Hopuhopu Sports Pavilion Groundbreaking Ceremony

Te Whakakitenga o Waikato, the governing body of Waikato-Tainui, held its groundbreaking ceremony for the Hopuhopu Sports Pavilion on 3 April. Trust Waikato staff were privileged to attend and witness Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII ‘turn the soil’ to mark this important milestone.

Trust Waikato supported the Hopuhopu Sports Pavilion development with a $830,000 grant from our Significant Capital Projects Fund in 2021. The development will include changing rooms and ablution facilities, a referee and medical room, and a central hub for classroom-based sports training sessions and recreational events. There will also be storage capacity for the sports equipment needed to operate six sport fields and a community shop front and kitchenette for sports and community use.

The Sports Pavilion is part of a larger project, the Hopuhopu Innovation Hub, which plans to include a native nursery, maintenance building and social housing alongside the sports and recreation precinct. This hub is an integrated and holistic approach to achieving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural aspirations of Waikato-Tainui. Learn more about the Hopuhopu Innovation Hub.

The video below shows Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII turning the soil at the groundbreaking ceremony.