Firstly thank you for all the kind and informative responses to my debut blog. Thank you also for all the invitations to visit your home stadiums in a number of different locations around the world – I would love to try and visit as many as possible to showcase them on my blog but I fear I may not be able to get to them all.
I would also like to thank you for informing me of two more architect rugby players – Hugo Porta and Wynand Claassen who both played rugby in the amateur era. Porta was a fly half from Argentina between 1971 and 1990 (a 19 year international career – extraordinary!) and Claassen was a Number 8 for South Africa in the early 80’s.
Thank you as well to all the wonderful people in Wales who kindly pointed out to me that they thought I was mistaken in naming Twickenham in first place and not Millennium Stadium. I would like to say that Millennium is an excellent stadium and I entirely agree it has the most spectacular atmosphere of all the grounds I’ve been to in Europe. However, it doesn’t warrant a top 5 spot because it really lets itself down with a wildly inconsistent playing surface and a less than exciting exterior. As a designer, it was also really disappointing when they replaced the old Cardiff Arms Park with the new stadium that doesn’t have an architectural language as beautifully expressed as the ribbed structure of the old stands.
Old Cardiff Arms Park
Aerial view of Old Cardiff Arms Park
Again, I also have to say that the decision to put Twickenham in first place did not come lightly because as an Australian it really hurts to give the top spot to the home of the RFU.
At risk of sounding like an awards night acceptance speech, I also need to thank Stephen Fry for officially Tweet launching my site and who I was lucky enough to have dinner with (along with my wife and the rest of the Samfry crew) while he was in Sydney doing a series of shows.
Further also to my last blog, I’ve finally been given permission to use some of the professional images that were taken of AAMI Park in Melbourne commissioned both by Cox Architects and the Victorian State Government.
As I said in my original blog (although with a touch of bias as I was part of the team that designed it) I really think it has the potential to be a great stadium and I can’t wait to play there in the opening round of Super Rugby next year for the game against the Melbourne Rebels.
Finally, well done the Wallabies for their superb win against the Springboks! It was so exciting to watch the guys’ great defence and lightening fast game tempo piling the pressure on the Boks until Drew went over for a great try. Good Luck to the guys against the All Blacks in Melbourne (and I’m stoked to see Stephen Moore back in the starting front row after his busted jaw).
Al
