Newlands Stadium

Springboks, Stormers, Western Province

Rugby Union World Cup 1995 Tri Nations

Newlands Stadium is a stadium in the South African city of Cape Town, which is mainly used for rugby matches. It holds 51,100 spectators and is the home of the Stormers in the Super 14 and serves the South African national team ( " Springboks " ) as the venue for some games in the Tri Nations. The opening match of the Rugby Union World Cup in 1995 also took place here. By the end of the 2004/05 season, the football team Ajax Cape Town played regularly in the Newlands Stadium but it has now moved to the Athlone Stadium.

The Western Province Rugby Football Union and purchased in 1888 the land on which today's Newlands Stadium stands. On 31 May 1890, the first match was played, a total of 2,400 people attended. The following year, the first rugby match was played at Newlands, as the South African national team met the British and Irish Lions. 1919, the first bleachers were built, which were expanded continuously until the 1940s. In the 1950s, the infrastructure has been extended, such as elevators and several lounges were created. When the South African Rugby union in the 1970s moved its headquarters to Cape Town, many parts of the stadium were renovated and built other function rooms.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the entire stadium was expanded and modernized with regard to the Rugby Union World Cup in 1995 again. On May 25 of the year the opening match of the World Cup between hosts South Africa and Australia was played here. In the wake of the World Cup, the name of the stadium changed constantly due to sponsors. First, it was Norwich Park Newlands, then Fedsure Park Newlands and was later to Newlands. 2005 Vodacom bought the rights to the stadium name, but Reserve left him by his original name.

The future of the stadium seems uncertain, as currently built Cape Town Stadium in big competition is to him. Among other eight matches of the Football World Cup 2010 will be played in Green Point. According to rumors, the Newlands will be sold by its owner to move some games of the South African national team, and the games of the Stormers in the new Green Point Stadium.

Aerial View