Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsground

The Sportsground
Connacht vs Leinster at Galway Sportsgrounds
Location	Galway
Coordinates
Public transit	Galway railway station
Owner	The Galway Agricultural & Sports Society Ltd.
Capacity	7,500 (9,500 with temporary seating)
Surface	Grass
Opened	1927
Tenants
Irish Greyhound Board / Bord Na Gcon & Connacht Rugby / Irish Rugby Football Union

Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match and has been used to host Connacht Rugby matches since that time.

It is currently used on a day-to-day basis mainly as the base for Connacht Rugby for training and hosting matches at all levels, in addition there are usually two regular Greyhound meetings per week also on Friday & Saturday evenings (and Thursday evenings when required).

It is co-leased to Connacht Rugby who use it as their home stadium to play rugby union matches in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup competitions, and to Bord na gCon the Irish Greyhound Board who run Greyhound meetings at the Stadium on a track laid around the perimeter of the main Pitch.

It has occasionally hosted Gaelic games fixtures, most notably the 1932 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final and the 1942 Galway County Hurling Final.

When Terryland Park was being renovated in 1993 Galway United played at the Sportsgrounds for the first part of that season. It also hosted Galway's first game in European competition in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Capacity

The Sportsgrounds stadium was modified and extended in 2011 and is able to hold up to 9,500 people, which includes temporary seating. Up until the 2011 expansion the regular capacity was 5,500.

• Grandstand – has enclosed corporate facilities and covered terrace underneath
  • Temporary Stands – when required a covered temporary stand is added on the main Grandstand side of the ground
• The Clan Terrace – the original structure was extended during the 2011/12 season, now a covered terrace
• Uncovered Terracing – at the Bohermore & College Road ends of the ground

Pro12: The record attendance for a Pro12 fixture is 7,789 on 22 December 2012 against Munster.

Heineken Cup: The record attendance for a European match was 9,120 against Toulouse in Connacht's debut season in the Heineken Cup on 19 November 2011.

European Challenge Cup: The biggest crowd for a European Challenge Cup match was 7,000 for the semi final against Toulon on 30 April 2010.

Development

In the past few years the Irish Rugby Football Union has helped to fund a new playing surface, a new Clubhouse, terrace and floodlighting. In 2008 a new gymnasium was built, and the redevelopment of the existing Clubhouse Terrace and some corporate facilities was also completed.

Season 2011–12

Connacht Rugby participated in European Rugby's blue ribbon competition the Heineken Cup in season 2011–12. This spurred a new phase of development at the Sportsground to extend formal capacity to 7,500 supporters.

The existing Clubhouse terrace was knocked down to be replaced by a covered Terrace called "the Clan Terrace". This terrace primarily houses season ticket holders/Supporters Club members.

Ancillary work was also undertaken behind the terrace which saw the construction of a new bar (The Clan Bar), food outlets and restroom facilities on the Clubhouse side of the ground.

A temporary covered and seated "West Stand", adjacent to the existing main stand was also erected for the season.

Future Expansion

On the Clubhouse side of the ground, Connacht Rugby have plans to redevelop the Clan Terrace by building a seated tier above the terrace. Planning permission is already in place for this, and development will begin once funding is available.

See also

• Bord na gCon the Irish Greyhound Board
• Connacht Rugby