New Zealand's newest high performance sports centre is now officially opened for business.

A large crowd turned out for tonight's official opening ceremony of $3.5 million The University of Waikato Adams Centre of High Performance which is based at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui.

The University of Waikato Adams Centre of High Performance is now officially opened. Photos: Tracy Hardy

Among the dignitaries who attended tonight's ceremony were Olympic Chef de mission Rob Waddell, Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby and MP Simon Bridges, and University of Waikato deputy vice chancellor Alister Jones.


Olympic Chef de mission Rob Waddell.

Formerly the old Mount Maunganui Cosmopolitan Club, centre manager Justine Brennan says it's taken less than 12 month to transform the building into a world-class facility for the nation's athletes.

'The centre looks absolutely amazing. I'm so incredibly proud of the amount of effort people have out in to get the centre to where it is today,” she says.

'There's a real big buzz amongst the sporting community and the centre's instilled a real sense of pride amongst our local athletes, particularly when they've had an opportunity to show the centre off to other athletes and teams that have travelled from elsewhere.”

The $3.5m centre is a result of a collaboration between the Tauranga City Council, Bay Venues, and the facility's tertiary partner The University of Waikato.

It boasts the only environmental chamber in New Zealand which is capable of controlling heat, humidity and altitude, as well as the country's largest high performance gym in terms of floor space.

The centre boasts New Zealand's largest high performance gym.

But for Justine, her favourite aspect of the centre is its location at Blake Park.

'Everyone who comes through the door is absolutely wowed by the fact that within 10 meters of the high performance centre you're in the middle of Blake Park, Tauranga's premier sporting precinct.

'You've got access to all the fields and courts required to play almost any sport that you could possibly imagine. So that's really exciting, there's so much potential for the centre.”

The centre already has a host of high profile tenants too, which includes the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and the New Zealand Rugby Union (Sevens).

'The seven's team has really made the centre their home and I think they're really excited and proud to show it off on a national scale as well,” she adds.

There's a host of people Justine wants to thank for their efforts, including Tauranga City councillors for backing the project, and the Bay Venues board of directors, especially CEO Garry Dawson who she says originally came up with the idea for the centre and had the vision to pursue it.

'I would also like to thank the Waikato University's deputy vice chancellor Alister Jones and Jenny Robbins who've shown incredible courageousness in terms of their investment in the centre and the city.

'And Marra Construction and their team. They were so efficient and that was what really got this project turned around in such a short amount of time,” says Justine.

Members of the New Zealand women's 7's team.

Tutara Kauika Ki Rangataua performing a kapa haka during the official opening ceremony.