# Kings Park Stadium

Kings Park Stadium (known as Hollywoodbets Kings Park for sponsorship reasons since 2022), colloquially known as the Shark Tank, is a stadium located in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa.
The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and opened in 1958, extensively renovated in the 1980s and then again in time for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It currently has a capacity of 46,000, after renovations reduced the capacity from 54,000 and is the home ground of the Sharks. The stadium is also used by Durban-based Premier Soccer League football (soccer) clubs, as well as for large football finals.
It was previously also known as the ABSA Stadium (between 2000 and 2010), Mr Price Kings Park Stadium (in 2011 and 2012), Growthpoint Kings Park (between 2013 and early 2017), and Jonsson Kings Park (between 2018 and 2021) due to sponsorship deals.

## 1995 Rugby World Cup

The stadium was used as one of the venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in South Africa. The stadium hosted three pool games in Pool B. The stadium also hosted one quarter final with France defeating Ireland 36–12. A very wet semi final was played here on 17 June 1995 between South Africa and France.
| Date | Team | Result | Team | Round | Attendance |
| 27 May 1995 | Argentina | 18–24 | England | Pool B | 30,000 |
| 31 May 1995 | England | 27–20 | Italy | Pool B | 21,000 |
| 4 June 1995 | England | 44–22 | Western Samoa | Pool B | 20,000 |
| 10 June 1995 | France | 36–12 | Ireland | Quarter-final | 18,000 |
| 17 June 1995 | South Africa | 19–15 | France | Semi-final | 18,000 |

## 1996 African Cup of Nations

The stadium was one of four venues for the 1996 African Cup of Nations. It hosted 3 group matches, a quarter final and semi final.
| Date | Team | Result | Team | Round | Attendance |
| 16 January 1996 | Gabon | 1–2 | Liberia | Group C | 5,000 |
| 19 January 1996 | Gabon | 2–0 | Zaire | Group C | 4,000 |
| 24 January 1996 | Angola | 3–3 | Cameroon | Group A | 6,000 |
| 28 January 1996 | Gabon | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (1–4 (p)) | Tunisia | Quarter-final | 4,000 |
| 31 January 1996 | Zambia | 2–4 | Tunisia | Semi-final | 5,000 |

## Other events

| Artist | Tour | Date |
| Whitney Houston | The Bodyguard World Tour | 8 November 1994 |
| Roxette | Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour | 6 January 1995 |
| Bon Jovi | These Days Tour | 3 December 1995 |
| Tina Turner | Wildest Dreams Tour | 18 April 1996 |
| Gloria Estefan | Evolution World Tour | 20 March 1997 |
| Michael Jackson | HIStory World Tour (the last show of the tour) | 15 October 1997 |
| Janet Jackson | The Velvet Rope Tour | 19 November 1998 |
| Metallica | Escape from the Studio '06 | 21 March 2006 |
| Robbie Williams | Close Encounters Tour | 10 April 2006 |
| Celine Dion | Taking Chances World Tour | 20 February 2008 |
| Rod Stewart | South Africa Tour | 4 December 2008 |

## Springbok matches

| Date | Opponent | Result | Winner | Competition | Attendance |
| 21 July 1962 | British Lions | 3–0 | South Africa | 1962 British Lions tour of South Africa | 40,000 |
| 23 May 1964 | Wales | 24–3 | South Africa | 1964 Wales tour of Kenya and South Africa | 35,000 |
| 15 July 1967 | France | 26–3 | South Africa | 1967 France tour of South Africa | 39,000 |
| 16 August 1969 | Australia | 16–9 | South Africa | 1969 Australia tour of South Africa | 40,000 |
| 19 June 1971 | France | 8–8 | draw | 1971 France tour of South Africa | 40,000 |
| 24 July 1976 | New Zealand | 16–7 | South Africa | 1976 New Zealand tour of South Africa | 46,000 |
| 3 May 1980 | South American XV | 18–9 | South Africa | 1980 South American XV tour of South Africa | 37,000 |
| 6 June 1981 | Ireland | 12–10 | South Africa | 1981 Ireland tour of South Africa | 38,600 |
| 17 May 1986 | South Africa | 18–19 | New Zealand Cavaliers | 1986 New Zealand Cavaliers tour of South Africa | 42,000 |
| 26 June 1993 | France | 20–20 | draw | 1993 France tour of South Africa | 45,000 |
| 17 June 1995 | France | 19–15 | South Africa | 1995 Rugby World Cup | 49,773 |
| 17 August 1996 | South Africa | 19–23 | New Zealand | 1996 New Zealand tour of South Africa | 52,000 |
| 28 June 1997 | British Lions | 15–18 | British Lions | 1997 British Lions tour of South Africa | 50,000 |
| 15 August 1998 | New Zealand | 24–23 | South Africa | 1998 Tri Nations Series | 45,000 |
| 19 June 1999 | Italy | 101–0 | South Africa | 1999 Italy tour of South Africa | 36,210 |
| 26 August 2000 | South Africa | 18–19 | Australia | 2000 Tri Nations Series | 52,000 |
| 23 June 2001 | France | 20–15 | South Africa | 2001 France tour of South Africa and New Zealand | 44,794 |
| 10 August 2002 | South Africa | 23–30 | New Zealand | 2002 Tri Nations Series | 57,000 |
| 7 June 2003 | Scotland | 29–25 | South Africa | 2003 Scotland tour of South Africa | 37,528 |
| 21 August 2004 | Australia | 23–19 | South Africa | 2004 Tri Nations Series | 52,247 |
| 18 June 2005 | France | 30–30 | draw | 2005 France tour of South Africa and Australia | 50,419 |
| 10 June 2006 | Scotland | 36–16 | South Africa | 2006 Scotland tour of South Africa | 32,066 |
| 23 June 2007 | South Africa | 21–26 | New Zealand | 2007 Tri Nations Series | 51,861 |
| 23 August 2008 | South Africa | 15–27 | Australia | 2008 Tri Nations Series | 48,123 |
| 20 June 2009 | British & Irish Lions | 26–21 | South Africa | 2009 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa | 49,055 |
| 1 August 2009 | New Zealand | 31–19 | South Africa | 2009 Tri Nations Series | 43,149 |
| 13 August 2011 | South Africa | 9–14 | Australia | 2011 Tri Nations Series | 47,850 |
| 9 June 2012 | England | 22–17 | South Africa | 2012 England tour of South Africa | 43,052 |
| 8 June 2013 | Italy | 44–10 | South Africa | Quadrangular Tournament | 23,663 |
| 14 June 2014 | Wales | 38–16 | South Africa | 2014 Wales tour of South Africa | 37,182 |
| 8 August 2015 | South Africa | 25–37 | Argentina | 2015 Rugby Championship | 27,447 |
| 8 October 2016 | South Africa | 15–57 | New Zealand | 2016 Rugby Championship | 51,500 |
| 17 June 2017 | France | 37–15 | South Africa | 2017 France tour of South Africa | 27,712 |
| 18 August 2018 | Argentina | 34–21 | South Africa | 2018 Rugby Championship | 26,836 |
| 24 September 2022 | Argentina | 38–21 | South Africa | 2022 Rugby Championship | 45,982 |
| 13 July 2024 | South Africa | 24-25 | Ireland | 2024 Ireland tour of South Africa | 52,000 |

### Statistics

Statistics updated to most recent match against Ireland, 13 July 2024.
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | W% | F | A | Diff. |
| Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 | 97 | 79 | +18 |
| Australia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 040.00 | 81 | 88 | –7 |
| British & Irish Lions | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 | 44 | 39 | +5 |
| England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 22 | 17 | +5 |
| France | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 057.14 | 160 | 106 | +54 |
| Ireland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 | 36 | 35 | +1 |
| Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 145 | 10 | +135 |
| New Zealand | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 042.86 | 149 | 185 | –36 |
| New Zealand Cavaliers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | 18 | 19 | –1 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 65 | 41 | +24 |
| South American XV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 18 | 9 | +9 |
| Wales | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 62 | 19 | +43 |
| Opponent | 36 | 22 | 3 | 11 | 61.11 | 897 | 647 | +250 |

## Future

With the construction of the new Moses Mabhida Stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup less than 200m away, the local government had hoped that the Sharks would relocate. However, this is unlikely as they have a 50-year lease on Kings Park which runs to 2056.