Rugby Stadia: Behind the Scenes

There is no segregation between home and away fans, which makes the atmosphere all the more dynamic. The seating is coloured in the ratio of 60% red, 30% navy and 10% gold. The random mixture of these colours creates an optical illusion so the stadium always appears full.

A portion of the rubble from the old stadium and adjoining houses was used in the construction of the new Thomond Stadium. This forged a critical link between the stadium’s rich history and its ambitious future.

Welford Road Stadium is the largest purpose-built club rugby union stadium in the UK and home to one of the oldest and biggest premiership Rugby Clubs in the country: Leicester Tigers.

The stadium fundamentally embodies the idea that stadia have two faces; the outward facing public facade, and the inward spectator bowl. The architectural form is constructed of brick, the traditional material of Leicester, with metal cladding supported by ribbons of steel: a striking build that remains true to its surrounding context.

The home of the Sale Sharks and Salford Red Devils, AJ Bell Stadium is a true multi-use venue, intended to accommodate a variety of sports with ease. The nearby road bridge lights up in the evening, with passing vehicles seeming to fly across the Salford skyline, lending a futuristic feel.

Recently the stadium hosted the Quidditch Premier League finals. Seventeen teams across England and Europe took part in the games. In the final, the East Mids Archers won against the reigning champions, the London Monarchs, in an incredibly close match.

The stadium has close links with the community, positioning itself as fully inclusive. As part of the Department of Health-backed scheme called Connect to Autism, there are full-trained autism-aware staff trained to help and recognise fans and staff with autism.

The largely concrete structure was inspired by the locally iconic Baobab tree that grows in the region.

The trees can live to be over 3,000 years old and are virtually indestructible by drought, fire, and termites. The corner towers of the stadium present a dominant architectural feature. The walls of the ‘tree’ are punctuated by openings at every level that give access to the bank of lifts that run up through the central void.