Wynand Claassen has not given up his battle to preserve Newlands Rugby Stadium as a heritage site.
The former Springbok captain is preparing a fresh approach to the National Heritage Council in a renewed bid to halt the demolition of the iconic Cape Town ground.
Claassen’s “Save Newlands” campaign suffered a setback in 2023 when Heritage Western Cape rejected an application to have the stadium declared a heritage site. But the 75-year-old insists the fight is far from over.
“Newlands is not the property of Cape Town, the Western Cape or the people of the Western Cape,” Claassen told Rapport. “It belongs to all of South Africa … as well as the wider world rugby community.”
Claassen, who made his Test debut and first captained the Springboks at Newlands 45 years ago, admits his attachment runs deep. An architect by profession, he believes the stadium’s cultural and historical significance extends beyond rugby results.
“We have also received a letter from Dr Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni, then CEO of the National Heritage Council, in which he indicates that the ‘rich history and heritage of Newlands is undisputed, and that it must be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations’,” Claassen said.
He insists financial pressures on the WPRFU should not justify a sale.
“However, we are convinced that selling Newlands does not provide the answer to this,” he said.
“A source of concern that has never been truly made public is the real reasons why the WPRU and Saru are so determined to get rid of Newlands.
“The reason presented to the public that selling the stadium is necessary to save the WPRU from bankruptcy, is unfounded. Likewise, allegations that the stadium is structurally unsafe are completely untrue.”
Newlands rugby stadium in Cape Town. pic.twitter.com/YLxa3RnpaN
— GALAXY-2:20 VIDEO
(@GalaxyTwoTwenty) March 13, 2025
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Wynand Claassen has not given up his battle to preserve Newlands Rugby Stadium as a heritage site.
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