The iconic Newlands Stadium, once the heart of rugby in Cape Town, now stands silent, as Western Province and the Stormers have long since shifted to the modern Cape Town Stadium, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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Last year, the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) revealed plans to place Newlands Stadium on the market through a sealed bidding process, emphasising that the sale of this historic ground ‘remained crucial to the future sustainability of Western Province Rugby.’
A recent Rugby365 article reported that Newlands Stadium has apparently been sold to an undisclosed buyer, with the asking price previously set at a ‘minimum’ of R250 million.
Despite efforts from various groups to halt the sale, the once lush, green turf of South Africa’s oldest rugby stadium is now a memory, leaving uncertainty around the future of this prime real estate.
The dilapidated stadium now:
This is Newlands Rugby Stadium. 🏉
What was once an iconic fortress & rugby heritage in the Cape & South Africa, is now withering away. pic.twitter.com/ZAVgUzNq15
— Cape Town, Bru /\/¯¯¯¯¯\/\ 🇿🇦 (@CapeTown_Bru) October 25, 2023
Newlands Rugby Stadium in the City of Cape Town where the DA governs, but allows certain owners to have infrastructure that is an eyesore! pic.twitter.com/zjsHfrCBqP
— Lazola Ndamase 🇨🇺🇵🇸🇿🇦 (@Lazola_Ndamase) November 22, 2023
Out hiking in the bushveld? The “Grand old Dame” is no longer so grand … pic.twitter.com/XLxAMRMYtT
— Front Row Grunt (@FrontRowGrunt) December 3, 2022
It’s important to note that all 10 previous clashes between the Springboks and All Blacks were held at Newlands. The Springboks managed only three victories in those encounters, while the All Blacks claimed the remaining seven.
On Saturday, 7 October 2017, Newlands hosted its final Springboks-All Blacks Test, where Israel Dagg’s late effort sealed a 25-24 win for the All Blacks, silencing the 52,000-strong crowd.
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