Canterbury council to pay $60k for pro rugby team base

Otago Daily Times

6 days ago

HAVE YOUR SAY: Should the council have tipped in $60,000 to upgrade this fi eld at the western end of Lincoln University for Matatū women's Super Rugby team. Email your opinion in 200 words or less to [e-mail]
The Selwyn District Council is paying $60,000 to upgrade a sports ground for the South Island's Super Rugby women's team Matatū.
The team is based at Lincoln University and needs a better ground.
The district council says it is a win-win deal. In return for the $60,000, community and sports organisations will be able to use the field.
Matatū will help with the Girls on the Go holiday programme, council chief executive Sharon Mason said.
Matatū has been based at the university since it was founded in 2021.
The ground which will be upgraded is at the western end of the university, close to the intersection of Ellesmere Junction and Weedons Rds.
The deal is part of an agreement between the district council, the university and Matatū signed in May.
'This relationship reflects council's commitment to strategic investment and collaboration that delivers tangible benefits for our community,' Mason said.
She said the district council has identified a growing need for increased access to sports fields in Lincoln.
'Compared to the cost of purchasing land or constructing a new facility, this partnership offers a highly cost-effective solution that delivers immediate community benefit.'
The university will manage the upgrade and ongoing upkeep. New Zealand Cricket, which operates its High Performance Centre at Lincoln University, will assist in the remediation work.
Matatū general manager Sarah Munro said many players and staff live in Selwyn.
'We are incredibly grateful for the support of Selwyn District Council to support this field upgrade to provide a much-needed space for women and girls to continue to train at a professional level, as well as provide an opportunity for wider rugby community usage.'
Mason said the $60,000 was left over from the parks and reserves budget.
Remediation includes spraying off the existing surface, cultivating the soil and breaking up the surface, grading it, preparing and installing seed and starter fertiliser and installing new sprinklers.
The partnership between the university and the council has included students doing internships at the council, and district council staff giving lectures at the university on resource planning, management and leadership.
University staff have also given advice on district council projects.