1. CARISBROOK
P77, W46, L31
The OG. The House of Pain. Hosted the Highlanders’ historic first game in 1996 — a 57-17 win over the Reds — and took its final bow with a 21-14 loss to the Force in 2011. Gone but not forgotten.
2. NEWLANDS
P12, W5, L7
A temple of South African rugby in Cape Town. Home of the Stormers. The Highlanders won their first three games there (1996, 1998 and the 1999 semifinal) but ended with a five-game losing streak.
3. LOFTUS VERSFELD
P12, W5, D1, L6
Intimidating home of the Bulls in Pretoria.
4. GROWERS STADIUM
P1, L1
Eh? Yep, for whatever reason, the Highlanders played the Blues at the Pukekohe ground in the debut season of Super Rugby.
5. RUGBY PARK
P23, W16, D1, L6
And who says there is no good reason to go to Invercargill? The Highlanders lost their first three games down south but then the park became an absolute fortress. Rugby Park has only hosted one game in the past seven seasons.
6. SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM
P16, W5, L11
Refers both to the old ground and the rebuilt Allianz Stadium. The Highlanders’ most famous win there was the 35-17 semifinal triumph in 2015.
7. LANCASTER PARK
P10, W2, L8
Old, cold and the Highlanders usually lost there — and plenty of Landers fans copped a spray from Crusaders jerks. But Lancaster Park (then Jade Stadium then AMI Stadium) was a special place. RIP.
8. CANBERRA STADIUM
P17, W6, L11
The old Bruce Stadium, now GIO Stadium. Home of the Brumbies.
9. KINGS PARK
P11, W3, L8
Remember when the Highlanders got to experience the challenge of South Africa? Sigh. Kings Park, in Durban, was where the Natal Sharks stalked their prey.
10. ELLIS PARK
P10, W2, L8
The home of South African rugby in Johannesburg. Its Super Rugby team was Transvaal then the Gauteng Lions then the Lions then the Cats.
11. BALLYMORE
P5, W2, L3
The old home of the Queensland Reds.
12. ATHLETIC PARK
P2, L2
The old, cold home of the Hurricanes.
13. OWEN DELANY PARK
P1, W1
Few remember the Highlanders beat the Chiefs in Taupo in 1997.
14. EDEN PARK
P23, W5, L18
A real house of pain for the Highlanders and Otago over the years. Though the Highlanders won back-to-back games there in 2017-18, and Otago put Auckland to the sword last year.
15. ROTORUA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM
P2, W1, L1
Such a fancy name. The Highlanders beat the Chiefs there in 1999 but got thumped 50-19 in 2001.
16. PUMA STADIUM
P1, W1
Not in Argentina but in Witbank, about 100km east of Pretoria. The Highlanders beat the Bulls 42-40 there in 2000.
17. MCLEAN PARK
P2, L2
The Highlanders made unsuccessful visits to Napier in 2001 and 2015.
18. WAIKATO STADIUM
P17, W7, L10
The Hamilton ground was rated by many as the best pure rugby venue in New Zealand until Dunedin built a covered stadium.
19. YARROW STADIUM
P1, L1
New Plymouth, if you were wondering.
20. CAKE TIN
P17, W6, L11
WestpacTrust Stadium, Westpac Stadium, Sky Stadium, now Hnry Stadium without an E — the Wellington ground of many names. The Highlanders won five straight there from 2011 to 2015 (the glorious final). But, er, they are now on a nine-game losing streak in the capital.
21. FREE STATE STADIUM
P6, W6
Yes, the Highlanders loved playing the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
22. WILLOWS SPORTS COMPLEX
P1, L1
Mean anything to you? The low-key former home of the North Queensland Cowboys was in Townsville, where the Highlanders played the Reds in 2006.
23. SUBIACO OVAL
P2, W1, L1
The Highlanders played the Force twice at the old Aussie Rules ground.
24. QUEENSTOWN EVENTS CENTRE
P3, L3
Lovely spot at Frankton. Results, not so much.
25. SUNCORP STADIUM
P9, W2, L7
The new home of the Queensland Reds.
26. ARENA MANAWATU
P1, W1
That rather unusual day in 2009 when the Highlanders played a ‘‘home’’ game in Palmerston North and thumped the Bulls, who would go on to win the title.
27. BAYPARK STADIUM
P1, L1
Mount Maunganui is basically the home of cricket now but the Highlanders played the Chiefs there in 2010.
28. AAMI PARK
P9, W2, L7
The Highlanders finished with six consecutive losses in Melbourne, including two in both 2022 and 2024, thanks to Super Round.
29. TRAFALGAR PARK
P1, W1
Victory over the Crusaders in Nelson in the post-earthquake 2011 season.
30. FORSYTH BARR STADIUM
P98, W56, D2, L40
Welcome home. The Highlanders had easily the best New Zealand stadium in Super Rugby for 14 years. Their record winning run at the Glasshouse is 13 games from 2017 to 2019. Stats do not include the game against the Crusaders in 2019 in which the teams shared the points but did not play due to the mosque shootings. That should, if my calculations are correct, mean the first home game in 2027 is the 100th Highlanders game at the stadium.
31. TEMPORARY STADIUM
P15, W2, L13
The hastily constructed stadium in Christchurch lasted a lot longer than expected. AMI Stadium, Orangetheory Stadium, Apollo Projects Stadium — Highlanders fans never really enjoyed going there.
32. NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM
P2, W1, L1
The Highlanders played the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in 2013 and 2016.
33. PERTH STADIUM
P6, W3, L3
It was nib Stadium when the Highlanders played the Force there in 2013, and it is now HBF Park.
34. JOSE AMALFITANI STADIUM
P1, W1
Another one-and-done stadium for the Highlanders, who beat the Jaguares in Buenos Aires in 2016.
35. ANZ STADIUM
P2, W1, L1
Any guesses? This is in Suva, where the Highlanders played the Chiefs — yes, the Chiefs — in 2018 and the Drua in 2022.
36. PRINCE CHICHIBU MEMORIAL STADIUM
P1, W1
The Highlanders thumped the Sunwolves 52-0 in Tokyo in 2019.
37. LEICHHARDT OVAL
P1, W1
Nobody saw this coming. The Highlanders were supposed to play the Rebels in Queenstown in 2021 but Covid issues in Melbourne meant the Australians could not leave the country. Instead, the game was played at the famous rugby league ground.
38. QUEENSTOWN RECREATION GROUND
P1, L1
More Covid. The game against the Chiefs was played in a bubble at the home of the Wakatipu club in 2022.
39. NORTH HARBOUR STADIUM
P3, W2, L1
The Highlanders played the Blues behind Covid-closed doors in 2022 before playing Moana Pasifika at Albany in 2025 and just recently — when the power went out.
40. MOUNT SMART
P1, W1
Up the Wahs! In this case, it was the Landers v Moana in 2023.
41. TEUFAIVA STADIUM
P1, W1
A clash with Moana in Nuku’alofa was a highlight of the 2024 season.
42. ONE NEW ZEALAND STADIUM
P1, W1
The new place in Christchurch looks decent.
