Stade Yves-du-Manoir – stadium description

Named after the famnous rugby player from early twentieth century, this stadium was under construction from 2003 and still only just opened ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. As a result it wasn’t the host club, but Australian national team who played host first.

After the tournament situation normalized and the €63-million ground began serving club games mostly. Designed by A + Architecture, known for bold ideas, this stadium’s roof is like no other – bending over three stands just to fly up at the east side, resulting in a dramatic effect.

Not only the architectural side is interesting though, because each of the four independent stands was named after a different famous… stadium from around the world – Eden Park, Ellis Park, Murrayfield and Twickenham.