Eden Park beckons for Parker
Nelson’s Leah Parker is about to experience a different kind of test match fever as her event management skills go under the high ball at New Zealand’s home of rugby.
Parker recently won an Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) scholarship to work alongside Eden Park’s operations manager Keith Parker and his team to deliver the All Blacks June 9 test match against France.
As part of the scholarship Parker will be involved with a variety of roles in the preparation and staging of the test, including, catering services, security, operations, maintenance, grounds team and health and safety.
She will also be invited to all match briefings, meetings and evaluations with New Zealand Rugby.
EVANZ is the peak body representing the venue industry in New Zealand with a membership of 120 venues nationally.
Parker currently works as the bookings and programmes coordinator at Nelson Community Venues which oversee Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre and Stadium.
‘‘I am excited to be selected for this wonderful opportunity to learn from the Eden Park operations team, this will be a valuable experience to draw from as I grow in my role here at Nelson Community Venues,’’ she said.
Community Leisure Management (CLM) partnered with Nelson City Council in 2017 to manage Nelson Community Venues, which includes the Trafalgar Centre.
CLM chief executive Craig Carter was thrilled with Parker’s selection, highlighting the numerous benefits from attending the match.
‘‘At CLM we are very proud of Leah and work she is doing across Nelson’s venues and believe the scholarship will only enhance Leah’s skill set, which will further benefit the Nelson community in the long run.’’
Located in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland, Eden Park is New Zealand’s largest stadium.
It has played host to some of New Zealand’s proudest sporting moments, including the 1950 Empire Games, inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup and 1992 Cricket World Cup.
More recently, the venue hosted the semi-finals and the final of Rugby World Cup 2011, won by the All Blacks, and was named co-host for Cricket World Cup 2015.