📰 Warriors win over Knights serves as rugby league's farewell to Showgrounds

By Mike Thorpe

When Wyatt Raymond blew the final whistle in the NZ Warriors’ 26-12 win over the Newcastle Knights at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, it in all likelihood, marked the end of rugby league’s relationship with the ground that launched the sport in Canterbury.

One New Zealand Stadium – Te Kaha will be the venue for the next visit by the Warriors, an annual trip that is in its third year and has just been extended until 2028.

NZ Warriors assistant coach and current Kiwis coach Stacey Jones is already looking forward to the benefit of a roof for the 2026 clash.

The “Little General” says Te Kaha is “very exciting” and describes it as a “world-class stadium”. But he also understands the historical significance of the turf that hosted the Warriors’ fifth win in seven games.

“The home of rugby league for Canterbury Rugby League, and I remember the two fields joining together at, at both ends, sharing the in-goal. If it is the last game of rugby league here [it’ll] be sad,” said Jones.

Jones’ thoughts are echoed by his mentor and former coach – Frank Endacott.

Few have memories of the park that are as long or as fond as Endacott’s.

“I remember playing on that park as a 19-year-old right through to first grade over many decades. By gee, we’ve got some great memories of that park. It’s going to be sorely missed,” said Endacott.

Rugby League Park in Addington held its first match in 1912 and the code remained there for 100 years.

The “Showgrounds” was the spiritual home of the game in Canterbury until it was transformed into the city’s temporary post-quake stadium – hosting the Crusaders, All Blacks, Warriors, Kiwis and some of the biggest names in entertainment.

It wasn’t as temporary as many had hoped – and rugby league had to find a new home at Nga Puna Wai, a hub for many sports in Canterbury.

According to Canterbury Rugby League, the first-ever rugby league match played in Christchurch, Wellington’s 5-4 win over Canterbury (September 7, 1912), was held at what was then known as the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s Show Grounds.

A week later, the visiting NSW side defeated Canterbury 28-15 at the venue in a “historic international fixture”.

Club games were hosted there the following year with Addington, Linwood, Sydenham and St Albans the foundation clubs. The last Grand Final to be played there was in 2018.

Endacott remembers running out on to the ground as a teenager, representing his country.

“I played in the schoolboy Kiwi team against Australia in 1963. That was a huge moment,” says Endacott.

Those great memories of playing at the Showgrounds would be overtaken by Endacott’s achievements as a coach.

“The win against Great Britain with a very young Canterbury side in 1990, and then the best of all was the national final against Auckland in 1993, which packed the Showgrounds out,” recalls Endacott.

The fancied Auckland side, featuring big names like Tawera Nikau, Craig Innes, Iva and Tea Ropati as well as George Mann and Se’e Solomona, were overrun by the home side 36-12.

“It was, a game that everyone remembers is the best game I think I was ever part of, or certainly one of the two,” said Endacott.

Inaugural Warriors coach John Monie was on hand to watch the match with a handful of the Canterbury side signed by the Auckland-based NRL side – Mike Dorreen, Whetu Taewa, Aaron Whittaker and Logan Edwards.

“It was a terrific day that day. After that game Canterbury actually came up with about another seven new Kiwis and they toured Great Britain and France in ’93,” said Endacott.

The Show Grounds earned a new nickname during this time – dubbed “the killing fields”.

“I got told by players when I went up to coach the Warriors, the Auckland players used to say ‘oh, we used to hate coming down there’,” says Endacott.

In 2025, 13 years after it was so generously given up by Canterbury Rugby League, the ground has fallen foul of locals as well.

In its current state, the stadium will not be mourned when Te Kaha opens. A short-term fix has become a long-term frustration for Canterbury’s sports fans. It is an uncomfortable place to watch either code, with cramped scaffolded seating exposed to the elements.

But for all its recent drawbacks, this ground and its rich history will be missed.

“That park means a lot to a lot of rugby league folk. I can tell you that there’s even players’ ashes spread on that park over the years. That’s what it means,” says Endacott.

The next chapter for the park is yet to be written – but a rapidly encroaching retirement village looks like an early favourite to make use of a ground that helped grow a game.

“The heart and soul of rugby league is at that park and it will never be forgotten,” says Endacott.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission