' boxes. They get a good view from there - that would be a good place to sit."