Infinity Park

Infinity Park is a sports stadium in the Denver enclave of Glendale, Colorado, and was formerly the unofficial home stadium of the United States national rugby union team. The stadium has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. The stadium opened in 2007, at a cost of $22.5 million.[1] It is the first rugby-specific, municipally-owned stadium in the United States.[2][3]

Infinity Park
Location4500 E. Kentucky Ave.
Glendale, CO 80246
Coordinates39.6992°N 104.9349°W / 39.6992; -104.9349
Capacity5,000 (rugby)
Field size100m x 68m
Opened2007
Tenants
Colorado Raptors (MLR) (2018–present)
Glendale Merlins (2007–present)
Denver Barbarians (PRP) (2014–present)
Denver Stampede (PRO) (April – May 2016)

Infinity Park is the venue for several domestic rugby teams. The rugby stadium is home to the Glendale Merlins, a Division I men's rugby team that have won the national championship,[4] and of the Denver Barbarians. The stadium also hosts the Women's Premier League's Glendale Lady Merlins.[5] The defunct Denver Stampede of the defunct PRO Rugby played at the stadium between April and May 2016 as did the Merlins' professional offshoot Colorado Raptors who played in Major League Rugby between 2018 and 2020.

Infinity Park also hosts various tournaments. The stadium regularly hosts USA Rugby national men's club semifinals and finals championships. Infinity Park is the home of the Serevi Rugbytown Sevens Tournament which takes place in August each year and attracts teams from around the world to compete for a winner-take-all $10,000 cash prize. Most notably, it became the new home of the USA Women's Sevens, the country's stop in the annual World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, starting with the 2018–19 season.[6]

International rugby

Infinity Park has hosted international rugby test matches. It hosted the 2009 and 2010 Churchill Cup, a now-defunct international rugby tournament involving the United States, Canada, England, France, Argentina and other countries. It has also been the venue for various international test matches, such as the August 2011 United States v. Canada match, which sold out; and the June 2012 United States v. Georgia match.

On April 26, 2019, it hosted the USA women taking on the invitational Barbarians Women, the first-ever match against international competition for the Barbarians.[7]

Date Visiting Score Home Event
July 29, 2008Canada East 26–30 Canada West2008 North America 4
USA Hawks 12–30 USA Falcons2008 North America 4
August 2, 2008Canada East 17–17 USA Hawks2008 North America 4
Canada West 16–11 USA Falcons2008 North America 4
June 6, 2009England Saxons 28–20 Argentina XV2009 Churchill Cup
Georgia 10–42 Canada2009 Churchill Cup
June 10, 2009Ireland A 30–19 Canada2009 Churchill Cup
Argentina XV 35–14 United States2009 Churchill Cup
June 14, 2009England Saxons 56–17 United States2009 Churchill Cup
Ireland A 40–5 Georgia2009 Churchill Cup
October 10, 2009Argentina XV 57–10 USA Select XV2009 Americas Rugby Championship
June 5, 2010Uruguay 6–48 Canada2010 Churchill Cup
Russia 22–39 United States2010 Churchill Cup
June 9, 2010Uruguay 10-43 France A2010 Churchill Cup
Russia 17–49 England Saxons2010 Churchill Cup
June 13, 2010France A 27–33 Canada2010 Churchill Cup
England Saxons 32–9 United States2010 Churchill Cup
July 29, 2019 Canada19–47 United States2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup

College rugby

Infinity Park has also hosted various college rugby championships and other matches. Infinity Park has hosted the men's collegiate all-stars (2008-2011). The stadium has also hosted Division I college rugby matches played by the University of Colorado and Colorado State University.[8] The venue has also hosted the Champions Cup of the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO).[9]

References
  1. Article on Infinity Park, Denver Post.
  2. Rainbird, "Site Report Infinity Park and Infinity Park South"
  3. Denver Post, "Glendale's ambition soars on raucous rugby", September 27, 2007.
  4. Glendale Raptors End Season Unbeaten, Reuters.
  5. "raptors-replace-valks-in-12" Archived 2012-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, Rugby Mag.
  6. "Schedule confirmed for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019" (Press release). World Rugby. July 7, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  7. "Barbarians Women name squad to face the USA for the first time". ESPN.com. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  8. RugbyRugby, Feb. 28, 2012, "CSU vs CU Sat Infinity Park 4pm"
  9. RugbyRugby, March 27, 2012, "Time to Ruck'n'Roll on the Road to Infinity Park" Archived 2013-02-01 at Archive.today
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