Ask any rugby-mad South African where the home of rugby is and they will tell you it is Newlands Stadium, or more correctly, DHL Newlands.
It was at this stadium, in the leafy Cape Town suburb of the same name, that the 1995 Rugby World Cup kicked off, a tournament which South Africa went on to win.
It holds a special place in the heart of not just Cape Town locals, but all South Africans, the grand old dame of local rugby.
So, here are a few interesting things you should know about Newlands:
- At 123 years old, it is the oldest rugby stadium in South Africa and the second-oldest rugby stadium in the world
- The Western Province Rugby Football Union made the decision to buy the ground on which the stadium now stands in 1888. The first official rugby match at Newlands took place on 31 May 1890, in front of a crowd of around 2 400
- The first permanent concrete stands were only erected almost 30 years later – in 1919
- Today Newlands Stadium has a capacity of 51 900, including some standing
- Newlands Stadium does not allow guitars, drums or vuvuzelas on the grounds
Website: www.wprugby.com
