Singapore opens doors to glittering new National Stadium

Saturday (21st June) saw the new Singapore National Stadium open its turnstiles for the first time as the venue played host to the first day of an international rugby 10s tournament.

Organisers said the inaugural World Club 10s, featuring eight professional teams from around the globe, is expected to draw about 12,000 people to the 55,000-seat arena over its two-days.

Teams participating in the weekend  tournament include New Zealand's Blues, captained by All Blacks scrum-half Piri Weepu, Australian powerhouse Brumbies and a selection of the Samoa national team.

Also featuring are the Asia-Pacific Dragons, which is planning to enter the successful Southern Hemisphere Super Series with the new Singapore arena as its home base.

Singapore Rugby Union President Low Teo Ping said the opening of the Stadium was an "important moment" for sport In Singapore, stating “fans have been waiting for this ... new stadium equipped with ultra-modern facilities and a retractable roof that can take care of the elements.”

The National Stadium, featuring a domed, retractable roof and air-cooled seating, is the centrepiece of Singapore's $1 billion Sports Hub complex that is opening in stages during  the year.

Designed by London-based design and engineering firm Arup, which also played a part in designing Beijing's ‘Bird's Nest’ Olympic Stadium, the new Stadium is designed like a horseshoe, with one side opening up to a view of Singapore's glittering waterfront business district.

The 35-hectare Sports Hub complex also includes indoor arenas, an aquatic centre and watersports facility, and a shopping mall.

The Sports Hub complex will host its first football match, Italian side Juventus against a Singapore XI, on 16th August.

It will also host tennis's end-of-season WTA Championships in October, is the confirmed main venue for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, and is also likely to hold high-key international rugby and Twenty20 cricket events.

30th May 2014 - SINGAPORE DELAYS FIRST FOOTBALL MATCH AT NEW NATIONAL STADIUM