- This article is about the rugby and football stadium. For the cricket ground, see Newlands Cricket Ground. Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African Cricket ground
Newlands Stadium is located in Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people and is an all seater venue.
Various sports clubs currently use the stadium as their home base, including:
It was previously the home to Ajax Cape Town in the Premier Soccer League up until the end of season 2004/05. The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as Vodacom Stormers, are a South African Rugby union team competing in the Super 14 The Super 14 is the largest Rugby union football club championship in the Southern hemisphere, consisting of four state teams from Australia (Queensland/Reds Western Province is a South African Rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament For the cricket competition originally known as the Currie Cup see SuperSport Series. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Ajax Cape Town is a South African Football (soccer team based in Parow, Cape Town that participates in the Premier Soccer League. Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League (NSL of South Africa, also known by its initials ( PSL) Ajax CT now play at Athlone Stadium. Athlone Stadium is a Stadium in Athlone on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, South Africa.
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History
The decision to buy the ground the stadium stands on was made by the Western Province Rugby and Football Union in 1888. Western Province is a South African Rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The first official match at Newlands took place on 31 May 1890 when Stellenbosch defeated Villagers there in front of a crowd of about 2,400 people. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Stellenbosch (ˈstɛlənbɒs is the second oldest European settlement in the Western Cape Province, South Africa after Cape Town, and is situated The following year the stadium hosted its first rugby test when the British Lions toured South Africa.
It wasn't until 1919 that the first permanent concrete stands were erected on the grounds. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Later, in 1927, the new grandstand was erected and the field layout was changed to run from North-South. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Yet more changes came in 1931 when the South stand was also enlarged. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In the 1950s parts of a new grandstand as well as South stand were completed, facilities such as lifts and a Presidential room were added, a fourth bay was added to the grandstand, and an extension was added to the lower gallery.
The 1970s saw the stadium change once again as the headquarters of SA Rugby moved to Newlands, and several stands were built or renovated, while the 1980s saw private suites and function rooms erected on top of the North stands as well as demolition of the old South stand and inauguration of the new Danie Craven stand (also with private suites and function rooms). Daniël Hartman Craven (11 October 1910 Lindley Free State, South Africa died 4 January 1993 Stellenbosch, South Africa more famously known as Danie Craven The 1980s also saw 10,253 seats added to the stadium.
Between 1990 and 1995 the stadium was under constant renovation, adding technology, increasing capacity, and upgrading facilities, as part of a 3-phase redevelopment plan in anticipation of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when Newlands hosted the opening match of the tournament. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match
After the World Cup, development continued with several redevelopment and expansion projects to make the stadium more modern and increase capacity.
The stadium's name was changed several times by various sponsors, first from Newlands to Norwich Park Newlands in 1996, then to Fedsure Park Newlands in 2000 due to a merger between Fedsure and Norwich, and finally back to simply Newlands by Investec when they became the main sponsor in 2002. In late 2005, Vodacom became the stadium's main sponsor, but followed Investec's precedent and kept the stadium name as Newlands.
Future
The future of the stadium is uncertain following speculation that the Stormers, Ajax Cape Town and Western Province will use the soon to be built Green Point Stadium for their home games. The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as Vodacom Stormers, are a South African Rugby union team competing in the Super 14 Ajax Cape Town is a South African Football (soccer team based in Parow, Cape Town that participates in the Premier Soccer League. Western Province is a South African Rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament The Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa is a stadium under construction for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Green Point Stadium has been designed with excellent sight lines for football and rugby and will host 8 2010 FIFA World Cup Matches. It is rumoured that WP rugby will sell Newlands and move to the new Green Point Stadium.
References
External links
- Vodacom Western Province Rugby website
- Website of the Vodacom Stormers rugby union team
- Website of the Ajax Cape Town football team
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