Retailers appear to have dibs on naming rights with the recent rebranding of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park to Mitre 10 Park, incorporating the Hastings Pak’nSave netball centre and a soon to be constructed $1.35 million community cricket and sports centre, which will be home to Central Districts Cricket and Giants Boxing.
Construction on the L-shaped, 1500m2 complex will begin in early 2021. The cricket area will occupy one arm of the ‘L’ complete with four 60 metre bowling lanes, with Giants Boxing in the other arm of the building, and changing facilities shared between the two.
Central Districts Cricket chief executive, Pete de Wet says the building is eagerly awaited. “We moved our offices to the Park several months ago and much of our fitness training is being undertaken at the EIT Institute of Sport and Health now. We can’t wait to have the indoor Centre here as well.”
Giants Boxing manager Craig McDougall says the Centre will be the first time his organisation will have a purpose-built facility. “It will enable us to double the numbers we can mentor and train.”
Mitre 10 Park CEO, Jock Mackintosh says he was stoked to welcome two quality sporting residents to the Park. “CD Cricket has been a standout performer on the national scene and does great work at a community level too. Meanwhile, Craig is a fantastic mentor and coach to the young people under his umbrella. The ethos of both these sports align strongly with our kaupapa.”
The Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust also operates at Mitre 10 Park and chair, Sir Graeme Avery says the indoor training facility for cricket and a boxing gym are “wonderful complements” to current and planned future multi-sport facilities of the Trust.
“The current new builds by the Trust include an extension of the Pak’nSave Hastings Indoor Sports Centre, an accommodation hostel and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre Olympic and learners’ pools.”