Kings Park Stadium
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| Kings Park | |
|---|---|
| The Shark Tank | |
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| Location | Durban, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 29°49′30″S 31°1′47″E / 29.825°S 31.02972°ECoordinates: 29°49′30″S 31°1′47″E / 29.825°S 31.02972°E |
| Broke ground | 1880s |
| Opened | 1891 |
| Renovated | 1990s |
| Owner | Durban City Council |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | 55,000 |
| Tenants | |
| Sharks, Natal Sharks | |
Kings Park (also known for sponsorship reasons as Mr Price Kings Park Stadium,[1] previously also known as the ABSA Stadium,[2] and also commercially promoted as The Shark Tank), is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s. It has a capacity of 55,000 and is the home ground of the Sharks. The stadium has also been used by Durban based Premier Soccer League football (soccer) clubs, as well as for large football finals.
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[edit] 1995 Rugby World Cup
In 1995 the stadium was one of the host venues for the Rugby World Cup held in South Africa. The stadium hosted three pool games in Pool B. The stadium also hosted one quarter final with France defeating Ireland 36-12. The stadium was then used for the semi final between South Africa and France, with the Springboks winning 19-15 on their way to the nation's first ever Rugby World Cup trophy.
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-27 |  Argentina |
18–24 |  England |
Pool B | 30,000 |
| 1995-05-31 | England |
27–20 |  Italy |
Pool B | 21,000 |
| 1995-06-04 | England |
44–22 |  Western Samoa |
Pool B | 20,000 |
| 1995-06-10 |  France |
36–12 |  Ireland |
Quarter Final | 18,000 |
| 1995-06-17 |  South Africa |
19–15 | France |
Semi Final | 50,000 |
[edit] 1996 African Cup of Nations
The stadium was one of four venues for the 1996 African Cup of Nations. It hosted 3 group matches, a quarter final and semi final.
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-16 |  Gabon |
1–2 |  Liberia |
Group C | 5,000 |
| 1996-01-19 | Gabon |
2–0 |  Zaire |
Group c | 6,000 |
| 1996-01-24 |  Angola |
3–3 |  Cameroon |
Group A | 6,000 |
| 1996-01-28 | Gabon |
1-1 (1-4 on pen.) |  Tunisia |
Quarterfinal | 4,000 |
| 1996-01-31 |  Zambia |
2–4 | Tunisia |
Semifinal | 5,000 |
[edit] Other events
On 15 October 1997, Michael Jackson performed his final full concert here, concluding HIStory World Tour. On 21 March 2006, Metallica performend in Durban
[edit] Future
With the construction of the new Moses Mabhida Stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup less than 200m away, the local government had hoped that the Sharks would have relocated.[3] However, this is unlikely as they have a 50-year lease on Kings Park which runs through 2056.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "Sharks name Kings Park Sponsor". Planet Rugby. 28 January 2011. http://www.planet-rugby.co.za/story/0,25883,3824_6705249,00.html. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
- ^ "Sharks Boss Says Absa Dropped Sponsorship to Back Boks". allAfrica. 27 October 2010. http://allafrica.com/stories/201010270786.html. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
- ^ "Demolish Absa Stadium, Newlands". iol News. 19 July 2009. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_South%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090719211625553C442628. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "Sharks to Stay Put". The Sharks. 19 November 2010. http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/news/general/101119/Sharks_to_Stay_Put.
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[edit] External links
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