Cosgrove Opens New Wellington Cricket Facility

Cricket players, their coaches and supporters will benefit hugely from a new indoor cricket centre opened today in Mana, Wellington, said the Sport and Recreation Minister, Clayton Cosgrove.


At the official launch of the Wellington School of Cricket’s Mana Indoor Cricket Centre, Mr Cosgrove said the new facility is a fantastic resource.


“Wellington Cricket will use the facility to offer private coaching, specialised clinics, net hire and tailored holiday programmes. This resource will also benefit the wider community as schools and sporting clubs will be able to use it for indoor training,” Mr Cosgrove said.


“Up until now cricket players in Wellington’s northern suburbs have had to make the trek into the central city to access cricket training facilities, now there is a brand new, purpose-built facility on their door step,” Mr Cosgrove said.


The Wellington School of Cricket has had three training facilities in the region; two based in the central city and one in the Hutt Valley. This Mana facility completes a network of training facilities for the Wellington region.


“Wellingtonians are huge cricket fans. There are 21 clubs in the Wellington region with approximately 1,600 senior players and 3,500 junior players. The new Mana facility will be a great asset to these people.”


“New Zealand could not produce top international players if it were not for the large base of enthusiastic junior players , which we find plentiful in the Wellington region, and great facilities such as this which assist training, coaching and developing our future talent.” said Mr Cosgrove.


Mr Cosgrove thanked the Mana Cricket Club, the Porirua City Council and Cricket Wellington for their work on the project.


“Special recognition also needs to be given to all the mums and dads and other volunteers who helped make this project possible, and who help keep grassroots sport thriving in our communities,” said Mr Cosgrove.


Funding for the new facility has been provided by the Mana Cricket Club, Cricket Wellington and the Porirua City Council, as well as donations by charitable trusts.