sport

Auckland's Lloyd Elsmore Park Hosts Fourth Annual Rangatahi Cricket Festival

Lloyd Elsmore Park in East Auckland serves as the main site for the fourth annual Rangatahi Cricket Festival this week.

By Auckland Sport Desk · Published 15 July 2026

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The fourth annual Rangatahi Cricket Festival opened this week at Lloyd Elsmore Park in East Auckland, drawing Māori, Pasifika and South Asian youth cricketers for two days of competition in the largest edition of the event to date.

The festival occurs as local organisations expand access to playing fields and training resources for secondary school athletes across Auckland. College Sport Auckland runs the annual Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards to recognise top performers, while the Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation directs funding to remove cost barriers for participants aged 14 to 21 in West Auckland.

Named Venues and Delivery Partners

Lloyd Elsmore Park provides the central playing surface and facilities for the Rangatahi event. Auckland City FC separately supplies free coaching sessions and equipment to eight schools, reaching more than 2,471 students in the current year. These programs operate alongside the Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation, which distributed scholarships to 17 athletes in 2024.

East Auckland and West Auckland sites together form part of the network that hosts both one-off festivals and ongoing school-based activity. The infrastructure includes dedicated cricket grounds at Lloyd Elsmore Park and school grounds used by Auckland City FC coaches.

Scale of Current Activity

College Sport Auckland records show the Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards have previously honoured athletes such as rower Jacob Avery and basketball player Ritorya Tamilo in 2023. The Rangatahi Cricket Festival adds a further two-day block of matches at the East Auckland venue, increasing demand on existing pitches and changing rooms.

Organisers continue to schedule events at these established locations rather than new builds. Families seeking involvement can contact College Sport Auckland or the Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation for details on upcoming sessions and scholarship rounds at the listed venues.

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