Top five New Zealand sporting experiences…for the non-sports fan

Many elements ensure a high-quality experience at a sports event.

From top-level competition and unplanned drama on the pitch and a raw atmosphere in the stands, to
A great place in a great location where everything is made easy.

So when it comes to our sports-loving nation, what’s the best we have when it comes to getting off the couch and coming to the game?

It’s a question perhaps best viewed from the perspective of those who don’t necessarily like or even follow sports.

Clay Wilson ranks among the top five live sports experiences in the country for non-sports fans.

Wuuuuhn hundred andeeeightyyyy. Once a pub treat, darts and in particular the PDC roadshow has become the hottest ticket in town over the last few decades. In an environment that’s much closer to a German beer hall than a sporting event, disguise is almost mandatory. If you’re not part of the Mario Brothers or a group of Oompa Loompas, you’re probably out of place. Da-da-da-uuuuuh.

This requires full commitment. The payout? An 80 minute party and an absolute start to a big night. We all know that higher education is a priority for anyone who attends Otago University. But when a study break is needed, New Zealand’s future doctors, nurses and dentists have been known to drop their hair. Sip a Speights, watch rugby, offer up a friendly banter to the opposition and let the DJ do his thing under the Forsyth Barr umbrella. Just don’t say you weren’t warned.

Kick off those white shoes and dust off that straw hat because this event knows how to serve it up. When the sun is out, there’s no better place than No 1 Tennis Lane. On the course you’ll be treated to some of the best in the world, off the beaten path there’s no shortage of places to kick back, enjoy a drink and maybe even a basket of strawberries and cream as a summer’s day rolls by. Sounds good. Is great.

cricket harmful? Listen to me, because sport rarely gets more romantic. A sunny morning, a grassy bank and the crisp sound of leather and willow echoes pleasantly around one of the world’s premier venues for the game. Look over the edge of your newspaper, but risk putting it down. Few sports resemble a gripping novel quite like Test Cricket. Twists and turns, pauses and then bursts of action. Lazy summer days indeed.

More than just a basketball game, this is three hours of action-packed entertainment. When it comes to watching the high-flying action on the court, there’s hardly a bad seat in the house. When players cool their jets, everything is on. Livewire Breakers Gameday General Manager MC Simon Edwards is a master at driving fans into frenzy. “The GMC,” he’s literally a conductor leading his orchestra, the man who lights the “spark” at Spark Arena. Add the downtown waterfront location and you have New Zealand’s best value sports experience.