Ravenhill Stadium (known as the Kingspan Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby stadium located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home of Ulster Rugby. With the opening of a new stand for the 2014 Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens on 5 April 2014, the capacity of the stadium is now 18,196. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...

Kingspan Stadium

Ravenhill
Kingspan Stadium Location within Greater Belfast
Location	85 Ravenhill Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54°34′35″N 5°54′16″W
Public transit	Belfast Central railway station
Owner	Irish Rugby Football Union
Capacity	18,196 (9,000 seated)[1]
Surface	Artificial Turf
Construction
Opened	1923
Renovated	2009 and 2012/14
Tenants
Ulster Rugby

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Ravenhill Stadium opened in 1923. It features an ornate arch at the entrance that was erected as a war memorial for those players killed in World War I and World War II. Prior to 1923, both Ulster and Ireland played games at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society grounds in Belfast.

Ravenhill has been the annual venue for the Ulster Schools Cup final since 1924, which is traditionally contested on St Patrick's Day. The stadium is traditionally the venue for the Ulster Towns Cup, played on Easter Monday.

Ravenhill has hosted 18 international matches, including pool games in both the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. The most recent Ireland international played at the stadium was on 24 August 2007 against Italy in a warm-up match for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.^[2] Prior to that match, Scotland was the last visitor in the 1954 Five Nations Championship.^[2] Ravenhill also hosted the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship final in which New Zealand defeated South Africa.

Ravenhill hosted memorable Ulster games in the Heineken Cup. Ulster beat Toulouse 15–13 at Ravenhill in the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 Heineken Cup. Ravenhill then hosted the 1998–99 Heineken Cup semi-final in which Ulster defeated Stade Français 33–27. The most memorable moment in that game was when out half David Humphreys ran from the Ulster 10-metre line to score a try.

On 5 June 2014, Ulster signed a 10-year contract with the Kingspan Group for the naming rights to Ravenhill, meaning that the stadium will be known as the Kingspan Stadium until 2024.^[3]

On 30 May 2015, the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final was played at the Kingspan Stadium. Glasgow Warriors beat Munster 31–13.

On 26 August 2017, the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup Final was played at the Kingspan Stadium. New Zealand beat England 41–32. The semi-final matches and some play-off matches of the Women's Rugby World Cup were also played at the stadium.

The new stand at Ravenhill was officially opened on 9 October 2009 by First Minister Peter Robinson,^[4] before a match between Ulster and Bath Rugby.^[5] The stand has however been in use since the first home match of the 2009–2010 season, against Edinburgh Rugby.^[6]

The stand is on the Mount Merrion side of the ground, and consists of a terraced area, over 500 premium seats, and 20 corporate boxes.^[4] The terraced area is now covered by a roof for the first time in the stadium's history. The cost of the project is approximately £4.5 million, and has been funded by a mixture of public-sector funding, sales of premium tickets and boxes, and loans from the IRFU.^[7]

In 2011, the Northern Ireland Executive announced that it had granted £138m for various stadium redevelopment projects throughout Northern Ireland. Ulster Rugby received £14.5m, which was used to redevelop Ravenhill and expand its capacity from 12,000 to 18,000.^[8]

In 2012, Ulster Rugby confirmed that three new stands would be built at Ravenhill, with work commencing in late 2012. Two new stands at the Memorial and Aquinas ends of the stadium were completed while the main stand was demolished and rebuilt. The major refurbishment was completed in April 2014.^[9]

More information Ireland Senior Test Matches, Date ...

Ireland Senior Test Matches
Date	Competition	Home	Away	Score	Attendance	Report
9 February 1924	Five Nations	Ireland	England	3–14	15,000	[10]
14 March 1925	Five Nations	Ireland	Wales	19–3		[11]
23 January 1926	Five Nations	Ireland	France	11–0	20,000	[12]
28 January 1928	Five Nations	Ireland	France	12–8	20,000	[13]
9 March 1929	Five Nations	Ireland	Wales	5–5		[14]
25 January 1930	Five Nations	Ireland	France	0–5	25,000	[15]
14 March 1931	Five Nations	Ireland	Wales	3–15	30,000	[16]
11 March 1933	Home Nations	Ireland	Wales	10–5		[17]
9 March 1935	Home Nations	Ireland	Wales	9–3	35,000	[18]
3 April 1937	Home Nations	Ireland	Wales	5–3	20,000	[19]
11 March 1939	Home Nations	Ireland	Wales	0–7	28,000	[20]
13 March 1948	Five Nations	Ireland	Wales	6–3	32,000	[21]
11 March 1950	Five Nations	Ireland	Wales	3–6		[22]
24 January 1953	Five Nations	Ireland	France	16–3	38,000	[23]
27 February 1954	Five Nations	Ireland	Scotland	6–0		[24]
24 August 2007	2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches	Ireland	Italy	23–20	14,100	[2][25]

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Updated 21 April 2021^[2][26]

More information Ireland Uncapped International Matches ...

Ireland Uncapped International Matches
Date	Competition	Home	Away	Score	Attendance	Report
4 December 1982		Ireland B	England B	6–10		[26]
22 December 1990		Ireland B	Scotland B	16–0		[26]
26 November 1997		Ireland A	Canada	26–10		[27]
1 December 1998	1998 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland	Ireland A	South Africa	19–50	10,000	[28]
28 December 1998		Ireland U25	Italy	21–16		[26]
7 November 2000	2000 Japan tour of Europe	Ireland U25	Japan	83–13		[29]
16 February 2001		Ireland A	France A	23–55		[30]
13 November 2001	2001 New Zealand rugby union tour	Ireland A	New Zealand XV	30–43		[31]
1 March 2002		Ireland A	Scotland A	60–3		[32]
7 March 2003		Ireland A	France A	19–29		[33]
9 February 2007		Ireland A	England Saxons	5–32	3,528	[34]
13 November 2009	2009 end-of-year rugby union internationals	Ireland A	Tonga	48–19	3,777	[35]
5 February 2010		Ireland Wolfhounds	Scotland A	34–19	2,746	[36][37]
4 February 2011		Ireland Wolfhounds	England Saxons	20–11	2,000	[38]

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Up to date as of the 2022–23 season.