Owen Delany Park

Story

Owen Delany Park is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Taupo, New Zealand. The main sports are Rugby and Cricket though, several other sports are accommodated on a permanent basis with numerous other events on an oneoff basis.HistoryThe park is named for Owen Delany who was a dominant figure of the Taupo sporting scene since 1953 when he formed the United Wanderers Cricket Club. In 1954 he reformed the Taupo Rugby Football club. Taupo Borough Council named the new sports ground Owen Delany Park in recognition of the time and effort Owen put into the establishment of the park and also his involvement in numerous other sports in Taupo over the previous thirty years.GroundThe park itself covers several hectares of land on the North-eastern outskirts of Taupo. The main stadium contains a partially covered grandstand with 90 percent of the remaining perimeter formed as a raised grass embankment. The playing surface contains a Rugby field with a cricket pitch in the centre and a grass Athletics track forming the boundary. A further two levels of grass surface provide up to five alternate rugby fields and three artificial cricket pitches.There is also an indoor stadium which houses a Gymnastics facility, an outdoor bitumen Velodrome and outdoor Netball courts, there is also a Dog obedience facility and numerous sports club buildings within the confines of the park.