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Forsyth Barr Stadium Ready for Rugby World Cup

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Posted by: Michelle Berridge – Editor - 12 August 2011

Filed under: Dunedin, Dunedin venues, Forsyth Barr Stadium, New Zealand events, Rugby World Cup 2011

With the Rugby World Cup 2011 kicking off in New Zealand in less than a month, excitement is building to fever pitch – perfect timing for the opening of the new Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin! Replacing historic Carisbrook Stadium, setting for many unforgettable rugby games throughout its long history, Dunedin's high-tech new stadium is already winning the hearts of locals. It has also attracted international attention as the world’s only permanently covered stadium with real turf underfoot. Experts around the world said it couldn’t be done – but Dunedin proved them wrong!

The result is a stadium that seats 30,000 under a transparent roof made from a polymer developed for the space industry. Audiences are protected from rain, wind and snow, but can still enjoy the sunshine – and starlit skies at night! Some facts and figures: the roof is 37 metres high (higher than a rugby ball has ever been kicked by a human being) and, although weighing only 1% as much as glass, it can hold 400 times its own weight.

Forsyth Barr Stadium was officially opened with a dawn blessing by local Maori and was attended by New Zealand Prime Minister Rt. Hon. John Key. Dunedin City Mayor, Dave Cull, summed up the thoughts of many: “The technical challenges have been overwhelmingly met. The project management team has done a superb job to bring such a ground-breaking project to completion. Dunedin now has a roofed stadium that is unique: a first class entertainment venue offering a magnificent spectator experience that is the envy of the rest of the country and which is also attracting international interest even before it has begun operating. That is well worth celebrating.”

After the ceremony, the venue’s very first rugby match, between Dunedin’s Knox and Selwyn University Colleges, kicked off – a fitting inaugural game for Forsyth Barr Stadium in the university city of Dunedin.

Rugby World Cup 2011 matches scheduled for Forsyth Barr Stadium are:

Argentina vs. England, Saturday 10 September 2011
England vs. Georgia, Sunday 18 September 2011
England vs. Romania, Saturday 24 September 2011
Ireland vs. Italy, Sunday 2 October 2011

Get in now to book your Dunedin accommodation and transport.

Michelle Berridge – Editor

Michelle Berridge is our on-the-road correspondent. Passionate about travel and insatiably curious, some would say she’s a typical Sagittarius. She’d say she’s a somewhat philosophical hedonist in search of truth, beauty and a sublime glass of wine.

Comments

Sat, 2011-08-13 21:34 — Adventurefuse

We are also excited about the rugby world cup and we are facilitating a link between those of us who are attending the Rugby World Cup and would like to see the rest of New Zealand at the same time. Check out our RWC 2011 blog at the below link. We, as Australians would also love it if you could recommend things to do whilst we are over in New Zealand watching the Rugby :) post a comment :) http://www.adventurefuse.com.au/blog/info.php?blog=Couch%20or%20New%20Ze...?

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