Rugby Southland is spending more than $40,000 to re-level and re-seed Fields 1 and 2 at ILT Centrepoint Oreti Park in Invercargill, the union said in a statement on Tuesday 10 November.

The work is being done by Southland company Ryal Bush. Rugby Southland said it was pleased to be giving the contract to a local business.

The union said the upgrade would improve the condition of the two fields so they could keep coping with the load placed on them by community rugby across the region.

It is the latest in a run of spending at the park. More than $100,000 has gone into replacing the floodlights on Les George Oval, the park's main ground, with LED lighting.

A further $50,000 paid for new goalposts, post pads and fencing at the oval, along with a new LED digital scoreboard.

Rugby Park, Invercargill, seen from the air in an undated Whites Aviation photograph. Oreti Park, where the field work is taking place, is a separate Rugby Southland ground. File photo. Photo: Whites Aviation / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Rugby Park, Invercargill, seen from the air in an undated Whites Aviation photograph. Oreti Park, where the field work is taking place, is a separate Rugby Southland ground. File photo. Photo: Whites Aviation / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Fields 5 and 6 at Oreti Park were re-seeded two years ago. Rugby Southland said those two surfaces had since become good fields with regular upkeep.

The union put the value of its recent projects at the park at more than $180,000.

Rugby Southland groundsman Pete Domigan said he expected the same result on the fields now being worked on.

"With Fields 5 and 6 being re-sown two years ago, and regular maintenance since, they are now great fields. Come next season, Fields 1 and 2 will be like billiard tables," Mr Domigan said in the statement.

Oreti Park has seven full-sized rugby fields. Between five and eight more junior fields are being developed for the 2027 season, the union said.

Junior, senior and representative teams all play at the park, and Rugby Southland said thousands of players, coaches, volunteers and supporters use it each season.

A grass rugby ground in Auckland. Rugby Southland says re-levelled and re-seeded surfaces at Oreti Park will help fixtures go ahead through Southland winters. File photo. Photo: Jorge Royan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A grass rugby ground in Auckland. Rugby Southland says re-levelled and re-seeded surfaces at Oreti Park will help fixtures go ahead through Southland winters. File photo. Photo: Jorge Royan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The grounds are also used by other codes when wet weather closes club fields. In 2026 Rugby Southland invited Football Southland to use Oreti Park, and football teams played there through their community season when space allowed.

Ryal Bush project manager Nick Webb said the park mattered to the whole province.

"It's a key asset to the Southland community. It's there when we need it, and I think every person in Southland who plays rugby has benefited from Oreti Park," Mr Webb said.

"Being able to deliver these improvements for the community is a big thing for us," he said.

What happens next

Mr Domigan expects Fields 1 and 2 to be ready for play next season.

Rugby Southland said one of its longer-term goals was to look at installing lights on two more fields at Oreti Park, which would let clubs, schools and representative teams train and play in the evenings and ease time pressure on volunteers.

Rugby Southland's office is at 120A Leet Street, Invercargill, and can be reached on (03) 216 8694.