Stormers new digs Cape Town Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, March 3^rd, 2021

Image: Aecom

The 58,309 capacity Cape Town Stadium, a football and rugby stadium located in Cape Town, the second most populous City in South Africa, has been re-energized with fresh blood in the form of the tenant – the South African professional rugby franchise DHL Stormers powering the start of the 2021 rugby season.

The ‘Stormers’ website reported that the shift of the Stormers and the Western Province Rugby Union to Cape Town Stadium was announced recently. The Stormers were earlier tenants at the 25,000-capacity Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.

The Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape. They competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They are centered on the Western Province Currie Cup side, but also draw players from the Boland Cavaliers.

Western Province is a South African professional rugby union team based in Newlands, Cape Town, that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments.

The ‘Stormers’ website quoted the Western Province Professional Rugby Chairman Ebrahim Rasool as stating that the move to Cape Town Stadium signals the start of an exciting new future for both the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province.

“We aspire to be world-class teams and brands, so it is fitting that we should play in a world-class stadium where our faithful supporters can enjoy an unrivaled experience. We all look forward to sharing many happy memories at Cape Town Stadium,” he said.

Lesley de Reuck, CEO of Cape Town Stadium, said that having the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province as anchor tenants was the realization of a long-term vision.

“The DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province are sports teams that are synonymous with Cape Town and the passion of its people. We are thrilled to welcome the players, coaches, staff and supporters to Cape Town Stadium and could not be more excited about our future together,” he added.

Cape Town-based rugby team DHL Stormers, which played in the top flight Super League till 2020 and as Western Province Rugby in the Carling Currie Cup, however, lost to Toyota Cheetah’s, the rugby team from Bloemfontein (South Africa), in the first preparation fixture, at its new home on February 27^th, 2021. Toyota Cheetah’s competes in the premier domestic rugby union competition Currie Cup.

Built in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, Cape Town Stadium is a spectacular venue on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, nestled next to Cape Town’s City center and the flat topped Table Mountain as a backdrop, and has played host to many memorable sporting events.

All home matches of Western Province Rugby’s professional teams will henceforth be held at Cape Town Stadium providing a new home for Cape Town’s popular rugby teams and their Faithful supporters.

The Western Province Rugby owns the Faithful Supporters Club which is a paid-for fans club. Western Province Rugby offers loyal supporters, called the Faithful, access to exclusive products, gifts and other benefits in association with contracted partners, online platforms and service providers.

The Faithful will be able to enjoy the world class facilities and unrivaled matchday experience that Cape Town Stadium offers, once crowds are allowed back at rugby games subject to COVID-19 regulations.

DHL Stormers’ Head Coach John Dobson had said that his squad had been training regularly at Cape Town Stadium over the last year and were looking forward to making it their home.

Dobson remarked, “It is a privilege for us to play and train at a world-class stadium and the players are very familiar with the venue.”

“We cannot wait for the Faithful to be able to join us at our new home and to see the stands full of our passionate supporters,” he elaborated.

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