Ellis Park Stadium has unveiled online betting operator 10bet as its official naming rights partner in a landmark five-year agreement. The venue, which hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, will now be known as 10bet Ellis Park.

According to The Citizen, the stadium was formerly known as Emirates Airline Park.

The managing director of Ellis Park Stadium, Pieter Burger, welcomed the new commercial partnership, highlighting it as a new chapter for the internationally renowned venue.

“Ellis Park has always been more than a stadium; it is a place where history is made, where communities gather and where brands become part of unforgettable sporting memories. We are delighted to welcome 10bet into the Ellis Park family as our official naming rights partner,” said Burger.

Nations Championship clash looms

The newly branded stadium’s first official match will be tomorrow’s Nations Championship opener between the Springboks and England, kicking off at 17:40.

With a capacity of around 62 000 when full, SA Rugby hopes to have around 55 000 fans in the stands for the match (91% capacity, as has historically been the case for home tests against England).

Ticket sales have allegedly been slow, but it has been learned that organisers of tomorrow’s test have reduced the price of some tickets in a push to get more bums on seats.

Tickets are still available in most areas of the stadium, ranging from R650 to R950 and R1 750.

High-end tickets are also available for R2 350 and R3 000.

The previous cheapest ticket for tomorrow’s test was R950. The newly reduced R450 tickets have seemingly been snapped up.

Ticket sale debate

Earlier this week SA Rugby told The Citizen that assertions of a lack of interest in the test were unfounded and not supported by the actual sales data.

“SA Rugby hopes to get close to the historic average against England in South Africa of 91% of the stadiums’ capacity in a market in which tickets are on sale for four test matches and two provincial matches against the touring All Blacks,” said an SA Rugby spokesperson.

Besides the Boks’ test at Ellis Park tomorrow, there are five other high-profile international matches taking place in Gauteng this season.

In Pretoria next weekend, the Boks face Scotland, also in the Nations Championship, while Rassie Erasmus’ team face the All Blacks in two tests in Joburg later this season, at Ellis Park on August 22 and at FNB Stadium on September 5.

Historic rivalries

Additionally, the touring All Blacks, who’ll be in South Africa for a month as part of their Greatest Rivalry tour, will also face provincial sides the Bulls, on August 11, and the Lions, on August 25.

The last time the Boks and England squared off at Ellis Park, on June 9, 2018, there were 55 260 fans in the stands – similar to what is anticipated this weekend. The Boks won that match 42-39.

Last season, for the Boks’ shock loss of 38-22 against Australia, there were 51 330 spectators inside Ellis Park.

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