SaberCats Stadium

Last updated
SaberCats Stadium
Aveva Stadium architectural rendering, July 2018.jpg
SaberCats Stadium
Former namesAVEVA Stadium (2019–2022)
Address12131 Kirby Dr
Houston, Texas 77045
Location Houston Sports Park
Coordinates 29°38′04″N95°23′24″W / 29.6345°N 95.3899°W / 29.6345; -95.3899
Public transitHCC South Campus Station, METRO Bus
Owner Houston SaberCats
OperatorHouston SaberCats
TypeStadium
Capacity 4,000
Field shapeRectangular
Acreage 41 [1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundJuly 24, 2018 [2]
Built2018–2019
OpenedApril 13, 2019
Construction costApproximately $15.25 million USD [3]
ArchitectGoulas & Associates, Inc. [4]
Structural engineerHMSE, Inc.
General contractorChristensen Building Group
Tenants
Houston SaberCats (MLR) (2019–present)
Houston Dynamo 2 (MLSNP) (2022–present)
Houston Havoc (UFA) (2023–present)
Website
houstonsabercats.com

SaberCats Stadium is a rugby union stadium in Houston, Texas, United States, as part of Houston Sports Park and is the home of the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 24, 2018. [5] [6] [7] Naming rights for the stadium were initially purchased by British information technology company AVEVA, and it was opened as AVEVA Stadium on April 13, 2019. Following the 2022 season, its name officially changed to "SaberCats Stadium".

Contents

It is the first stadium in the league built specifically for use by Major League Rugby, and the second rugby-specific stadium primarily for professional competition in the United States.

History

Planning and funding

Construction of restrooms and locker rooms with east side stands and pavilion Aveva Stadium Construction, February 2019.jpg
Construction of restrooms and locker rooms with east side stands and pavilion
West side stands Aveva Stadium - West Side Stands with Fans.jpg
West side stands

In March 2017, local rugby organization and predecessor to the Houston SaberCats, the Houston Strikers publicly announced their plans to build a stadium at the Houston Sports Park located roughly three miles from NRG Park and eight miles from Downtown Houston along the South Freeway. [8] The group also released several other key details such as early renderings, an estimated cost of $10 million, and a 5,000 person initial capacity.

Leading up to the inaugural season of the team, the City of Houston agreed to partially fund a permanent stadium with a contribution of $3.2 million in February 2018. The ownership group expects to invest an additional $12.0 million of their own funds to construct the 3-field, multi-use facility. [9] [10] Details of the deal, outlined in Houston City Ordinance 2018–0085, also confirmed the construction on city-owned property in south Houston at Houston Sports Park, with the city maintaining ownership and leasing stadium grounds back to the team for a 43-year term. [11]

Design and construction

On July 8, the Houston SaberCats released new preliminary architectural drawings and a groundbreaking announcement for July 24, 2018 via Instagram and then via press release several days later. [7] [6] On July 17, the SaberCats announced naming rights were awarded to AVEVA. [12]

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 24, 2018, with the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, representing the city. [5]

Opening and current use

Construction was still ongoing as the venue opened as "AVEVA Stadium" on April 13, 2019 with a game against the Seattle Seawolves. [13]

After its inauguration, previous games were played before the grand opening, which was postponed and took place on May 29, 2019. The Houston team played against the Glendale Raptors.

Beginning in 2022, Houston Dynamo 2, the reserve side of MLS club Houston Dynamo, began playing home matches at the stadium. As naming rights with AVEVA ended, it became known as "SaberCats Stadium" beginning with the 2022 season.

Other events

SaberCats Stadium has hosted non-MLR events. In 2022 it hosted both the Division 1-A Rugby final and the United States national rugby union team in a match against the French Barbarians. [14] Also, beginning in 2023 it is the home of the UFA team Houston Havoc, a professional Ultimate Frisbee team.

Facilities

SaberCats Stadium's overall facilities include a 1,200-car parking lot and two secondary fields for multipurpose use. While seating capacity exceeds 3,000, the stadium features up to 4,000 maximum capacity by utilizing standing-room-only areas. The venue is primarily the home of the Houston SaberCats professional Rugby team but can accommodate other sports and non-sports events due to the large size of the fields.

The stadium's east and west side stands are grandstands with individual seats. The south side stands feature a mix of bleacher and individual seats, while the north side stands are uncovered bleacher seating. Also located on the south end of the stadium, below the video board, is a full-service bar known as the "Cat's Den" and two berms. Both the bar area and berms allow for general standing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aveva</span> Software company in United Kingdom

AVEVA Group plc is a British multinational information technology consulting company headquartered in Cambridge, England. The company started as the Computer-Aided Design Centre which was created in Cambridge in 1967 by the UK Ministry of Technology and Cambridge University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Fitzpatrick</span> Ireland international rugby union player

Justin Michael Fitzpatrick is an Irish former rugby union player who most recently was head coach of the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for London Irish, Castres Olympique, Dungannon RFC & Ulster. He had also held several other coaching positions, including head coach of Dungannon RFC and the Seattle Saracens, and assistant coach of the United States national rugby union team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constellation Field</span> Baseball park in Sugar Land, Texas, US

Constellation Field is a baseball park located in Sugar Land, Texas. It is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Pacific Coast League, who began play in 2012 as the Sugar Land Skeeters. The park also has the ability to host rugby union, American football, soccer, lacrosse, and cheerleading competitions, as well as concerts. Constellation Field has a capacity of 7,500 spectators for baseball games, and 9,500 spectators for concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eureka Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Victoria, Australia

Eureka Stadium, known commercially as Mars Stadium, is an oval-shaped sports stadium located in the Eureka Sports Precinct of Wendouree, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) north of the CBD of the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space City Home Network</span> Regional sports network in Houston

The Space City Home Network is an American regional sports network owned jointly by the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the network broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout Southeast Texas, mainly focusing on professional sports teams based in Greater Houston, namely the Astros and Rockets, as well as local college teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Sports Park</span>

Houston Sports Park is an urban park that serves as a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility in the Five Corners District of Houston near the neighborhood of City Park. Houston Sports Park (HSP) houses Aveva Stadium, which is the home of the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby and is the training ground of the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash and its academy teams. The facility is made up of the Memorial Hermann Champions Field, one artificial turf field, and five additional grass fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMO Stadium</span> Soccer stadium in Los Angeles

BMO Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC and the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC. Opened on April 18, 2018, it was the first open-air stadium built in the city of Los Angeles since Dodger Stadium in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Rugby</span> Professional rugby union competition in the United States and Canada

Major League Rugby (MLR) is a professional rugby union competition for clubs in North America. In the 2023 season it was contested by twelve teams: eleven from the United States and one from Canada. While operating outside of the governance and oversight of the national governing body, the league is officially sanctioned by USA Rugby—a member union of Rugby Americas North (RAN)—and is consequently part of World Rugby. The league was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston SaberCats</span> Professional rugby union team from Houston, Texas

The Houston SaberCats are an American professional rugby union team based in Houston, Texas, that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2017. The SaberCats organization was born from one of the founding amateur rugby clubs that pooled resources to emerge professionally, and were the first in MLR membership to build a rugby-specific stadium intended for MLR competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Seawolves</span> Professional rugby union team from Seattle, Washington

The Seattle Seawolves are an American professional rugby union team based in Tukwila, Washington, that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2017. The Seawolves won two MLR championships in 2018 and 2019, and lost in the 2022 final and 2024 final. They play home matches at the 4,000-seat main stadium at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, a suburb south of Seattle.

Paul Mullen is an Irish-American rugby union player who plays prop for the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team. Mullen previously played for the Houston SaberCats, the San Diego Legion and the Newcastle Falcons.

The 2019 Major League Rugby season was the second season of Major League Rugby, the professional rugby union competition sanctioned by USA Rugby. The regular season began on January 26 and concluded on June 2.

Devereaux St Bruno Ferris is a New Zealand-born, American rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also represents America as a member of the United States men's national team and USA Selects.

The 2019 Major League Rugby final was the championship match of the 2nd season of Major League Rugby (MLR), a rugby union club competition in the United States. It was played on June 16, 2019, at Torero Stadium in San Diego, California, between the San Diego Legion and the Seattle Seawolves.

The 2021 Major League Rugby season was the fourth season of Major League Rugby, the professional rugby union competition sanctioned by USA Rugby. The regular season began on March 20, 2021.

The 2022 Major League Rugby season was the fifth season of Major League Rugby, the professional rugby union competition sanctioned by USA Rugby. The regular season began on February 5, 2022.

The 2022 Major League Rugby final was the fourth Major League Rugby (MLR) championship match, held at the conclusion of the 5th season of the rugby union club competition in North America. The match was played on June 25, 2022, at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. It was the first MLR Final to be held in New Jersey as all previous MLR Finals were played in California. Rugby New York emerged victorious over the Seattle Seawolves by a score of 30-15.

The 2023 Major League Rugby Championship Final was the fifth Major League Rugby (MLR) championship match, held at the conclusion of the 6th season of the rugby union club competition in North America. The match was played on July 8, 2023, at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. It was the first MLR Final to be held in Illinois, and the first since the 2019 final to be held at a pre-determined venue. The match was won by the New England Free Jacks over the San Diego Legion by a score of 25-24, claiming their first MLR Championship.

References

  1. ↑ "City of Houston – City Council Agenda Item #13". Houston City Council. February 6, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ Verpraet, Illya (July 19, 2018). "Houston SaberCats to break ground on new Aveva sports complex" . Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ Morris, Mike (February 5, 2018). "Houston City Council to consider $3.2M stadium deal with SaberCats rugby team". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Advertisement for Construction Competitive Sealed Proposals" (PDF). City of Houston. March 9, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Houston Sabercats and Sylvester Turner break ground on AVEVA Stadium". KTRK-TV. July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Houston SaberCats & City of Houston (Mayor Turner) Break Ground on New Rugby Stadium" (Press release). Houston: Houston SaberCats. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Instagram: houstonsabercats". Houston SaberCats. July 8, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ Hlavaty, Craig (March 22, 2017). "Houston group bringing a rugby franchise, stadium to the city". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  9. ↑ Schneider, Andrew (February 7, 2018). "Houston City Council Approved $3.2 Million Deal To Build A New Rugby Stadium". Houston Public Media . Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Vote set on whether to fund new stadium for Houston's rugby team". KRIV. February 6, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ Elliott, Rebecca (February 7, 2018). "Houston signs off on $3.2M rugby stadium deal with SaberCats". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  12. ↑ "SaberCats, city to break ground on new AVEVA Stadium late July". KHOU. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  13. ↑ "SaberCats fall to Seawolves in first match played at SaberCats Stadium". Houston Chronicle . April 13, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  14. ↑ "USA Men's Eagles vs. French Barbarians 2022". Houston SaberCats. April 27, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.