Europa Sports Park
Europa Sports Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Europa Point, Gibraltar; it was previously a Ministry of Defence cricket pitch.[1] In 2019 it hosted the Island Games opening ceremony and will also host the annual Gibraltar Music Festival.[2][3] In UEFA matches, the stadium is referred to as Europa Point Stadium. The facility is home to the Gibraltar national rugby union team, as well as other sports such as cricket, darts, gymnastics, squash and more. The rugby uses the facility to host all their home national team games, as well as the training and match base for the four Gibraltar Rugby Football Union clubs: Ibex Buccaneers, the Rock Scorpions, the Straits Sharks and Europa Stormers who all play in the u-mee Gibraltar Rugby Championship. The recent addition of the Trusted Novus bank Youth rugby festival also increases the rugby offer for young people on the rock. In February 2014 the Gibraltar Football Association had unveiled plans for a UEFA Category 4 multi-function stadium to be built on the site;[4][5] however the following year this proposal was abandoned.[1] Subsequently, the GFA purchased Victoria Stadium. On 27 March 2021, Europa Sports Park was the venue for the WBC interim heavyweight championship rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte.[6] In January 2024 new plans were unveiled to upgrade the facilities to meet UEFA Category 2 requirements, which would allow matches to be held there while Victoria Stadium is rebuilt.[7] Permission to use Europa Point Stadium for international matches from September 2024 was granted by UEFA in May 2024.[8] Florence Nightingale Field HospitalA COVID-19 field hospital was set up at the site, in line with those set up in the UK mainland.[9] However, it was not used. See alsoNotes
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