Should the WP / Stormers play their rugby at Newlands or move to the Cape Town Stadium?I like tradition. I often don’t see the point of change for the sake of change. I never understood why Newlands wasn’t just upgraded for the SWC 2010. I never thought that spending the Billions of Rands on the new stadium was justified, in fact I still can’t justify why all that money was spent for 5 games. When people called for WP to move from Newlands I resisted. Newlands is the home of rugby, it has tradition and is hallowed ground.
And then I went to the U2 Concert at the Cape Town Stadium. We only left Durbanville at 17h30. We thought that we would be stuck in traffic, but no we had an easy drive into the city. Fair enough it was slowish getting into the Waterfront to park, but not nearly as bad as getting to Newlands. There was ample safe and not that expensive parking. Ok, so there was no space to braai, but then we were going to watch U2 and not rugby. Green Point and the Waterfront offers so many venue’s to eat and drink that most places were 3/4 full and you could get a decent place to sit to have your meal and drinks.
Walking to the Stadium was easy, broad open roads, no railway line to go over, or under in a crush of bodies. Entering the stadium itself was a breeze, lots of turnstiles which are actually big enough to walk through without doing yourself an injury. The access tunnels are broad and seats are easy to find. The seats themselves are reasonably big and comfortable. There are many food and drink vendors offering much the same as what you would get at Newlands, just in a cleaner and better enviroment. The toilets are easily accessable and are huge with many urinals and thrones. The ladies were very happy with the loo’s as well.
There were 70 000 people at the concert, yet it took a matter of minutes to get out of the stadium and 20 minutes after the concert ended I was enjoying a double J&B and soda in the bar at the V&A Hotel. An hour later we had an easy walk to the parkade, and then a quite drive back home. Admittedly I did hear from friends who tried to leave straight after the show that it was a nightmare getting out of the parkade.
I have been to both the Stormers S15 games at Newlands, and when comparing the whole package I can’t see why a deal is not worked out to move to the Cape Town Stadium. I understand that Newlands is owned by WP and prefer ownership rateher than renting the Cape Town Stadium. For me Newlands has outlived its usefullness. Acess is a problem, and you sometimes have to walk for miles [after parking illegally] to get to the stadium. Getting to the stadium in that huge crush of people is neither pleasant nor safe. The stadium is just old and shabby. The toilets are inadequate, with particularly the ladies having to queue up for ages. Getting out takes an age and you are again faced with the crush of people. Unless you go to Kelvin Grove there is hardly a place to get a drink or a plate of food. Driving back through the narrow streets towards the highway takes ages.
Yes, Newlands has atmosphere and tradition, but the Cape Town Stadium is just so much better.
I fully understand what you mean… after going to Soccer City (FNB Stadium) last year, I felt exactly the same regarding Ellispark or Coca-Cola Park as it is known now.
It is shoddy compared to that marvelous venue at Nasrec (FNB Stadium). There is just no comparison whatsoever… and I can imagine that this is the differnce you’re referring to between Newlands and Cape Town Stadium.
But I had an opportunity to look much deeper, I was in the bowls of Soccer City or FNB Bloody Stadium as they now call it… and only there is the real difference actually revealed…. the change rooms and team warm-up facilities, medical facilities, media facilities, office space… EVERYTHING… VASTLY SUPERIOR to Ellispark, Loftus or whichever of our traditional rugby stadiums.
So yes, I’m in favour of a move from Newlands, if a suitable deal could be worked, I’m in favour of the Lions moving to FNB Stadium… and more importantly I would have been in favour of the Bulls leaving Loftus if Pretoria had a massive new stadium at it’s disposal.
Tradition is a fickle thing, the tradition and hype is about the Franchise and it’s players and fan base, and should not be around one particular stadium…. that’s my opinion.
Loosehead, I agree with you 100%. The new stadiums are brilliant and what a waste not to use them insted of using the out of date old stadiums.
Kings Park can never compete with MM Stadium either. I went there for wc game, thought it was brilliant. Everything about that stadium is top class. The only problem like at Newlands is they never build enough suites. Kings Park has 400 suites and MM has only 135. Think something similar at Newland and Cape Town stadium. This is where they make their money, from the suites. So why they heck the never thought of building these stadiums to accomodate the rugby after was a mystery. Cause I think they were told about that. I would enjoy Sharks to move over, that MM Stadium is world class. But without the suites then I really don’t see it happening.
We more or less in the same area, but parking would be a whole lot better at MM. As it is they allow the rugby supporterst to park their cars there. I think for R30 when there are games on.
We could still have our braais on the fields across the road as well. But without the extra suites don’t see it happen. I know MM held 70 000 when the wc was on, reduced now to 55 000 so maybe they could build suites where the extra seats have been taken out. Not sure it can be done. But it is a thought. For now don’t see Sharks moving over cause of that. Pity. Also a pity for Newlands and I have heard that stadium is really outdated compard to the new Cape Town stadium.
@ Puma:2 – meant – instead
FNB Stadium is a massive problem for Suite holders as well, not so much the number of suites, there is just about enough to accommodate everyone from Coca-Cola Park if there is a bit of give and take, but the real problem comes in the form of catering and refreshment purchases.
The Stadium management company at FNB have basically screwed the goose that may lay the golden egg by pricing the catering and drinks prices too high. I heard as much as 100% and more higher than currently at Coca-Cola Park.
Also of course there will be some suite holders that just may not want to move.
However I believe the Lions have something of a dilemma on their hands because a small bird told me that the deal with Gumede and co is based on the condition that the union WILL move their home games to FNB.
The GLRU trust also own Ellis Park, but not the land which is leased on a 99 year basis from the municipality, but they also have a naming rights issue with Coca-Cola which is now in the 3rd year (I think) of 5. The total value of the contract was rumoured to be ZAR 42 million but the first 2 years were very small amounts and the last 3 years far higher.
So all in all it’s not always as easy to move house as some people think.
(Except my missus, she thinks we can move at the drop of a hat!)
Cape Town Stadium …. much much better than Newlands … and so much more convenient to enter and exit …. at Newlands you have to wait for quite some time before you can dare exit, but it never works … you still get caught up in the crowd trying to leave the stadium … and then i dont even want to mention trying to drive home immediately after ANY game … just impossible!!
maar wat tel in nuweland se guns 100+ jaar se toets rugby jy kan dit nie weg gooi nie regtig dis net so goed jy se wallis moet nie meer by die arms park speel nie en ja die naam is nog cardif arms park dis net die staduim se naam wat anders is
Jip, Newlands is a dump. Dirty, cramped, bad traffic, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for tradition and all that. I was dead against even talking about moving. But having been there for a few soccer games, the Stormers last year and U2, I’m in love. CTStadium doesn’t stand back for Newlands.
It’s time for a change. And soon!!!
100 jaar se toetsrugby beteken f#kol!
Al wat oorbly is die naam. Daar is niks van die oorspronklike Nuweland oor nie. Die laaste ou paviljoen is in die vroee 70’s demolish.
Beweeg aan. Of moet ek maar my kar inruil vir ‘n perdekar, want my voorouers het daarin rondgery. Haha
@ Rugbyprof:
Perde karre gaan n helse comeback maak wag net tot die olie op is,wat nuweland betref volg die pad van die vrystaat stadion bloem het nou n top klas venue wat vir geen van die wb stadions wat gebou is terug staan nie maar moet nie die rug op die tradisie van nuweland keer nie dit sal n groot fout wees
@ smallies72:
Maar dan het sa rugby al reeds hulle rue gesraai op die tradisie van die springbok so dis seker ma ok om een van die uodste toets venues ook weg te gooi net soos die yanks en hulle weg gooi samelewing
smallies
yes newlands have a lot of tradition and history
but
it took time for newlands to get both
…
now
we in cape town sit with a BETTER facility!
should we use it? yes, of course we should!!
..
the thing is … the difference between newlands and ctstadium is immense … at newlands, if you want to miss the crowd you need to leave at least 10min before the end of the game … if you’re lucky, then wp/stormers are playing attractive rugby and most people will stay until the end of the game. if stormers/wp plays crap, then you’re f*cked, cause a lot of people will leave the same time that you do, and even though a lot of the crowd will stay behind to boo their team, you’ll find that even just if 20% of the crowd leave the same time that you do, leaving the stadium, even under those circumstances, will be a nightmare.
at ctstadium, you just dont have that problems … EVEN IF EVERYONE LEAVES AT THE SAME TIME!!
..
to put it another way … go to wprugby’s website and try to negotiate your way through there … now multiply your frustation a million times and you’ll be close to experiencing the frustration of people attending games at newlands!!
o, and well said loosehead (or should i say well written?)
GBS
Djoef gat myl!!
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