Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake ( MLS) (since 2008) Utah Warriors ( RSL ) (since 2011)
- MLS All -Star Game in 2009
- CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013
The Rio Tinto Stadium is a football stadium in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. In this stadium the Utah Warriors rugby team home games of the Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake and discharged. The Rio Tinto holds 20,008 spectators.
The foundation stone for the stadium took place at a grand ceremony on 12 August 2006. Also present were representatives of Real Madrid.
The first game took place on October 9, 2008 between Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls.
History
Still in its first year of Real Salt Lake, 2005, plans for this soccer -specific stadium were made and approved by the local authorities. However, the financing of this project proved to be difficult. Opponents of stadium construction were of the opinion that one should not use millions of tax dollars on a stadium, which would possibly not expect. Team owner Checketts explained that he would like to keep the team in Salt Lake City, but put an ultimatum and threatened to move the team. On the last day of the ultimatum but a financing plan was adopted but still.
On 12 August 2006, the construction of the foundation stone was laid for the stadium in the presence of teams of Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid was started.
Until the opening on October 9, 2008 Real Salt Lake played at Rice - Eccles Stadium, which is located on the campus of the University of Utah.
2009, the annual MLS All -Star Game will be held at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Naming rights
On 28 September 2008, the naming rights were sold at the stadium to the Rio Tinto Group. The mining company bought these for 15 years and pays per year between 1.5 and 2 million U.S. dollars.