Ellis Park Stadium is a rugby union and association football stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's national team, the Springboks. The stadium was the country's most modern when it was upgraded in 1982 to accommodate almost 60,000 people.
Today, the stadium hosts both football and rugby and is also used as a venue for other large events, such as open-air concerts. It has become synonymous with rugby as the only time when rugby was not played at Ellis Park was during 1980 and 1981, when the stadium was under construction during the upgrade.
The stadium was originally named after J. D. Ellis, who made the area for the stadium available. A five-year ZAR 450 million (US$58 million/£30 million) naming rights deal was signed in 2008 with The Coca-Cola Company, resulting in the stadium being named Coca-Cola Park between 2008 and 2012. The stadium was then known as Emirates Airline Park from 2015 until June 2025 after Emirates bought the naming rights. In July 2026, 10bet acquired the naming rights for five years, renaming the stadium to 10bet Ellis Park.
League, provincial, and international football games have all been played at the stadium, and it has seen such teams as Brazil, Manchester United and Arsenal play. Ellis Park Stadium is the centrepiece of a sporting sector in the south-east of Johannesburg, where it neighbours Johannesburg Stadium (athletics), Standard Bank Arena, Ellis Park Tennis Stadium,Johannesburg Stadium and an Olympic-class swimming pool.
Ellis Park is home to the following teams: Lions (Cats until September 2006), United Rugby Championship. Golden Lions, Currie Cup domestic rugby competition
Cricket matches were held at the stadium in the past. Ellis Park hosted six Test matches between 1948 and 1954, but it has not been used for first-class cricket since New Wanderers Stadium opened in 1956 and is now only used for rugby and football.
History In 1889, the Transvaal Rugby Football Union (now the Golden Lions Rugby Union) was formed and established a domain. The first games were played at the Wanderers Club's stadium whose grounds were situated where Johannesburg Park Station is today. Rows between the different rugby clubs as well as the Wanderers Club's claim of the field for the use of cricket games, forced the Transvaal Rugby Football Union to look for an alternative.
An area with a quarry and garbage dumps in Doornfontein was identified in, 1927 as the possible alternative. The Transvaal Rugby Football Union negotiated with the Johannesburg City Council's J. D. Ellis (after whom Ellis Park was named) for the availability of these grounds and was made available. On 10 October 1927 the final rental agreement was signed. A quote of £600 was accepted for the grass and with a loan from the city council to the amount of £5,000, the building of the new stadium could commence. The stadium was built in eight months and in June 1928 the first test was played against the All Blacks. Thus was born Ellis Park which became internationally renowned and synonymous with rugby. Crowds of between 38,000 and a record crowd of 95,000 against the British and Irish Lions (in 1955) attended the matches.
Ellis Park played the host for cricket matches after an agreement was reached between Transvaal Rugby Football Union and The Transvaal Cricket Union. From 1947 when the cricket pitch was laid until 1956, Ellis Park was host to various cricket matches with the final games played in the 1953/54 series against New Zealand. Cricket then moved to its new venue where the current Wanderers still is today.
On 28 April 1969 the Transvaal Rugby Football Union formed a stadium committee to investigate the possibilities of a new stadium since the one in use did not meet all the modern requirements. Fifteen years later, after the game between Transvaal and the World Team on 31 March 1979, the old Ellis Park was demolished. Games were played at the Wanderers while the stadium was being rebuilt.
A new Transvaal Rugby Football Union management was elected in 1984 with Louis Luyt as chairman and Joe Poolman as his deputy. The decision was taken to place Ellis Park Stadium under the management of a trust. In 1987 after the Ellis Park Stadium was listed on the stock exchange and due to sound financial management by Luyt, Ellis Park could announce that the debt to the amount of R53 million was fully paid and a further 86 suites could be erected.
In 2005 Ellis Park became the first black-owned stadium in South Africa. The Golden Lions Rugby Football Union passed the management of the Ellis Park Precinct to a company with 51% black ownership. Orlando Pirates, Interza Lesego and Ellis Park Stadium (Pty) Ltd make up the new management of the Ellis Park Precinct.
The stadium was witness to an incident during a Premiership football match between Orlando Pirates and Black Leopards on 17 January 2007, when high winds blew several sideline advertising boards onto the pitch, striking a linesman and three players. Play resumed 7 minutes later, but the match was ultimately abandoned 6 minutes before full-time due to sudden torrential rains and lightning. The game's kickoff previously had been delayed 15 minutes by a power failure.
Disaster of 11 April 2001
In 2001 a crowd crush occurred during a football game between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. With 43 people killed, the Ellis Park Stadium disaster is to date the biggest of its kind in South Africa.
Crime The inner city suburb of Doornfontein has experienced increasing crime, leading to a number of incidents affecting stadium goers, and impacting stadium attendances. As a result, there have been calls for South African rugby to move to another venue in Johannesburg.
Sponsorship Originally named after J. D. Ellis, a five-year ZAR 450 million (US$58 million/£30 million) naming rights deal was signed in 2008 with The Coca-Cola Company, resulting in the stadium being named Coca-Cola Park between 2008 and 2012. The stadium was then known as Emirates Airline Park from 2015 until June 2025 after Emirates bought the naming rights. In July 2026, 10bet acquired the naming rights for five years, renaming the stadium to 10bet Ellis Park.
Concerts On 12 January 1985, Ellis Park Stadium was the venue for Concert in the Park, a benefit concert organised by Hilton Rosenthal. 22 artists played the benefit, which raised money for Operation Hunger, a South African non-profit organisation.
Among the touring artists who have performed at the Stadium are:
Artist Date Tour Whitney Houston The Bodyguard World Tour Roxette Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour Rolling Stones 24 & 25 February 1995 Voodoo Lounge Tour Phil Collins 17 March 1995 Both Sides of the World Tour Janet Jackson 21 November 1998 Velvet Rope Tour Eminem 1 March 2014 Rapture Tour
Whitney Houston's concert was recorded and released as a home video titled: Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa). A year later also Roxette's concert during the Crash! Boom! Bang! World Tour was recorded and released on VHS home video.
Sporting events
1995 Rugby World Cup
In 1995, South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup, and the final was held at Ellis Park on 24 June in front of 65,000 spectators. South Africa beat New Zealand 15–12 in extra time.
DateTeam 1ResultTeam 2RoundAttendance27 May 1995 19–43Pool C38,00031 May 1995 34–9Pool C38,0004 June 1995 24–23Pool C35,00010 June 199542–14Quarter-finals52,00024 June 199515–12 (aet)Final65,000
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Ellis Park was one of the host venues for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
DateTime (SAST)Team 1ResultTeam 2RoundAttendance14 June 200916:000–0Group A (opening match) 48,83718 June 200920:301–0Group B52,15020 June 200920:300–0Group A23,29525 June 200920:301–0Semi-finals48,04928 June 200920.302–3Final52,291
2010 FIFA World Cup
Ellis Park hosted five group games, one second-round game and one quarter-final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which its capacity was increased by 5,000 seats on the northern side only, to 62,000. Areas like the Presidential suite also received a facelift. There was also a hospitality room and new changing rooms. The total cost of renovations was R500 million and were completed in June 2008, two years before the World Cup.
DateTime (SAST)Team 1ResultTeam 2RoundAttendance12 June 201016:001–0Group B55,68615 June 201020:302–1Group G54,33118 June 201016:002–2Group C45,57321 June 201020:302–0Group H54,38624 June 201016:003–2Group F53,41228 June 201020:303–0Round of 1654,0963 July 201020:300–1Quarter-finals55,359
Cricket Records
Test centuries A total of 13 Test match centuries were scored on the ground.Statistics – Statsguru – Test Matches – Batting Records, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
No. Player Score Date Team Opposing team Inn. Result 1 Len Hutton 158 1 Drawn2nd Test, England (Marylebone Cricket Club) tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Dec 27–30 1948, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 2 Cyril Washbrook 195 1 3 Denis Compton 114 1 4 Eric Rowan 156* 3 5 Allan Watkins 111 1 Drawn4th Test, England (Marylebone Cricket Club) tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Feb 12–16 1949, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 6 Dudley Nourse 129* 2 7 Len Hutton 123 3 8 Lindsay Hassett 112 1 Australia won1st Test, Australia tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Dec 24–28 1949, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 9 Sam Loxton 101 1 10 Arthur Morris 111 1 Australia won4th Test, Australia tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Feb 10–14 1950, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 11 Jack Moroney 118 1 12 Jack Moroney 101* 3 13 Neil Harvey 100 3
Test match five-wicket hauls Eight five-wicket hauls were taken in Test matches on the ground.
+ Five-wicket hauls in men's Test matches at Ellis Park No. Bowler Date Team Opposing teamInnORW Result 1 Cuan McCarthy 1 35.7 114 5 Drawn 2 Keith Miller 2 15 40 5 Australia won 3 Bill Johnston 3 20.1 44 6 4 Michael Melle 1 33 113 5 Drawn 5 David Ironside 2 19 51 5 South Africa won2nd Test, New Zealand tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Dec 24–29 1953, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 6 Neil Adcock 4 19 43 5 7 Hugh Tayfield 2 14 13 6 South Africa won4th Test, New Zealand tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Jan 29 – Feb 2 1954, CricInfo. Retrieved 7 March 2020. 8 Neil Adcock 3 26 45 5
See also List of rugby union stadiums by capacity List of stadiums in South Africa List of Test cricket grounds Lists of stadiums Ellis Park Stadium Disaster Orlando Pirates FC Johannesburg Stadium Soccer City
Notes
References
External links
360° view at In3sixty.com Photos of Stadiums in South Africa at cafe.daum.net/stade