Royal Athletic Park
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| Location | 1014 Caledonia Ave, Victoria, B.C. V8T 1G1, Canada |
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| Owner | City of Victoria |
| Capacity | 3,800 (Permanent) 10,000 (Temporary, approx.) |
| Field size | 130 yds x 100 yds (soccer) 160 yds x 75 yds (Canadian football) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | Early 1900s Rebuilt in 1967 |
| Opened | Early 1900s Reopened in 1967 |
| Tenants | |
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Victoria United (PCSL) (1995–2012) Victoria Highlanders (PDL) (2011–present) Victoria Rebels (CJFL) (1985–2008) Victoria HarbourCats (WCL) (2013–present) |
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Royal Athletic Park is a multi-purpose, fully lit stadium in Victoria, British Columbia. It is primarily used for baseball, soccer, softball and football, but also hosts special events, such as the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival and Rifflandia Music Festival. It is approximately a ten-minute walk from the city centre.
In 1907 the burgeoning summer athletic teams did not have enough facilities for senior teams with paid attendances. Baseball in particular was challenged to find available dates at Oak Bay Grounds to operate due to a preference for lacrosse.
Subsequently the supporters of Canada's national game, lacrosse, at a meeting chaired by BC Premier McBride formed the Royal Victoria Athletic Association on March 26, 1908, and a senior lacrosse team was founded to enable the best intermediate (Under 21) players to play in the British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association (BCALA) League. The Oak Bay Grounds were put under the management of the senior baseball team and then later the Rugby Football Club. The lacrosse group, later shortened to the Royal Athletic Association, issued shares at $25 each with deposits of 10% and biannual calls of 10% to raise $25,000 for improvements to the grounds. The lease was signed for 5 acres at the corner of Cook and Pembroke Streets for the grounds.
Contracts had been let by May 12, 1908 and $4,000 from the share offering and gate receipts was spent by June on the construction of a perimeter fence, 2 ticket offices, an inner fence, grandstand, and carriage parking area. The inner fence enclosed the 500 ft x 285 ft (152m x 87m) playing field. The grandstand on the south side of the playing field was 150 ft long x 25 ft deep with 10 rows of seats for more than 1000 spectators. Beneath the grandstand were dressing rooms and concessions. The original layout of the field and grandstand was essentially the same as today's; however based on maps used in advertising the original field also included half of the city block to the west between Quadra and Vancouver Streets. The carriage parking was on the east side off Cook Street.
The Victoria West Athletic Association, James Bay Athletic Association, and Central Lacrosse Club as well as others with intermediate lacrosse teams also played at the Royal Athletic Association grounds. Field lacrosse was to be the primary sport at the grounds. The facility was a multi-sport community asset from the beginning as cricket, football (Canadian, Rugby, and Association codes), field sports, boxing, other sports, the circus, fireworks, theatre, and other events were allowed to rent the facility. Due to field shortages, the Victoria and District Football Association (soccer) started renting RAP in September 1908 as the Royal Athletic Association’s main winter tenant for district and inter-community league games. The first soccer game played was at 3pm September 12, 1908 between Victoria West and Fifth Regiment, Victoria West won 10-0. The first recorded baseball game was an exhibition on June 27, 1908 between the Chicago Ladies’ Baseball Club and Rendell’s Team on June 27, 1908. In the mid-1920s RAP became home to amateur baseball with the construction of the Crystal Gardens on the main Victoria baseball grounds.
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