Arena Manawatu is the current name of the 18-hectare publicly-owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city centre in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand.
It has three linked indoor stadiums, with movable tiered seating. Outdoor facilities include football fields and an athletic track with grandstand.
It claims to handle around 8,000 bookings per year, regularly catering for 36 different sporting codes in addition to annual or other infrequent events such as the "A & P Show" and festivals.
Recent events gaining international coverage included the second netball test between New Zealand and Australia in the winter of 2004.
External links
Official website (http://www.arenamanawatu.co.nz/)
Manawatu is, along with Taranaki, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay, Poverty Bay, East Coast, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wairarapa Bush and Wellington, in the Hurricanes Super 14 catchment area.
Manawatu Rugby Union was founded in 1886 and is one of New Zealand's oldest rugby unions.
Manawatu is only marginally more battle hardened than the Swamp Foxes, who have had 16 players making their NPC debuts this year.
Clare's injury, meanwhile, is a blow for Manawatu because he's the most consistent ball striker, and although he has come into the reserves, his abdominal injury means he can't sprint and will only play as a last resort.
Manawatu has six changes from the team which started at Blenheim and while something needed to be done after that debacle, the changes don't help with cohesion and consistency.
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