Newlands Rugby Stadium

Description

Newlands Rugby Stadium, situated in the tree-lined southern suburbs of Cape Town, is the 3rd oldest stadium in world rugby and the headquarters of the DHL Western Province rugby team. The old ground has a capacity of 48 000 and, with the tall stands in close proximity to the playing field, it is world renowned for its electric and intimidating atmosphere.

The playing field is unique in the Southern Hemisphere, containing 11km of polypropylene fibres, stitched between the grass, into the playing surface. The DHL WP train at their High Performance Centre Cape Town's northern suburbs during the week, but play all their home games at Newlands.

Newlands as we know it today is the result of being purchased, constructed, demolished, and re-developed over the past century entirely by the efforts of dedicated members of the Western Province Rugby Football Union and its administrators - to whom this magnificent stadium is a fitting monument.

One of Newlands’ most memorable moments in history was the honour of hosting the opening match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Host nation South Africa upset the reigning world champions Australia 27-18, in what proved to be the beginning of a remarkable story that saw Springbok Captain Francois Piennaar lift the Webb Ellis trophy at Ellis Park at the end of the tournament.

The DHL Western Province rugby team is world renowned as one of the most supported teams in the modern game – regardless of position. Loyal spectators fill the Newlands stands to show their support, in spite of often severe weather, and have become fondly known as “The Newlands Faithful”. In 2010, a total of 666 177 supporters entered Newlands’ gates, attracting an average crowd of over 43 000 per game.