One of the most recognisable stadium names in any sport is under threat after it was reported today that the owners of Eden Park in Auckland have engaged consultants in London and Melbourne to establish the worth of the ground’s naming rights ahead of the 2011 rugby union World Cup.

Cricket has been played at Eden Park since 1910 and rugby since 1925 and it has regularly been used for international matches in both sports, using a removable wicket, but there are fears that when the ground plays host to the opening match of the 2011 World Cup it will be under a different name.

The ground is being redeveloped and upgraded to a capacity of 60,000, from 47,500, to meet the conditions for staging the tournament but Adam Feeley, the chief executive of the development project, confirmed yesterday that there is a shortfall of £4.6 million on the budget and that consultants were looking into various commercial opportunities, including selling the naming rights to the stadium, to make up the money.

The development has been hit by rising steel prices, which have almost trebled since the start of the project, and construction problems with the foundations for a new stand. “Every time we needed to strike rock to build foundations on, it wasn’t there,” Feeley said. “Then every time we needed rock not to be there, it was.”

He added that the financial climate meant that a few frills had to be cut back in the stadium’s design. “We don’t have any spare money left over to spend on extras,” Feeley said. “It’s a fine line between the poshest carpet and expensive finish in bar and lounge areas. You can blow a budget in that area pretty quickly. The project certainly won’t be lavish but we will get good value for money.”

The designers have already scrapped plans for a new transport hub at Eden Park, which will have an impact on matchday traffic.