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Nittawela Rugby Stadium

Coordinates: 7°18′59″N 80°38′03″E / 7.31639°N 80.63417°E / 7.31639; 80.63417
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Nittawela Rugby Stadium
Map
LocationNittawela, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Coordinates7°18′59″N 80°38′03″E / 7.31639°N 80.63417°E / 7.31639; 80.63417
OwnerKandy SC
OperatorKandy SC
TypeStadium
Genre(s)Sporting Events
Capacity25,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1949
Opened1954
Tenants
Kandy SC

Nittawela Rugby Stadium is a purpose-built rugby union stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is one of Sri Lanka's most famous rugby venues.

History

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Kandy Sports Club's original home ground was Bogambara Stadium until in 1939 the British Colonial Army took it over during the Second World War.[1] The grounds were subsequently handed over to the General Hospital to house their offices. Kandy SC however continued to play rugby at Bogambara but without a club house. In 1949 the Kandy Municipal Council resolved to provide the club with an area of land, a landfill site, at Nittawela.[1] The preparation of the site took approximately five years and it wasn't until 1954 that Nittawela became the permanent home ground for Kandy SC.[2]

In 1992 the gradient towards the entrance was levelled and a new pavilion was constructed, this was followed by the construction of the Central Finance grandstand and a pavilion named after Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa. In 2004 a further two stands were constructed and were named after two former players Priyantha Ekanayake and Nalaka Weerakkody. A media pavilion has also been constructed and is named after former club captain, Indrajith Bandaranaike.

References

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  1. ^ a b Jaleel, Shamseer (24 August 2011). "Kandy dominate local rugby scene". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  2. ^ de Joodt, Ken (5 December 2013). "A Historic Kandy Sports Club". Retrieved 9 March 2015.