After years of debate, Dunedin's new $200 million stadium has been officially opened.
About 300 people attended a dawn ceremony on Friday which included a blessing by local iwi Ngai Tahu.
Prime Minister John Key opened the venue alongside the mayor and the project's main backers.
[image:2664:full]The stadium has divided Dunedin residents for the past five years and created an ongoing debt crisis for the council.
But the 30,000-seat ground, completed less than a month before the Rugby World Cup begins, is now winning plaudits for its transparent plastic roof and intimate atmosphere.
Mayor Dave Cull says the community must put away wrangling over the stadium's cost and embrace the possibilities the covered stadium will create.
Students christen ground
Students at the first match held the stadium say it is much better than they expected.
The traditional rugby game between two of Otago University's oldest colleges, Knox and Selwyn, was held on Friday to christen the turf and test the facilities.
Students at the match said they did not expect to have such a good feeling and vowed to return.
The captain of the Knox College team, Scott Archer, says the facilities are impressive and the team felt the atmosphere created by the closeness of the crowd.
Mr Archer says it was a great privilege to be the first to play on the new pitch.
