RFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya (RFUK).[a] Coincidentally, the RFUEA ground has another parallel with Twickenham Stadium in the United Kingdom in that it also serves as the home ground for the Kenya Harlequin Football Club, just as their sister club the London Harlequins once played at Twickenham.
Spectators at the annual Safari Sevens View from the north end of the ground | |
| Location | Ngong Road, Nairobi, Kenya |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 1°18′05″S 36°46′17″E |
| Owner | Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) |
| Operator | Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) |
| Capacity | 6,000 Expandable to 15,000 |
| Field size | 130×69 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1953 |
| Built | 1954–1955 |
| Opened | 28 September 1955 |
| Architect | John Tanner |
| Tenants | |
| Kenya national rugby union team Kenya Harlequins | |
Many internationally renowned teams have played here including the British Lions (1955 & 1962), the Barbarians (1958), the Springboks(1961) and Wales (1964). The 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy took place on this site (with some games also being played on the neighbouring Impala RFC ground). As the site for one of the largest and most prestigious annual sevens tournaments in Africa, the Safari Sevens, the RFUEA ground has hosted matches between such diverse teams as Samoa, Emerging Springboks, Zimbabwe, British Army, Public School Wanderers, Bristol University and Université de Grenoble.
At an altitude of 1,650 metres (5,410 ft) above sea-level, it is higher than three of the four vaunted stadia of South Africa's highveld; Loftus Versfeld Stadium Pretoria at 1,214 metres (3,983 ft), the Free State Stadium Bloemfontein 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) and Royal Bafokeng Stadium Rustenburg 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Only Ellis Park in Johannesburg at 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) is higher.