Lansdowne Park

Lansdowne Park is not defined by its capacity. When the Nelson Bays and Marlborough unions amalgamated, the stadium received a western stand that added to an existing debt for the new Tasman Rugby Union. The financial strain eventually led the Marlborough District Council to acquire the park in 2008.

It has functioned as a multi-sport hub since 2010, a transition marked by the 2017 move of Marlborough Netball from Horton Park and the subsequent completion of the Lansdowne Hub in 2022. The pavilion, designed by Arthouse Architects, provides dressing rooms and a function room. The natural grass pitch hosts the Tasman team in the National Provincial Championship (NPC).

The history is anchored in the opening match of 12 August 1930, when a visiting British touring side defeated a combined Marlborough and Nelson team 41–3. That same year saw the venue named after a sheep station in the Wairau Valley owned by Mr G.F. Watt, who had made a bequest to local rugby. The site also hosted a significant match on 3 July 1968, when Marlborough defeated France 24–19 during a New Zealand tour, an event cited by the Nelson Photo News as the first game of the tour. During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the stadium served as a training base for the Russian team.

Recent improvements focused on the surface, with over $1 million invested in 2020 to address drainage issues. The venue continues to host local clubs Harlequins and Central, maintaining its role as the central sports ground in Blenheim, New Zealand.