The Ellis Park Stadium, officially known as the Emirates Airline Park is a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. The stadium plays host to Rugby union matches and the association football matches.
Ellis Park Stadium Capacity
The stadium was constructed in 1928 and was first named after Mr. J.D. Ellis, who was the one who made the land for the stadium available initially. The stadium is also the home for Johannesburg's rugby team, the Highveld Lions, and has the capacity to accommodate around 60,000 spectators.
History
Ellis Park was first built in 1928 originally a Rugby Union Stadium. The Stadium has also played hosts to a number of football and cricket matches.
Continuous rows between the different rugby clubs as well as the Wanderers Club's claim over the field for the use of cricket games forced the Transvaal Rugby Football Union to take an alternative route, which ultimately culminated in the birth of the Ellis Park Stadium.
The stadium was again demolished and rebuilt in 1982, exclusively for hosting Rugby Union matches. It was named after JD Ellis, then the councilor of Johannesburg city who was the one instrumental in approving the usage of land for building a stadium, setting aside a full 13 acres for its construction.
On 28 April 1969, the Transvaal Rugby Football Union formed a committee to investigate and look into the possibilities of a new stadium since the one which was being used did not meet all the modern requirements.
Fifteen years later, after the game between the Transvaal Rugby team and the World Team in 1979, the old Ellis Park Stadium was demolished. Games were shifted to be played at the Wanderers while the stadium was being given its current shape.
In 2005, Ellis Park itched its name in the history books by becoming the first black-owned stadium in South Africa. The management of the Ellis Park Precinct was passed on to a company with 51% black ownership.
Major Matches
South Africa was the host for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The finals of the World Cup were held in the Ellis Park Stadium in front of 65,000 spectators. South Africa won the title after defeating New Zealand 15-12 in extra time.
Ellis Park was also one of the host venues for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and also the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
