Location | 85 Ravenhill Park,Belfast, Northern Ireland |
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Coordinates | 54°34′35″N 5°54′16″W / 54.57639°N 5.90444°WCoordinates: 54°34′35″N 5°54′16″W / 54.57639°N 5.90444°W |
Public transit | Belfast Central railway station |
Owner | Irish Rugby Football Union |
Capacity | 18,196 |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Opened | 1923 |
Renovated | 2009 and 2012/14 |
Tenants | |
Ulster Rugby |
The Kingspan Stadium (formerly known as Ravenhill) 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.
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. Before that, Scotland was the last visitor in the 1954 Five Nations Championship. 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.