Cape Town Stadium

The construction of the breathtaking new stadium in Cape Town on Green Point Common which lies exactly between Table Mountain and Robben Island began in March 2007. The whole project was completed in only 33 months by the two construction companies, Murray and Roberts and WBHO at a cost of R4.4 billion around USD 600 million. The German architects company GMP Architects and two local companies, Point and Associates architects and Louis Karol were also involved.

The swinging silhouette of the stadium in Cape Town has forever changed the face of the surrounding Green Point Common. Surrounded by a façade of fibreglass coated with Teflon it resembles a pink bowl which swims on  the bay when it is lit at night. The architects named the stadium the Diva of Cape Town which has been proven by the continuously changing atmosphere of the city and therefore the stadium with the changing weather conditions.

The design and construction of the roof is unique in all of the world. Its basic structure reminds one of a wheel of a bicycle which is open in the centre. Around 72 cables which are joined together from the outside and inside ring of the circle were slowly pulled in order to lift the roof from the ground to its present height. Also as innovative for the construction of the roof is the use of a 16 mm thick plate of glass to protect the crowds from strong winds and rain. This lets a lot of daylight through and the PVC covers dampen the typical noise of a stadium.

Two definite features are characteristic of the stadium, it can be evacuated in only 15 minutes and all spectators are very near to the game. That is to say they all have a superb view. The crowds are observed by a state of the art camera system which is observed by the police in the Operations Centre in the stadium. Storming the pitch would be nearly impossible because of a wide water ditch all around. There is a police station inside the building which takes cares of potential hooligans and other criminals.

Some facts

1. - 96 000 cubic metres of concrete were used

- The roof weighs a total of 4.700 tons

- Approx 9,000 sheets of glass were use for a 37,000 square metre roof

- 500 toilets and 360 urinals were built

- 115 entrance turn gates were used

- 16 lifts

- More than 2,500 workers were employed during the construction

- More than 1,200 builders were trained during the construction

Newlands Rugby Stadium

The Newlands Stadium is situated in the green area of Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa. The decision to buy the land on which the stadium now stands was made in 1888 by the Western Province Rugby and Football Union. The first official game took place in Newlands on Saturday 31st May 1890 where the local team played against Stellenbosch on an extremely muddy pitch and also where the very promising and overall acclaimed as top game between Bishops and Hamiltons had to be interrupted.

The historical notes say that University team won with a goal to a try, a kick which the legendary Fairy Heatlle claimed to be the most memorable drop kick he ever saw. The famous sports ground is rumoured to have experienced many more such unforgettable moments. Newlands is the home ground of the Stormers Super 14 as well as the Western Province Team which play for the Currie Cup. The Ajax Cape Town Football Club also plays its home games here. The stadium has a seating capacity of around 51 000.

Kenilworth Race Course

Kenilworth is a left handed track and is unique amongst South African racecourses in that it consists of three separate tracks. There is a new track with a circumference of 2800m and a run-in of about 600m which is used primarily in summer, and an old track with a circumference of 2700m and a run-in of about 450m which is normally used for winter racing.

There is also a separate 1200m straight course which bisects the infield at a diagonal, the three courses only coming together in the pull-up area. The new course particularly is one oft he fairest in South Africa and gives every horse a winning chance, but ability to race handy is of greater importance on the old course. The 1200m straight is the stiffest in the country, though. A climb for the first 200m and another rise over the final 200m make this a real test of ability to stay1200m and horses who go fast early on almost invariably get caught wanting at the finish. Horses who seem best over middle distances often do well in 1200m races at Kenilworth, especially when the winter going is soft or heavy. Low number draws are generally favoured in sprints, but fields tend to split into two distinct groups when the going is heavy and outside barriers then enjoy a slight advantage. Draws are of little importance around the turn, especially on the new course.