FEATURE

Positive Result From Hamilton's Fifa U-20 Involvement

By Hamilton City Council

Hamilton's involvement in this year's FIFA U-20 World Cup has been a big success for the city, coming in under budget and with some of the best tournament crowds in the country.

A staff report presented at today's Hamilton City Council meeting summarised the city's role in the tournament, which included eight matches across five game days at Waikato Stadium. The matches took place in May and June, and featured three of the four eventual semi-finalists – Brazil, Senegal and Mali.
More than 41,000 people attended the matches in Hamilton, with two particular match days – the first pool game double-header, and the New Zealand vs Portugal match – drawing more than 10,000 people to Waikato Stadium. Hamilton’s average match day attendance was third of all host cities, behind Auckland and Wellington but ahead of Christchurch and Dunedin.

Mayor Hardaker says Hamilton's role in the tournament was boosted by hosting the home team in a Round of 16 fixture against Portugal - the first time a New Zealand men's team progressed to a knock-out phase of a FIFA tournament.

"Having the Junior All Whites in town was one of the highlights of our part in this event – we enjoyed some fantastic media coverage and I think it's fair to say it was the most significant football match Hamilton has ever hosted." Says Mayor Hardaker.

"We had the third highest average crowd number for any of the tournament's host cities and I think that's a great reflection of the effort our staff and stakeholders who put in to getting the people of Hamilton on-board," Mayor Hardaker says.


Photo courtesy of Hamilton City Council

"A big thank you to the H15 group of businesses who played a part in the tournament, and their dollar-for-dollar financial contribution was vital to our hosting the matches.

Hamilton's football community also benefits long-term from the city's role in the tournament, with sand-based playing surfaces developed at Gower Park and Porritt Park.