List of rugby union stadiums by capacity
The following is a list of stadiums at which rugby union is played, ordered by seating capacity. Currently all stadiums with a capacity of 10,000 or more which are the regular home venue of a club or national team, or are the regular hosts of a major competition (such as an event in the Sevens World Series or the final of an annual national competition), are included. Stadiums for which the only rugby union use is hosting occasional matches or which have only hosted one-off rugby union tournaments are not included. Not all of these stadiums are primarily venues for rugby union, with some being primarily venues for another sport.
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- ↑ Stade de France is often stated as being in Paris. Although it is in the metropolitan area, it is not in the city proper, as evidenced by its postal code of 93216. The first two digits of "93" indicate that it is in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. Paris is department 75.
- ↑ France play Tests throughout the country, but play all Six Nations home matches at Stade de France.
- ↑ The Sevens has a permanent capacity of 4,000, but is designed to be expandable to 50,000 with temporary seating. The full capacity is used for the annual Dubai Sevens tournament, and was also used when the stadium hosted the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
- ↑ Also known as Vélez Sársfield, after the football club that is the stadium's primary tenant.
- ↑ The stadium is currently closed because of major damage from the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. According to one member of the Christchurch city council, the required repairs were on a scale never before seen in New Zealand.[1]
- ↑ Stade Toulousain regularly take at least two matches in the Top 14 and one in the Heineken Cup to this ground every season.
- ↑ Union Bordeaux Bègles will play five home matches at Stade Chaban-Delmas in the Top 14 and one in the European Challenge Cup in the 2011-2012 season.
- ↑ Italy play Tests throughout the country, but historically used the Flaminio for all Six Nations home fixtures and at least one match in the November Test window. The stadium is currently closed for major renovations; in the interim, Italy is using Stadio Olimpico in Rome until that project is complete.[2]
- ↑ Japan play Tests throughout the country, but Chichibunomiya is the most widely used ground, and also houses the headquarters of the country's national federation.
- ↑ Currently being redeveloped in place, with an ultimate capacity of 15,000.
Closed or demolished stadiums
| Stadium | Capacity (at time of closure) | City | Country | Home Team | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The National Stadium | 53,000 | Cardiff |  Wales | Wales national team | 1997 | Replaced by Millennium Stadium. The 1970 North Stand of National Stadium forms "Glanmor's Gap" in Millennium Stadium; the remainder was demolished. |
| Lansdowne Road | 49,000 | Dublin |  Ireland | Ireland national team | 2007 | Demolished and replaced on-site by Aviva Stadium. |
| PETCO Park | 42,445 | San Diego |  United States | USA Sevens | 2010 | Remains in use for its original purpose of baseball. |
| Athletic Park | 39,000 | Wellington |  New Zealand | Wellington Hurricanes, Wellington Rugby Football Union, some New Zealand national team matches | 1999 | Demolished. The replacement venue, Westpac Stadium, is some distance away. |
| Carisbrook | 29,000 | Dunedin | New Zealand | Highlanders, Otago Rugby Football Union, some New Zealand national team matches | 2011 | Demolition began in early 2012. Parts of the stadium will be preserved or reused. |
| StubHub Center | 27,000 | Carson | United States | USA Sevens | 2007 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer). |
| Cardiff City Stadium | 26,828 | Cardiff | Wales | Cardiff Blues | 2014 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer). |
| Loftus Road | 18,500 | London |  England | London Wasps | 2001 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer). |
| Meadowbank Stadium | 16,500 | Edinburgh |  Scotland | Edinburgh | 2006 | Remains in use for many other sports, including football (soccer) and American football. |
| Racecourse Ground | 15,500 | Wrexham | Wales | Scarlets | 2009 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer), and has hosted rugby league since 2010. |
| Stade Jean-Bouin | 12,000 | Paris |  France | Stade Français | 2010 | Replaced on-site by a new stadium of the same name that opened in 2013. |
| Edgeley Park | 10,900 | Stockport | England | Sale Sharks | 2012 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer). |
| Firhill | 10,887 | Glasgow | Scotland | Glasgow Warriors | 2012 | Remains in use for its original purpose of football (soccer). |
Future stadiums
This list includes stadiums that are either under construction or planned.
| Stadium | Capacity (at time of opening) | City | Country | Home Team | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Stade FFR | 82,000 | Évry | France | France national team | 2017 |
| DSC Multi-Purpose Stadium | 60,000 | Dubai |  United Arab Emirates | TBA | |
| Perth Stadium | 60,000 | Burswood |  Australia | Western Force | 2018 |
| Arena 92 | 32,000 | Nanterre | France | Racing Métro 92 | 2016 |
| Brentford Community Stadium | 20,000 | London | England | London Welsh | TBA |
1 As a Rugby ground.
References
- ↑ "Crusaders remain homeless". ESPN Scrum. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ↑ Sportsbeat (14 July 2011). "Italy switch stadium to Stadio Olimpico". RBS 6 Nations. Retrieved 6 September 2011.