Rugby Park Stadium
Encyclopedia
Rugby Park Stadium is a rugby union
venue and home ground for ITM Cup team Southland
. Rugby Park Stadium is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street in Invercargill
. It has a capacity of 20,000, although in former incarnations has accommodated up to 30,000 in the 1960s before the facility was further developed with seating over the proceeding decades. Temporary seating was added in 2010 for the 2010 ITM Cup
this allowed a crowd of over 18,000 to attend the first major defence of the Ranfurly Shield
against Otago on August 7, this seating remained in place until the Rugby World Cup games in 2011.
The stadium was built on the site of Invercargill's former rugby venue, Homestead Stadium. In 2000, the city of Invercargill announced plans to replace Homestead Stadium with backing from the ILT and Community Trust of Southland.
The Highlanders play occasionally at Rugby Park drawing large crowds. The football (soccer)
team Spirit FC also play at Rugby Park Stadium. Many local events are held at rugby park as well.
In 2011, the Southland Rugby League was refused use of Rugby Park Stadium by the Southland Rugby Football Union. Southland Rugby League had proposed to hold their club final there on 19 June.
In the 2011 Rugby World Cup
, Rugby Park hosted three pool play games (Romania
-Scotland
, Georgia
-Scotland and Argentina
-Romania).
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
venue and home ground for ITM Cup team Southland
Southland Rugby
The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The...
. Rugby Park Stadium is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street in Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
. It has a capacity of 20,000, although in former incarnations has accommodated up to 30,000 in the 1960s before the facility was further developed with seating over the proceeding decades. Temporary seating was added in 2010 for the 2010 ITM Cup
2010 ITM Cup
The 2010 ITM Cup was the 34th provincial rugby union competition, the fifth since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the first under the new sponsor of ITM , involving the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand...
this allowed a crowd of over 18,000 to attend the first major defence of the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
against Otago on August 7, this seating remained in place until the Rugby World Cup games in 2011.
The stadium was built on the site of Invercargill's former rugby venue, Homestead Stadium. In 2000, the city of Invercargill announced plans to replace Homestead Stadium with backing from the ILT and Community Trust of Southland.
The Highlanders play occasionally at Rugby Park drawing large crowds. The football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team Spirit FC also play at Rugby Park Stadium. Many local events are held at rugby park as well.
In 2011, the Southland Rugby League was refused use of Rugby Park Stadium by the Southland Rugby Football Union. Southland Rugby League had proposed to hold their club final there on 19 June.
In the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
, Rugby Park hosted three pool play games (Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
-Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, Georgia
Georgia national rugby union team
The Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
-Scotland and Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
-Romania).