John Sturgeon Park, formerly called Rugby Park, is a sports ground in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

, New Zealand. It is the home ground of the

West Coast Rugby Football Union The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in the Westland County, Hokitika Borough and Greymouth Borough districts, located in the West Coast provincial region of New Zealand, and is affil ...

, and has a capacity of 6,000, although the record attendance figure of 11,000 was set in 1959, when the West Coast-Buller combined side played the touring British Isles side. In 2018, the ground's name was changed from Rugby Park to John Sturgeon Park, in honour of former

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

manager John Sturgeon. John Sturgeon was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to sport, in particular rugby, in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours, and an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

, for services to rugby, in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours. He was also made a life member of the

New Zealand Rugby Union New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to t ...

in 2012.

References

Rugby union stadiums in New Zealand Sport in Greymouth {{WestCoastNZ-geo-stub