STADIUMS. THEY say so much about an occasion and not just the stadium itself, however towering or beautiful or functional. The surroundings, the facilities, the temper of the crowds, the vital transport links and the transmission of crowd noise and atmosphere are so critical and all dictated by the edifice itself. It is time that European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) realised that, as part of the major boost in all aspects that the European competitions both sorely need.
The very best arenas can make a day special before the action even starts. I once spent a day with Populous, without doubt the world’s leading stadium designers. Among their panoply is the Principality in Cardiff, Suncorp in Brisbane, the 2012 Olympic Stadium in London and several others where the Games have been staged, various venues for Super Bowl, and more rugby stadiums all over the world, including the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arguably their most amazing project was a plan for a brand-new stadium in Paris for the French Rugby
