Blair Christiansen, turf manager at Eden Park, inside the ground-staff man cave, which is packed with sporting memorabilia, under the stands of Eden Park, Auckland.
It's Eden Park's best kept secret and every man's dream.
Hidden beneath the stadium's South Stand is the ultimate man cave, frequented by international sport stars and kitted out with signed sports memorabilia, couches, a big screen and Barry the beer fridge.
During work hours, the man cave is usedby the grounds staff as a staffroom, office and ideas factory – with a kitchen and two work spaces attached to the main area.
It was here that ideas were born, including transforming the hallowed turf into a nine-hole golf course for eight days last year and outsourcing the turf team's expertise to other facilities, such as Mt Smart after Adele's three shows.
But after a hard day's graft, the man cave transforms into a place for the groundsmen and other Eden Park staff to kick back and have a beer on the couches, while watching the sports channel or dabbling in a game of darts.
The man cave, also called the Ideas Factory, has a big screen, couches, darts board and impressive collection of signed sports memorabilia. Photo/Brett Phibbs
Turf manager and self-proclaimed champion of the man cave darts competition, Blair Christiansen, said the room is a relaxing space where everyone feels comfortable.
"It has a good dart board, which I really like. It has a good TV, which I really like. [There are] replays going of sport all over the place, throughout the day.
"It's a place where even the teams, any code, can knock on the door, come in, talk about what's coming up - relative to their use of the field in particular. So whether it be the Black Caps, All Blacks, Aces, Welsh rugby team, South African cricket team, [or] Pakistan cricket team [who came in] last week – they're all really comfortable in this space and we're happy to have them here."
Players who have visited the man cave included All Black Jerome Kaino, former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum and current captain Kane Williamson, and rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston.
A collection of signed jerseys in the man cave. Photo/Brett Phibbs
The space has acquired an impressive collection of jerseys, caps, balls and posters signed by teams including the Black Caps, and Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa's cricket teams.
"Every ... second week there might be some sort of addition or some sort of update. New couches wouldn't go astray - I think they've been here for about 12 years," said Christiansen, sitting next to a couch covered in ripped Export Gold beer upholstery.
The groundsmen's hard work was also displayed on the walls in the form of photos of Eden Park's turf in its prime.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said the space "provides a nurturing and informal environment for ideas to flow and as a result Eden Park has seen the creation of new initiatives and revenue streams".
