Europa Sports Park

Europa Sports Park

Europa Point Stadium
Europa Sports Park in 2011
Location	Europa Point, Gibraltar
Coordinates	36°06′38.5″N5°20′48.3″W / 36.110694°N 5.346750°W / 36.110694; -5.346750
Owner	HM Government Gibraltar
Surface	Artificial turf
Tenants
Gibraltar national rugby union team (2019–present) Gibraltar Rugby Football Union [a] (2019–present) Gibraltar national football team (2024–present)

Europa Sports Park

Ground information
End names
n/a n/a
International information
First T20I	4 May 2023:   Malta v   Portugal
Last T20I	30 September 2024:   Gibraltar v   Serbia
First WT20I	20 April 2024:   Gibraltar v   Estonia
Last WT20I	16 December 2024:   Gibraltar v   Jersey
As of 16 December 2024 Source: ESPNcricinfo

Europa Sports Park is a multi-purpose stadium at Europa Point, Gibraltar. In UEFA matches, the stadium is referred to as Europa Point Stadium.

The facility is home to the Gibraltar national rugby union team, as well as other sports such as cricket, darts, gymnastics, squash and more. The rugby uses the facility to host all their home national team games, as well as the training and match base for the four Gibraltar Rugby Football Union clubs: Ibex Buccaneers, the Rock Scorpions, the Straits Sharks and Europa Stormers who all play in the u-mee Gibraltar Rugby Championship. The recent addition of the Trusted Novus bank Youth rugby festival also increases the rugby offer for young people on the rock.

History

In February 2014 the Gibraltar Football Association unveiled plans for a UEFA Category 4 multi-function stadium; ^{[1] [2] [3]} however, after the association were offered the opportunity to purchase Victoria Stadium, that proposal was abandoned. ^[4]

The Government of Gibraltar developed their own plans for a new multi-sports facilities stadium; the site they selected was at Europa Point which was previously a Ministry of Defence cricket pitch. ^[4] The new stadium, designed by AKS Gibraltar, ^[5] was completed at Europa Point in 2016. ^[6]

In 2019 it hosted the Island Games opening ceremony and also hosted the annual Gibraltar Music Festival. ^{[7] [8]}

On 27 March 2021, Europa Sports Park was the venue for the WBC interim heavyweight championship rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte. ^[9]

In January 2024 new plans were unveiled to upgrade the facilities to meet UEFA Category 2 requirements, which would allow matches to be held there while Victoria Stadium is rebuilt. ^[10] Permission to use Europa Point Stadium for international matches from September 2024 was granted by UEFA in May 2024. ^[11]

Florence Nightingale Field Hospital

A COVID-19 field hospital was set up at the site, in line with those set up in the UK mainland. ^[12]

See also

• Football in Gibraltar
• Sport in Gibraltar

Notes

1. All National & Domestic Gibraltar Rugby Union teams

References

1. Sheil, Eyleen (27 February 2014). "GFA unveils plans for Europa Point Stadium". Gibraltar Chronicle . Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
2. "Europa Point Stadium – FAQs – Existing facilities". Gibraltar Football Association. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
3. "10k seater, UEFA 'Category Four' stadium expected for 2016". GBC News. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
4. "Gibraltar's Europa Point to become training pitches if Lathbury Barracks stadium gets green light". The Olive Press. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
5. "Europa Sports Centre". AKS Gibraltar. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
6. "Major upgrades are announced for Gibraltar's Europa Sports Complex to make it in line with FIFA standards". The Olive Press. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
7. "A windswept stadium sees Gibraltar 2019 Island Games declared open".
8. "Take That and Tom Walker to headline Gibraltar Calling Festival 2019". Rock Radio.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
9. "Povetkin vs Whyte 2: Rumble on the Rock confirmed at Europa Sports Park" . Retrieved 26 May 2021.
10. Europa Sports Complex to receive a million Euro upgrade to become a UEFA Category 2 stadium GBC. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
11. UEFA exceptionally agrees to the Gibraltar FA’s request to use the Europa Point Stadium for the 2024 Nations League and European Club Competition qualifying matches Gibraltar FA. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
12. Field hospital ready as Gibraltar mourns possible virus victim SUR in English , accessed 16 April 2020