The Houston SaberCats Major League Rugby team has agreed a deal with UK engineering and software firm Aveva. The company has obtained the naming rights for the SaberCats’ new stadium in downtown Houston.
The SaberCats and Houston City Mayor Sylvester Turner will break ground next week on the new US$3.2m Aveva Stadium. The complex will include three fields and parking for more than 1,100 vehicles, and will feature concessions, lighting for night games and other fan attractions. The main field will seat more than 3,000 people.
In addition to 3,000 regular seats there will be additional standing room off the south in-goal; 600 VIPs will have a dedicated section near the midfield mark, with access to another 120-seat section in the Pavilion Area if they want to see the action from another angle; and all seats, VIP and regular, will be reserved seats, with no general admission.
The general contractor for the building work is Christensen Building Group, who are aiming to have the facility open for the start of the SaberCats’ 2019 season in late January. On July 24, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony at the ATH Building at Houston Sports Park.
Craig Hayman, chief executive of Aveva, said, “Houston is the oil and gas capital of the world and Aveva has been part of the community for over 30 years, with nearly 200 employees.
“We are very excited to be joining forces with the Houston SaberCats and the City of Houston. Our partnership with SaberCats and Major League Rugby is a commitment to high performance and bringing the ‘physical and the digital’ together.”
Houston SaberCats’ president Brian Colona commented, “We are proud to have created this new partnership with Aveva, whose early support for the ‘Cats has blossomed into an exciting, long-term partnership. We look forward to holding a wide variety of events at the Aveva Stadium, from Rugby to soccer, lacrosse and concerts. The size and amenities of this venue will attract numerous events that previously went to other cities or didn’t happen at all.”
By Illya Verpraet
July 19, 2018
