- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Long before the two colonies and two republics formed the Union of South Africa, rugby in this country found a home of the Western Province Rugby and Football Union.
These grassy fields became the heart and soul of Springbok rugby over the generations. The famous green jersey with its graceful little antelope having been borrowed from the nearby Old Diocesans club’s colours.
In the 124 years that Newlands has been hosting rugby matches, it has seen the best and the worst of a nation’s obsessions.
Thousands of memorable matches have been played under the gaze of segregated crowds in an arena that has an atmosphere more seeped in the history of the sport than any other stadium left.
Newlands is the lone standing grand madame now that Landowne Road, Parc de Princes and Cardiff Arms Park have turned to rubble…and despite its history, rubble is what Newlands should now become too.
It is an indictment on the sport that SANZAR does not ban matches being played at Newlands and fails to sanction the Western Province rugby union for the poor state of the facilities.
To arrive at the stadium – besides its parking problems – one can expect to be sandwiched through a concrete funnel into a narrow corridor.
From there, spectators are ushered one by one through narrow turnstiles, before they then spill into a further concrete corridor from where further passages lead to the seating area.
The fare on offer is limited to fizzy drinks, biltong, ice cream and what you will be told are fat-free doughnuts.
The end of game rush is a gauntlet of seething crowds pushing through steel and brick with exposed rusty metal and crumbling cement waiting to slice the open the flesh of the unaware.
It is no surprise that FIFA turned their noses up at the suggestion that Newlands host world cup matches.
Football’s authorities have long painful memories of tragedies at their grounds and in the lead to the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, rugby needs to look critically at itself and what it offers its most prized possession – the fans.
Does rugby expect the same health and safety standards in big stadiums as the football authorities? If not, why not?
Not ten minutes drive around the face of Table Mountain the magnificent Cape Town Stadium remains mostly empty.
Football supporters will recall the atmosphere of the fan walk, the access to public transport and parking, the quality of the refreshments on offer, the absence of cheesy half-time entertainment and of course the setting of this beautiful colossus.
The talk is that the stadium will be demolished or converted into retail space with no anchor tenant.
A rugby tragedy is waiting to happen.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.