Visiting Ellis Park Stadium
Construction on Ellis Park began in 1927. Right from the start, this new venue was designed to host rugby union matches (played at the time by the Transvaal team). JD Ellis, a Johannesburg city councilor, was behind the original project. The new stadium was named in his honor once it was built on a plot of land covering more than 5 hectares. Opening day took place in June 1928. The inaugural game felt like a true gala match, featuring a rugby test match between South Africa and New Zealand. Later on, cricket matches were also held at Ellis Park between 1947 and 1956. By the late 1970s, however, the stadium was viewed as outdated, so it was torn down to be rebuilt. The new venue was inaugurated in 1982 and seats 60,000 people.
A temple of South African sports
Ellis Park hosted arguably its most iconic matches in 1995. During the Rugby World Cup held on South African soil, the arena served as the stage for the final where the Springboks claimed their first world title against their longtime rivals, the New Zealand All Blacks. In 1999, another historic game took place on the pitch at Ellis Park Stadium. This matchup pitted a selection of African players against a world XV to mark Nelson Mandela stepping down from South African political life. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the stadium hosted seven matches, including a quarterfinal where Spain defeated Paraguay 0-1 on their way to winning the tournament. Today, Ellis Park serves as the home ground for the Lions (a rugby team competing in Super Rugby) and Orlando Pirates (a Premier Soccer League team). Its English-style stands are ready for fans to keep the energy alive.
This stadium regularly hosts rugby and soccer matches. The atmosphere there is nice and friendly.