Sandy Park is a rugby union stadium and conference and banqueting centre in Exeter, England. It is the home ground of Exeter Chiefs, who from the 2010–11 season have been playing in Premiership Rugby, the top flight of the English rugby union league system.[4] The club relocated there from their former stadium at the County Ground in 2006. The stadium can hold 15,600 spectators and is located adjacent to M5 junction 30, which is around 5 miles from Exeter City Centre.[5]
 The exterior of the stadium | |
 | |
| Address | Sandy Park Way, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NN, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Location | Exeter, Devon, England |
| Coordinates | 50°42′34″N 3°28′3″W / 50.70944°N 3.46750°W |
| Owner | Exeter Chiefs |
| Operator | Exeter Chiefs |
| Capacity | 15,600 |
| Record attendance | 15,000 [3] |
| Surface | Desso Grassmaster |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1 September 2006 |
| Renovated | 2012 |
| Construction cost | £15m[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Exeter Chiefs (2006 - present) 2015 Rugby World Cup | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Sandy Park played host to the England Saxons vs Ireland Wolfhounds on 28 January 2012; the England Saxons won 23–17.[6]
Expansion
editIn the summer of 2012 the club announced a five-year plan to redevelop the ground to hold 20,600, which will be carried out in phases, starting with the existing west stand to provide a much larger bar area and extending the grandstand the full length of the pitch (in place of the existing temporary seating). The second phase (subject to finance) will involve building a large conference centre to the south and then extending the main grandstand around the corner and along the south end of the ground. The proposed stands behind each of the goal posts will be much larger than the existing main grandstand, but the proposed east stand will be similar in size to the main stand, due to its proximity adjacent the M5 motorway restricting its size.[7]
The first phase of the redevelopment (costing £10million) was carried out over the summer of 2014 and Sandy Park reopened in September that year with an increased capacity of 12,500, the capacity that the stadium will have when it hosts matches at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Conference & Banqueting facilities of Sandy Park were also increased, doubling the capacity for conferences and other events.[8]
The second phase was announced in July 2021 and involves expansion of the East stand to create a further 1,948 seats and taking capacity to 15,600.[9]
2015 Rugby World Cup matches
editSandy Park was one of thirteen venues in England and Wales that hosted 2015 Rugby World Cup games.[10][11][12][13]
| Date | Time (GMT) | Team #1 | Score | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 September 2015 | 14:15 |  Namibia |
21-35 |  Tonga |
Pool C | 10,103 |
| 5 October 2015 | 14:15 |  Georgia |
17-16 | Namibia |
Pool C | 11,556 |
| 11 October 2015 | 14:45 |  Romania |
22-32 |  Italy |
Pool D | 11,450 |
2025 Women's Rugby World Cup
editIn August 2023, Sandy Park was confirmed as one of eight host venues for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.[14]
| Date | Country | Score | Country | Stage of Tournament | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 August 2025 |  France
|
vs | Italy
|
Pool stage | ||
| 31 August 2025 |  New Zealand
|
vs |  Japan
|
Pool stage | ||
| 31 August 2025 | France
|
vs |  Brazil
|
Pool stage | ||
| 6 September 2025 |  Canada
|
vs |  Scotland
|
Pool stage | ||
| 6 September 2025 |  Wales
|
vs |  Fiji
|
Pool stage | ||
| 13 September 2025 | TBC | vs | TBC | Quarter-finals | ||
| 14 September 2025 | TBC | vs | TBC | Quarter-finals |
Gallery
edit-
West Stand -
East Stand
References
edit- ^ "Exeter Chiefs - Home of Exeter's Premier Rugby Club". www.exeterchiefs.co.uk.
- ^ "History - The home of rugby in Exeter and Devon". Exeterchiefs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Radio Exe Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 29 – 10 Leicester Tigers".
- ^ [1] Archived 11 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Clubs : Exeter Chiefs". Premiership Rugby. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "England Saxons 23-17 Irish Wolfhounds". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- ^ "Club announce redevelopment plans". Thisisdevon. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Bigger Sandy Park conference facility now open for business". Western Morning News. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ "150th Anniversary East Stand Debenture scheme launched". www.exeterchiefs.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ "RWC 2015 Official Site". International Rugby Board. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Pool C, Sandy Park, Exeter". Rugby World Cup. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Pool C, Sandy Park, Exeter". Rugby World Cup. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Pool D, Sandy Park, Exeter". Rugby World Cup. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "Rugby World Cup 2025: Eight host venues named for tournament in England". BBC Sport. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
External links
edit
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