Almost 90 000 fans will attend the Tri-Nations kick-off at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on Saturday 21 August as the Springboks face the All Blacks to begin the home leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign.

Jacques Grobbelaar, the CEO of stadium management company Stadium Management SA, says 88 700 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s match – a record for a Tri-Nations series. Only the 1953 Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park drew a larger crowd for a rugby match, of 105 000 spectators.

“This will be the first rugby Test at the stadium where the opening game and final of the World Cup were played. Bringing the Springboks to this iconic venue is an historic event and one the whole of South Africa can celebrate,” he says.

Grobbelaar says FNB Stadium has become a proud legacy of South Africa’s triumphant World Cup hosting and remains the country’s premier sporting venue. “The Springboks will have a massive crowd cheering for them and the magic of the 2010 stadium to inspire them.”

Issued by            
Siyenza Management
+27 11 463 9184 
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

On behalf of:
Stadium Management South Africa

Contact:
Brescia Bianco-Badenhorst
+27 11 247 5300

Supporters are advised to travel early to the venue in the light of the large numbers of supporters who will be making their way to the stadium from outside the area.

Road Closures: The followings roads will be closed from 6am, and only those with valid parking tickets will be able to access these roads: Golden Highway, Soweto Highway, Nasrec Road

Landbou Road Park & Ride Tickets: Park & Ride tickets cost R50 per person and will be sold only through Computicket channels.

Park and Ride will be running from the following venues:

1. Emperors Palace — 64 Jones Road, Kempton Park

2. Wits Campus — Wits University, Enoch Sontonga Street, Braamfontein (enter from the main gate at Wits on Enoch Sontonga near the Metro Bus Depot. GPS: 26 degrees 11’34.89”S; 28 degrees 01’36.10”E)

3. Constitutional Hill — Joubert Street, Braamfontein (between Hoof and Empire Roads. GPS: 26 degrees 11’34.89”S; 28 degrees 01’36.10”E)

4. Gold Reef City — Data Crescent, off North Park Way, (Area across the road from Gold Reef City. GPS: 26degrees 14’20.93“S ; 28degrees 00’28.66”E) For more information on purchasing Park & Ride tickets, visit computicket .

An additional cost of R10 will be charged to park at Emperor’s Palace.

Train Services: A train service will be running from Pretoria to Nasrec and back at a cost of only R50 per commuter.

The stadium in the National Stadium Precinct, which last saw Bafana Bafana run out onto its pitch at the opening match of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, will once again host the SA national soccer team in a friendly against Ghana’s Black Stars on 11 August 2010.

The match will be a warm-up for Bafana ahead of its upcoming qualifier against Niger for the Africa Cup of Nations in September.

The vuvuzelas have fallen silent. The big screen TVs have been switched off. The beautiful flags from World Cup nations around the globe are coming down. But what a spectacle it was, thanks in no small part to the astounding stadia which hosted all the action.

South Africa’s national stadium, known as Soccer City during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, witnessed both the first and the final whistle of the tournament. The stadium’s managers, Stadium Management SA, would like to congratulate Spain on its victory. In front of a capacity crowd studded with royalties, statesmen and celebrities, Spain overcame Holland in a nail-biting finish, finally beating the Dutch team by 1-0.

And what a place to do it in, at one of the most breathtaking stadia in Africa, whose calabash shape has surely become synonymous with the 19^th FIFA World Cup, the first ever to be held in Africa.

So from one new soccer star to another – congratulations!

All parking tickets for the match to be played at the Stadium, in the National Stadium Precinct, are available through Computicket channels (Computicket outlets, Money Market counters in Shoprite Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores), online at
www.computicket.com or through the Computicket call centre on 083 915 8000.

Tickets cost R50.00 each, bus parking tickets cost R160 each. A free parking ticket will be issued for every 4 match tickets bought.

It will be open parking - you may park in any of the designated public parking areas or if you prefer to park at Nasrec, even if you have a ticket indicating "Shareworld".

The Springboks will play New Zealand at the Stadium, in the National Stadium Precinct (formerly known as Soccer City) on August 21, following a ground-breaking decision between the South African Rugby Union and the Golden Lions Rugby Union.

Peter de Villiers' team will begin the home leg of their Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign at the iconic 88,791 seat stadium, which will host the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.

The decision to move to the Stadium, in the National Stadium Precinct creates significant landmarks:

• The potential for the largest crowd for a home Springbok Test in 55 years (since an estimated 95,000 attended the SA v Lions Test at Ellis Park in 1955)
• More than 9000 of the available tickets to be sold at R350 - the lowest price for a major Springbok test since 2005
• 5000 tickets to be sold exclusively at Computicket outlets in Soweto for just R100 from July 26th
• Free parking incorporated into the ticket price for every four tickets bought
  
  

 "This is an historic day and one in which the whole of South Africa can celebrate," said Mr Oregan Hoskins, the president of the South African Rugby Union.

"Taking the Springboks to what is already an iconic world venue gives our players and supporters the best stage on which to enjoy rugby.

"But it also allows us to continue the nation building through sport that we have enjoyed throughout the FIFA World Cup."

The Golden Lions have been informally discussing the idea of playing this fixture at the Stadium for a year, and had the prerogative to make the final decision.

"I am delighted to say that the Lions needed no encouragement from SARU to make the switch," said Mr Hoskins. "It has presented logistical and contractual challenges to them but I would like to commend Lions president,
Kevin de Klerk, and his team for their determination to make this dream a reality."

Mr De Klerk said the decision had only been taken after consultations with key stakeholders such as sponsors, suite and season ticket holders and the rugby clubs of the Golden Lions Rugby Union.

"The only thing that surprised us was the near unanimity of our stakeholders in embracing this decision," said Mr De Klerk. "The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and as much as we love Coca-Cola Park there was
widespread agreement that we must take such a significant rugby match to one of the best stadiums not just in South Africa but in the world.

"I'd particularly like to thank key sponsors Coca-Cola, Bidvest and Macsteel for coming to the party and to the City of Johannesburg and Stadium Management SA for assisting us in making this match possible.

"They have had to make major sacrifices on some of their contractual rights but the way they have supported us in recognising the potential benefits of this move - not just for rugby but for South Africa - has been magnificent.

"The match would also not have been possible without the vision and support of Stadium Management SA who have been prominent in driving the process of hosting the Test at the Stadium ." 

Mr De Klerk said the Lions had opted for a differential ticket pricing system - in line with the FIFA model - in the hope of producing a sell-out crowd. The price of standard tickets is R500 - a price that was locked in before the start of the season as part of the Union's season ticket pricing.

"Sports fans have had to dig deep over the past few weeks and we know how much it has cost families to watch the World Cup.

"But a family of four can come to see the Springboks play the All Blacks in what is likely to be John Smit's 100th test at one of the best facilities in the world for R1400 in total - and that includes parking.

"And to offer the opportunity to the local community to see the Springboks - possibly for the first time - we have 5000 tickets available at just R100, as well as normally priced tickets, available through Computicket outlets
only in Soweto."

A second release of tickets may be made at a later stage, depending on the uptake of stakeholders.

Tickets for the match are available through Computicket channels (Computicket outlets, Money Market counters in Shoprite Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores; online at www.computicket.com or through the Computicket call centre on 083 915 8000 and go on sale on Monday 12th of July 2010.

Stadium Factfile
Built: 1987
Upgraded: 2009
Inauguration match: Bidvest Wits vs Amazulu (May 22, 2010) Nedbank Cup Final
Cost of upgrade: R3.5bn
Capacity: 88,791
Record attendance: 84,617 Ghana vs Germany (June 23, 2010)

Issued by SARU Communications

Stadium Management SA (SMSA) is the most dynamic and capable team to manage flagship sport venues and that is exactly why the City of Joburg has appointed SMSA as the official management company for the Stadium, in the  National Stadium Precinct. As the proud host city, the City of Joburg’snation decision had been taken on the strength of the experience and our obligation to the world and to our South African community to ensure that our flagship venues are managed in the most dynamic and competent way.

National Stadium SA forms part of the Nasrec Precinct where both SAFA and the Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ are based.