In an effort to get the Free State Stadium’s downgrade reconsidered, the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) had an engagement with the Cheetahs and SA Rugby, alongside the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture and Recreation, Zanele Sifuba, to discuss what needs to be done to have the stadium upgraded to a Class B venue again.
This comes after SA Rugby downgraded the Free State Stadium to a Class C venue in February 2025, effectively excluding the city and stadium from hosting any Test matches or international rugby games. The primary reasons cited for the downgrade include Bloemfontein’s limited flight access and accommodation options, both of which are crucial factors in hosting large-scale international events.
During last week’s engagement, SA Rugby Chief Executive Officer, Rian Oberholzer, pointed out that there is an urgent intervention required from the municipality, all relevant departments, and the Cheetahs to ensure that the stadium gets upgraded to a Class B venue again. He further mentioned that limited flights and accommodation are a challenge for Mangaung.
“The general upkeep of the stadium is one of the factors that you must pay close attention to – the pitch and cleanliness of the precinct. The municipality must look at creative ways of ensuring that sports fanatics can come to the city, and that might include looking at having a train that will depart from one of the other cities with fans and make its way to Bloemfontein,” he said.
In light of this, Bloemfontein Courant sat down with the MMM spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, who pointed out that the meeting was the first step towards fixing the downgrade. He mentioned that it would take a lot of working together between the city manager, the municipality and various departments.
“Bloemfontein is so rich in sports, last week’s engagement shows commitment from the city to work tirelessly to ensure our sports facilities are up to par. We are also working with various departments to ensure that everything needed to host these international games is there. From the safety of the sports lovers to accommodation as well, we’re looking into highlighting accommodation in townships as well.”
The SA Rugby CEO additionally mentioned that a team will be sent to Bloemfontein to host a workshop and work with the municipality and other stakeholders to ensure that the stadium is upgraded to a Class B venue again.
Clement Matroos
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 had an engagement with the Cheetahs and SA Rugby, during the engagement, SA Rugby Chief Executive Officer, Rian Oberholzer, emphasised the urgent need for intervention from the municipality, relevant departments, and the Cheetahs to ensure the stadium is upgraded and restored to a Class B venue.){kind=link}