Photo Credit: ICC
Details of the BLACKCAPS’ whistle-stop tour of New Zealand to celebrate their ICC World Test Championship title win are falling into place, with all-weather venues now finalised throughout the country.
Members of the public, including children, will have the chance to be photographed with the iconic “Mace” trophy and selected BLACKCAPS, as well as collect posters and signatures when the tour begins on Monday morning (July 26) in Whangarei.
The tour will make its first stop at Whangarei’s Cobham Oval before moving on to Auckland’s Eden Park next Tuesday (July 27), after which it will visit Tauranga Intermediate School and Hamilton’s Centre Place shopping mall on the Wednesday (July 28).
Then it will be the turn of Taranaki and Manawatu fans to participate in the festivities on Thursday (July 29) – first, at the New Plymouth Golf Club and then at Palmerston North’s Fitzherbert Park.
The Mace tour will stop at Te Papa in Wellington on Friday (July 30) and then make a short flight that evening to Christchurch where, on Saturday (July 31), it will be on display at the Christchurch Town Hall.
The last day (Sunday, August 1) of the Goodbye Pork Pie-type road-trip will see the Mace presented to the Dunedin public at Forsyth Barr Stadium ahead of the final run to Invercargill – where the tour will end at Stadium Southland.
Further details, including media opportunities during the tour, specific BLACKCAPS expected at each venue, and medal presentations for those BLACKCAPS who participated in the ICC WTC but were not present for the final in England, will be advised later this week.
Please find below confirmed dates, cities, venues and times.
| DATE | TIME | ACTIVITY | LOCATION | CITY |
| Mon 26 July | 10-11.30am | Fan activity | Cobham Oval | Whangarei |
| Tue 27 July | 11.30am-1.30pm | Fan activity | Eden Park | Auckland |
| Wed 28 July | 9-10.30am | Fan activity | Tauranga Intermediate School | Tauranga |
| 2.30-3.30pm | Fan activity | Centre Place shopping mall | Hamilton | |
| Thu 29 July | 8-9.30am | Fan activity | New Plymouth Golf Club | New Plymouth |
| 3-4.30pm | Fan activity | Fitzherbert Park | Palmerston North | |
| Fri 30 July | 7.30-9am | Fan activity | Te Papa | Wellington |
| Sat 31 July | 1-3pm | Fan activity | Town Hall | Christchurch |
| Sun 01 August | 9-10.30am | Fan activity | Forsyth Barr Stadium | Dunedin |
| 3-4.30pm | Fan activity | Stadium Southland | Invercargill |
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
