Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsground
The Sportsground

Connacht vs Leinster at Galway Sportsgrounds
Location Galway
Coordinates 53°16′44″N 9°02′23″W / 53.2790°N 9.0397°W
Public transit Galway railway station
Owner The Galway Agricultural & Sports Society Ltd.
Capacity 7,500 (9,500 with temporary seating)
Surface Grass
Opened 1927
Tenants
Irish Greyhound Board / Bord Na Gcon & Connacht Rugby / Irish Rugby Football Union

Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match and has been used to host Connacht Rugby matches since that time.

It is currently used on a day-to-day basis mainly as the base for Connacht Rugby for training and hosting matches at all levels, in addition there are usually two regular Greyhound meetings per week also on Friday & Saturday evenings (and Thursday evenings when required).

It is co-leased to Connacht Rugby who use it as their home stadium to play rugby union matches in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup competitions, and to Bord na gCon the Irish Greyhound Board who run Greyhound meetings at the Stadium on a track laid around the perimeter of the main Pitch.

The 1942 Galway County Hurling Final was held at the venue.

When Terryland Park was being renovated in 1993 Galway United played at the Sportsgrounds for the first part of that season. It also hosted Galway's first game in European competition in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Capacity

The Sportsgrounds stadium was modified and extended in 2011 and is able to hold up to 9,500 people, which includes temporary seating. Up until the 2011 expansion the regular capacity was 5,500.

Pro12 League The record attendance for a Pro12 fixture is 7,789 on 22 December 2012 against Munster.[1]

Heineken Cup The record attendance for a European match was 9,120 against Stade Toulousain in Connacht's debut season in the Heineken Cup on 19 November 2011.[2]

Amlin Cup The biggest crowd for a European Challenge Cup match was 7,000 for the semi final against Toulon on 30 April 2010.[3]

Development

In the past few years the Irish Rugby Football Union has helped to fund a new playing surface, a new Clubhouse, terrace and floodlighting. In 2008 a new gymnasium was built, and the redevelopment of the existing Clubhouse Terrace and some corporate facilities was also completed.

Season 2011–12

Connacht Rugby participated in European Rugby's blue ribbon competition the Heineken Cup in season 2011–12. This spurred a new phase of development at the Sportsground to extend formal capacity to 7,500 supporters.[4]

The existing Clubhouse terrace was knocked down to be replaced by a covered Terrace called "the Clan Terrace". This terrace primarily houses season ticket holders/Supporters Club members.

Ancillary work was also undertaken behind the terrace which saw the construction of a new bar (The Clan Bar), food outlets and restroom facilities on the Clubhouse side of the ground.

A temporary covered and seated "West Stand", adjacent to the existing main stand was also erected for the season.[4]

Future Expansion

On the Clubhouse side of the ground, Connacht Rugby have plans to redevelop the Clan Terrace by building a seated tier above the terrace. Planning permission is already in place for this, and development will begin once funding is available.[5]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galway Sportsgrounds.

References

  1. ↑ "Connacht Rugby 12 - 16 Munster Rugby". RaboDirect PRO12. 22 December 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "Connacht Rugby 10 - 36 Toulouse". European Rugby Cup. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Connacht Rugby 12 - 19 Toulon". European Rugby Cup. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Connacht Catch-Up (13 July 11). "Artist's Impression of the Sportsground Redevelopments". Connacht Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ↑ "2nd Phase Connacht Branch Stadium Development". 3D Graphic House. 2011.