One New Zealand Stadium - Changing Rooms, Warm-Up Areas & Player Tunnels

One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is much more than a sporting venue. Positioned at the heart of Christchurch's regeneration, the stadium represents the resilience, ambition and optimism of a city rebuilding for the future. Developed as a fully enclosed, world-class arena, it provides a permanent home for major sporting events, entertainment experiences and community gatherings while reconnecting Christchurch with a rich sporting legacy.

The name Te Kaha, gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri, translates to "the strength", reflecting both the enduring spirit of Canterbury and the role the stadium plays in the city's ongoing story. While the public experience centres around the atmosphere of a packed stadium, equal attention has been given to the spaces beyond the spotlight.

For professional athletes, performance begins long before they step onto the field. The journey from changing room to warm-up area and ultimately through the players' tunnel is an important part of match preparation. These environments needed to deliver a sense of confidence, comfort and durability while supporting the operational demands of a venue designed to host elite sport for generations to come.

Behind the stadium's impressive architecture sits a network of athlete-focused spaces designed to support preparation, performance and recovery. The changing facilities, warm-up zones and player circulation areas experience constant use from professional athletes, coaching staff and venue personnel, often under demanding conditions.

The design intent was to create environments that felt robust and purposeful without losing sight of user wellbeing. Material selections throughout these spaces needed to be highly durable while contributing to a positive athlete experience.

Flooring was a particularly important consideration. Hard surfaces can create unnecessary fatigue during periods of standing, stretching and preparation, while inadequate slip resistance can introduce safety risks in areas frequently exposed to moisture and heavy use. The flooring solution therefore needed to balance comfort, safety and long-term performance while complementing the stadium's broader vision of delivering a premium sporting environment.

Advance Flooring supplied 1,300m² of Neoflex Reco Series recycled rubber flooring in RS100, RS130 and RXL306 finishes, helping create a practical and resilient foundation for some of the venue's most heavily used operational spaces.

Neoflex recycled rubber flooring was selected for its ability to perform in demanding sporting environments where durability, safety and athlete comfort are all critical requirements.

Unlike traditional hard surface flooring, rubber flooring offers natural resilience and energy absorption. This creates a more forgiving surface underfoot, helping to reduce fatigue during warm-up activities and extended periods of standing. For athletes preparing for competition, these subtle performance benefits contribute to a more comfortable and supportive environment.

Slip resistance was another significant advantage. Changing rooms and player tunnels regularly encounter moisture from wet footwear, adverse weather conditions and post-match activity. The textured rubber surface provides reliable traction, helping players and staff move confidently through these spaces regardless of conditions.

The product's durability also made it particularly well suited to the project. Areas such as player tunnels and changing facilities experience concentrated wear from high foot traffic and studded footwear. Neoflex's robust construction enables it to withstand these demands while maintaining both appearance and performance over time.

Advance Flooring supplied the flooring package in partnership with The Flooring Warehouse, who completed the installation as subcontractor to BESIX Watpac. Close coordination across the project team ensured all flooring was delivered and installed on programme ahead of the stadium opening in April 2026.

Sustainability was an additional consideration. Manufactured using recycled rubber content, the Reco Series aligns with contemporary environmental objectives by repurposing material that might otherwise enter landfill and transforming it into a long-lasting, high-performing flooring solution.

Today, the flooring quietly supports thousands of athlete movements every year, from pre-match preparation through to the final walk back to the changing rooms after full time.

The completed installation delivers a safe, durable and comfortable surface throughout the stadium's key athlete environments, contributing to both player wellbeing and day-to-day operational performance. While spectators may never see these spaces, they form an essential part of the overall venue experience and play a significant role in supporting elite sporting performance.

As Christchurch's new home of sport establishes itself as a premier destination for national and international events, the flooring systems installed throughout these athlete areas will continue to provide long-term value through durability, low maintenance requirements and dependable performance.

In a venue built to embody strength, resilience and endurance, the flooring solution reflects those same qualities, providing a dependable foundation for countless athletes as they prepare to perform on one of New Zealand's biggest sporting stages.

We make flooring easy, by supplying high-performance flooring solutions that enhance athlete wellbeing, improve safety and deliver lasting value in world-class sporting environments.