Ravenhill Stadium

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Not to be confused with Kingspan Breffni Park.

Kingspan Stadium
Ravenhill
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast.jpg
Kingspan Stadium is located in Greater Belfast
Kingspan Stadium
Kingspan Stadium
Location within Greater Belfast
Location85 Ravenhill Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°34′35″N 5°54′16″W / 54.57639°N 5.90444°W / 54.57639; -5.90444Coordinates: 54°34′35″N 5°54′16″W / 54.57639°N 5.90444°W / 54.57639; -5.90444
Public transitBelfast Central railway station
OwnerIrish Rugby Football Union
Capacity18,196 (9,000 seated)[1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1923
Renovated2009 and 2012/14
Tenants
Ulster Rugby

Ravenhill Stadium (known as the Kingspan Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby stadium located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home of Ulster Rugby. With the opening of a new stand for the 2014 Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens on 5 April 2014, the capacity of the stadium is now 18,196. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

History[]

Ravenhill Stadium opened in 1923. It features an ornate arch at the entrance that was erected as a war memorial for those players killed in World War I and World War II. Prior to 1923, both Ulster and Ireland played games at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society grounds in Belfast.

Ravenhill has been the annual venue for the Ulster Schools Cup final since 1924, which is traditionally contested on St Patrick's Day. The stadium is traditionally the venue for the Ulster Towns Cup, played on Easter Monday.

Ravenhill has hosted 18 international matches, including pool games in both the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. The most recent Ireland international played at the stadium was on 24 August 2007 against Italy in a warm-up match for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.[2] Prior to that match, Scotland was the last visitor in the 1954 Five Nations Championship.[2] Ravenhill also hosted the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship final in which New Zealand defeated South Africa.

Ravenhill hosted memorable Ulster games in the Heineken Cup. Ulster beat Toulouse 15–13 at Ravenhill in the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 Heineken Cup. Ravenhill then hosted the 1998–99 Heineken Cup semi-final in which Ulster defeated Stade Français 33–27. The most memorable moment in that game was when out half David Humphreys ran from the Ulster 10-metre line to score a try.

On 5 June 2014, Ulster signed a 10-year contract with the Kingspan Group for the naming rights to Ravenhill, meaning that the stadium will be known as the Kingspan Stadium until 2024.[3]

On 30 May 2015, the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final was played at the Kingspan Stadium. Glasgow Warriors beat Munster 31–13.

On 26 August 2017, the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup Final was played at the Kingspan Stadium. New Zealand beat England 41–32. The semi-final matches and some play-off matches of the Women's Rugby World Cup were also played at the stadium.

2009 Redevelopment[]

East Terrace and Premium Stand post 2009 renovations

The new stand at Ravenhill was officially opened on 9 October 2009 by First Minister Peter Robinson,[4] before a match between Ulster and Bath Rugby.[5] The stand has however been in use since the first home match of the 2009-2010 season, against Edinburgh Rugby.[6]

The stand is on the Mount Merrion side of the ground, and consists of a terraced area, over 500 premium seats, and 20 corporate boxes.[4] The terraced area is now covered by a roof for the first time in the stadium's history. The cost of the project is approximately £4.5 million, and has been funded by a mixture of public-sector funding, sales of premium tickets and boxes, and loans from the IRFU.[7]

2012–2014 Redevelopment[]

In 2011, the Northern Ireland Executive announced that it had granted £138m for various stadium redevelopment projects throughout Northern Ireland. Ulster Rugby received £14.5m, which was used to redevelop Ravenhill and expand its capacity from 12,000 to 18,000.[8]

In 2012, Ulster Rugby confirmed that three new stands would be built at Ravenhill, with work commencing in late 2012. Two new stands at the Memorial and Aquinas ends of the stadium were completed while the main stand was demolished and rebuilt. The major refurbishment was completed in April 2014.[9]

Ulster v Glasgow Warriors in October 2014 with the redeveloped main stand in the background.

Ireland Internationals[]

Ireland Rugby Union Matches
Date Competition Home Away Score Attendance
9 February 1924 Five Nations  Ireland  England 3–14 15,000[10]
14 March 1925 Five Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 19–3
23 January 1926 Five Nations  Ireland  France 11–0 20,000[11]
28 January 1928 Five Nations  Ireland  France 12–8 20,000[12]
9 March 1929 Five Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 5–5
25 January 1930 Five Nations  Ireland  France 0–5 25,000[13]
14 March 1931 Five Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 3–15 30,000[14]
11 March 1933 Home Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 10–5
9 March 1935 Home Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 9–3 35,000[15]
3 April 1937 Home Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 5–3 20,000[16]
11 March 1939 Home Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 0–7 28,000[17]
13 March 1948 Five Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 6–3 32,000[18]
11 March 1950 Five Nations  Ireland Wales Wales 3–6
24 January 1953 Five Nations  Ireland  France 16–3 38,000[19]
27 February 1954 Five Nations  Ireland  Scotland 6–0
24 August 2007 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches  Ireland  Italy 23–20 14,100[2][20]
13 November 2009 2009 end-of-year rugby union internationals  Ireland Wolfhounds  Tonga 48–19 3,777[21]
Ireland's Record at the Ravenhill
Competition Played Won Drawn Lost % Won
Test Match 1 1 0 0 100%
Home/Five Nations 15 9 1 5 60%
Total 16 10 1 5 62.5%

Updated 21 April 2021[22][2] Above table does not include Ireland Wolfhounds' results.

Rugby World Cup Matches[]

14 October 1991
Japan  52–8  Zimbabwe
Try: Horikoshi
Kutsuki (2)
Mashuho (2)
Yoshida (2)
Matsuo
Luaiufi
Con: Hosokawa (5)
Pen: Hosokawa
 (Report) Try: Tsimba


Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Rene Hourquet (France)
3 October 1999
Australia  57–9  Romania
Try: Horan 2' m
Kefu (3) 7' c, 25' c, 78' c
Little 41' m
Roff (2) 43' c, 48' m
Paul 64' c
Burke 67' c
Con: Eales
Burke (5)
 Pen: Mitu (3) 12', 70', 74'

Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

Ravenhill Facilities Prior to Redvelopment[]

View from Grandstand
Grandstand
View from Grandstand

References[]

  1. ^ "KINGSPAN STADIUM". Ulster Rugby. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Late O'Gara Try Leads Ireland To Ravenhill Win". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. ^ Ulster Rugby agrees stadium naming rights deal with Kingspan Archived 6 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine - Ulster Rugby, 05/06/14
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Rugby fans line out for grandstand view - Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  5. ^ "BBC Sport - Rugby Union - Ulster 26-12 Bath". BBC News. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Sat, Sep 19, 2009 - Ulster play the rugby but lose their way". The Irish Times. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  7. ^ [1] Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Stadiums fit for our heroes on way at last - Belfast Telegraph, 11/03/11
  9. ^ Plans for Ravenhill refurbishment are unveiled - BBC News, 24 January 2012
  10. ^ "Six Nations 1924". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Six Nations 1926". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Six Nations 1928". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Six Nations 1930". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Six Nations 1931". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Six Nations 1935". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Six Nations 1937". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Six Nations 1939". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Six Nations 1948". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Six Nations 1953". espnscrum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  20. ^ "Ireland 23-20 Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Ireland A 48-19 Tonga". 13 November 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  22. ^ "Team History Archive". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

External links[]

Media related to Ravenhill Stadium at Wikimedia Commons

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