CSA renting dressing rooms a regularity for Cape Town matches

It might sound a little absurd to the fans when they hear that the dressing rooms are being rented at one of the iconic stadiums in South Africa. But it indeed is a reality. For all the cricket matches played at Cape Town, Cricket South Africa pays out the rent to WPCC for the dressing rooms. This has been a norm for almost 25 years now, ever since South Africa were brought back to international cricket.

The WPCC was founded way back in the year 1964. It was the owner of the Newlands Stadium, Cape Town for a very long time. In the year 2002, the stadium was sold to the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA). Despite the deal, the WPCC continued to be the owner of the Member’s pavilion at the venue. As per the recent quotes in News18, the top officials of the WPCC confirmed the same and noted that the then club chairman Bryan Biebuyck had struck this deal.

“The deal was signed by Bryan and we do not think there is anything wrong in this and a fresh deal is signed every financial year. It helps us sustain the club. We have around 2,400 seats for members who get tickets to matches and also can have a good time at the bar and order good food at a discounted rate while watching the game. Say another 500 can come in to watch the game from our pavilion,” the WPCC General Manager John quoted.

Commenting further, the official noted that renting the dressing room is the way in which the WPCC earns its revenues. He noted that the family members of the cricketers are also welcome to witness the matches from the dressing room. However, there is a prescribed dress code which the club members expects everyone to follow.

“It comes at a very nominal fee and the players’ dressing room is very well maintained and rather than making it swanky, we have tried to keep the old charm alive. You have to realise that renting out the dressing room during an international game is our way of earning revenue and sustaining the club. Not just members, even their families are more than welcome to come. Only, there is a dress code that needs to be followed and you cannot walk in wearing slippers or floaters,” he quoted.

New dressing rooms to be created

The WPCA is quite concerned about this regularity at Cape Town. One of the officials mentioned that the association is keen on working out on a new dressing room. They wish to have the dressing room in the areas which belong to the WPCA. In this way, they could avoid paying out the rents to the WPCC for the same.

“While the deals are negotiated in a very gentlemanly manner, it is inconvenient for WPCA as a new deal has to be brokered every year. And thus, we are planning to move on and build new dressing rooms in areas which belong to the WPCA and have the players walk in from the middle of the crowd as in Lord’s,” Western Province Cricket Association member David Bookes said.

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