The University of Waikato Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre has officially turned one and in its first year has become a thriving hub of community connection, competition and recreation in central Tauranga
From grassroots community sport and school-age tournaments to regional and national events, the venue has cemented itself in Tauranga's sport and recreation landscape – expanding access to much-needed court space and creating new opportunities for clubs, community groups and sporting organisations.
Haumaru will be celebrating its first birthday this week with a free Community Fun Day. The event will be held from 10am–2pm on Saturday 23 May and there will be have-a-go sports sessions, games and activities, prizes, food trucks, and plenty of fun for all ages.
Haumaru opened in May last year after Tauranga City Council purchased the former Warehouse site on Cameron Road and transformed it in 18 months into a multi-purpose sport and recreation centre with four indoor courts and plenty of parking. The project was nationally recognised at the Recreation Aotearoa Awards last year.
The venue, which is managed by Bay Venues on behalf of Tauranga City Council, has quickly become home to a wide range of community sports, including basketball, volleyball, pickleball, badminton, netball, and more.
Haumaru has also already played a key part in the city hosting several significant regional sports tournaments as well as national events such as the Zespri AIMS Games, HoopNation, Mel Young Easter Classic, and Basketball NZ U20 Nationals.
The multi-use indoor venue accommodates everything from casual sports sessions through to competitive leagues. The space is used daily for community sport, casual bookings and court hire, as well as recreational activities for local schools and the wider community. This includes Tumble Time play sessions for preschoolers and their parents during weekdays.
The University of Waikato has also used the space for teaching its Health, Sport and Human Performance programme, and hosting sport activations for its students.
“It’s fantastic to see Haumaru delivering on the vision for this space – a multi-purpose, accessible facility where people of all ages and abilities can come together to be active, connect and compete,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.
“Haumaru is a great example of meeting a community need in a cost-efficient way by repurposing an existing building, while also contributing to the wider transformation of Tauranga city centre, as we work to make it an even better place for people to live, learn, work and play.”
Paul Dunphy, General Manager of Community Facilities at Bay Venues, says Haumaru has made a huge positive impact on Tauranga’s sport and recreation scene in its first year and he is looking forward to that continuing for many more years to come.
“The University of Waikato Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre is the city’s first new community indoor sports facility in over a decade and this Council development has already enabled an increase of thousands of hours of more court bookings in its first year,” Paul says.
Regular users say the venue, which is located at 483 Cameron Road, has allowed them to grow their respective sports thanks to the availability of more courts in Tauranga.
Bob Smith from the Mount Pickleball Club says Haumaru has been a “fantastic addition” and has opened up 13 courts for more pickleball to be played.
The club meets at Haumaru on Mondays and Fridays and Bob says Haumaru is a quality venue in a good location. He says pickleball continues to grow in Tauranga and is keen to utilise more courts any chance they get.
Tauranga City Basketball Association General Manager Mark Rogers says the opening of the venue has been positive for the organisation and its members.
He says the “excellent” venue has meant they have more courts to play on and the location has eased transport issues for parents.
“Haumaru has enabled us to host more games and grow our local competitions,” Mark says.
“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from our members. It is a great community sport facility,” he says.
Both Tauranga City Basketball and Mount Pickleball Club will have fun activations at Haumaru’s community birthday party on Saturday.
Haumaru naming rights partner, the University of Waikato, says it has been great to see the positive impact the facility has had in the past year, as aligned with its partnership with Bay Venues to support the activation and growth of Tauranga’s sports and fitness venues.
“We are proud to be part of the Bay of Plenty region and to support a facility that provides a positive connection point for our community,” says Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Alister Jones.
“Our students and staff look forward to joining the celebration this weekend where they will bring learning and competition together with a series of fitness challenges for the public,” says Professor Jones.
For more information about this weekend’s Haumaru Community Fun Day, visit: https://www.bayactive.co.nz/what-s-on/haumaru-birthday-celebrations-community-fun-day
Some of the significant events hosted at the University of Waikato Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre in its first year:
- Basketball NZ U20 Nationals: May/June 2025.
- Western BOP Senior Badminton Qualifier: June 2025.
- Zespri AIMS Games Futsal competition: September 2025.
- HoopNation’s The Classic: October 2025.
- Volleyball BOP Junior Secondary School Champs: October/November 2025.
- Volleyball BOP Senior Secondary School Champs: February/March 2026.
- Mel Young Easter Classic: April 2026.