National Stadium seats that move: Fans get closer to the action at Singapore Rugby Sevens

SINGAPORE: Fans not only get to enjoy an expanded Singapore Rugby Sevens tournament this year – thousands of them are also getting much closer to the action, thanks to an integrated moving tier system at the National Stadium.

By moving 1,500 tonnes of structure, this system can push 24,000 lower-tier seats 12.7m nearer to the pitch.

Support structures ensure the new setup is stable, while concrete slabs fill the gap in the stands to create another concourse area.

These seats, comprising almost half of the 55,000 seats in the National Stadium, have been hoisted above the track, which is usually used for track and field events.

The Singapore Sevens, which kicked off on Friday (May 3), is taking place over three days instead of the usual two.

It caps off the World Rugby Sevens Series 2023-24 season and will decide the league winners. Organisers added more matches for a new women’s competition this year, with 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams vying for titles.

CONVERTING THE STADIUM

It took slightly over a week of hard work and coordination to gear the stadium up for the tournament, which follows a busy calendar of concerts – including American megastar Taylor Swift’s six sold-out shows – and other sports events.

The week-long period included ensuring the safety and security of those involved in the stadium conversion, said Mr Yazed Osman, group head of events and placemaking at Kallang Alive Sport Management, which manages the Singapore Sports Hub where the National Stadium is located.

The work also required close coordination of manpower, technical resources and machinery.

“There's a lot of challenges, definitely,” Mr Yazed told CNA.

“But we have the expertise and the experience to transform the facility in a seamless manner to coordinate the requirements of event organisers (while) also ensuring safety, security and experience of patrons."

Singapore Rugby Union general manager Sidney Kumar expressed hope that the women’s competition this year will make an impact on young girls and inspire them to play rugby.

Mr Kumar told CNA that the Singapore Sevens plays an integral role in the country’s rugby scene. The union also works closely with government agency Sport Singapore to develop a high-performance programme around the tournament.

“Ultimately, if you talk about aspirations in the medium to long term, of course, it will be a dream to have one of our teams represent at the Sevens circuit, right?” he added.

“I believe that will come – we just have to be patient and get our players and our structures in line for that.”

TURF GRASS THAT LASTS LONGER

This year’s Singapore Sevens will also use a type of turf grass that was successfully trialled during last year’s event. It has been in place since mid-April for the athletics season.

This grass, called Stadium Zoysia, will be used for Monday’s National School Games 2024 Rugby A and B Division Cup finals as well. The National Stadium was the first stadium globally to begin using it in 2023.

The National Stadium’s microclimate has proven beneficial for Stadium Zoysia, extending its usage by as much as 40 per cent.

The quality of the pitch will be crucial for players’ safety and the integrity of the competition, given that the set this year is expected to be more intense.

World Sevens general manager Sam Pinder said it will be a “huge and exciting” year for the sport, with all eyes set to turn to the Paris Olympics in July.

He told CNA: “We've got some of the superstars of the women's game playing Sevens and these athletes are phenomenal … They're certainly bringing a certain element of flair and excitement to all of the matches and to the event itself, adding to it extremely well.  

“With the closeness of the stands, the fans are going to be obviously right on the action and we're looking forward to a hugely successful sort of event."