Newlands Stadium, Rugby and football stadium in Newlands, South Africa
Newlands Stadium is a sports venue in the Newlands neighborhood of Cape Town that hosts both rugby and football matches across multiple tiered seating sections. The facility includes permanent concrete stands, private viewing areas, and various amenities spread throughout the complex to accommodate spectators.
The land was purchased in 1888 by the Western Province Rugby and Football Union, with the first official match occurring two years later between Stellenbosch and Villagers. It ranks among the world's oldest rugby venues and underwent major modernization work near the end of the 20th century.
The ground's name was sold to sponsors three times: Norwich Park Newlands in 1996, Fedsure Park Newlands in 2000, and back to plain Newlands in 2002 when Investec chose the historic name; Vodacom kept it in 2005. The Danie Craven stand, rebuilt in the 1980s, carries the name of the Springbok scrum-half and long-time rugby administrator.
The ground is not an all-seater venue, so parts of the Danie Craven stand are standing terrace. The Jan Pickard stand behind the goals is alcohol-free and holds the stadium's video screen. Four main stands exist: the all-seated Grandstand and Railway stands along the sidelines, with the Craven and Pickard stands behind the goals.
Newlands hosted the opening match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and a quarter-final in which England beat Australia 25–22, then the semi-final where New Zealand defeated England 29–45. The ground was also the headquarters of SA Rugby from the 1970s.
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