Squash stars to be the main act on theatre stage
A glass squash court will take over the main stage at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal when the New Zealand Squash Open comes to the South Island for the first time.
The venue is locked in to host top squash players at the 2025 event.
“It’s going to be amazing to have the world’s best squash athletes on court in the beautiful Isaac Theatre Royal,” Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa chief executive Martin Dowson said.
“We know South Islanders love their sport, and we expect international fans as well as fans from around the country to attend, so we’re looking forward to fantastic crowds and great competition.”
Christchurch is planned to host the event back-to-back in 2026, too.
The tournament will be part of the New Zealand Festival of Squash, which will see the New Zealand Junior Open held at the Christchurch Club in conjunction with the elite event.
New Zealand world No 2 player Paul Coll, hailing from the West Coast, said he “wouldn’t be surprised if the whole of Greymouth travels over” for the “entertaining event”.
Coll went to school in Christchurch, and said the first elite squash event in the South Island would be a homecoming of sorts. He recently pulled off an epic comeback to win the Optasia Championship over world No 1-ranked player Ali Farag this month.
“It’s pretty awesome to get to play a top competition at home in front of friends and family,” he said.
Athletes from around the globe are expected alongside the best Kiwi players.
An estimated 90,000 people in New Zealand play or try squash each year.
The competition was launched in the mid-1970s, and has been reinstated in recent years. Tauranga hosted the event in 2022 and 2023, and the latest edition contributed more than 4000 visitor nights and a gross benefit of $1.4 million to the local economy, Squash Events Canterbury said.
“It will be the first time the New Zealand Squash Open has ever been held in the South Island, and we’re looking forward to showcasing the top level of squash to the community there,” Dowson said.
ChristchurchNZ head of major events Karena Finnie said she was “delighted” that the city would host the event.
“Ōtautahi is a sporting city through and through, so to be celebrating squash in Christchurch, at one of the city’s most iconic venues, is really exciting,”
The event will be run by Squash Events Canterbury and is a joint venture with the Professional Squash Association – the governing body helping to fund the event, with support from Sport New Zealand.
The Isaac Theatre Royal will be decked out with a glass court on stage, allowing fans a spectacular view when the event is held from March 4-9, 2025.