 | |
| Location | Nittawela, Kandy, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 7°18′59″N80°38′03″E / 7.31639°N 80.63417°E Coordinates: 7°18′59″N80°38′03″E / 7.31639°N 80.63417°E |
| Owner | Kandy SC |
| Operator | Kandy SC |
| Type | Stadium |
| Genre(s) | Sporting Events |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1949 |
| Opened | 1954 |
| 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.
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.
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.
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