Kicking Off Construction on the Houston SaberCats’ Permanent Home Rugby Turf

KICKING OFF CONSTRUCTION ON THE HOUSTON SABERCATS’ PERMANENT HOME RUGBY TURF Building permits filed yesterday indicate that crews are about to get started turning the existing field at 2055 Mowery Rd. into a sportier one, fit for the Houston SaberCats rugby team (formerly the Houston Strikers) to call home. The land off Hwy. 288 remains owned by the city, which granted the team a 42-year lease in exchange for the promise it’ll host free kid-friendly rugby training events, on-site matches for high-schoolers. The city will also shell out $3.2 million to cover the costs of the 760-space parking lot the team plans to plant, along with seats to accommodate 3,500 fans (about half the capacity of what’s now the team’s temporary turf at Houston ISD’s Dyer Stadium, adjacent to the Northwest Mall). The expected completion date: sometime before next season — which the team hopes will go a little better than this current one. (After winning their second game of the year back in April, they’ve lost every match since, putting them in last place with a 1-7 record.) [Previously on Swamplot] Photo of 2055 Mowery Rd.: Swamplox inbox

9 Comment

  • This sounds like a great public-private partnership for the community.

  • Ground breaking ceremony on July 24th at 10am at the current ATH Facility at HSP. Some “renderings” of the stadium can be seen on their flier.

  • “permanent” LOLOLOL ….. amazingly naive.

  • Why not continue using the stadium near the NW Mall? How will tax dollars spent for the new location be returned to the city?

  • The HISD stadium was just a temporary fix that actually loses money for the Sabercats. You cannot sell beer there even though their main sponsor, Karbach, is down the street. Concessions make a lot of money and I’ve heard that rugby fans/players really, really like beer. I wish them success and hope they prosper for many years. Everyone should watch rugby as it grows in popularity in the US. It is now the new “youth soccer” here in Houston. Katy, West Houston and Woodlands all have club teams while many schools have middle and high school teams and it’s safer than football. I was told that some football coaches in HTX require players to go through rugby camps to teach proper tackling techniques. As for tax dollars, game revenue will help pay that. Considering what the city concedes for the Astros, Rockets and Texans, this is a drop in the bucket.

  • WR- Why is this amazingly naive? It’s a very small stadium (3500 seats) along with practice fields that can be expanded by just getting more stands. If they ever do outgrow this stadium, which would be an awesome problem to have, they can look into first BBVA (22k), then to Rice stadium (35k), then to TDECU (40k), all the way to NRG (72k). Huge pipe dream btw, not saying that any of that will actually happen. If it doesn’t grow to BBVA then this little stadium is perfect for them. If they do grow and have to move, it’s still gonna be their practice facility.

    GlenW- The city is loaning HSP $3.2 mil that will also be used to build a 760 space parking lot that was already needed for the 7 soccer fields already there (the soccer side wants 6 more fields even). Sabercats are making an extra 2 practice fields & a 3500 seat stadium (will also be used for high school rugby teams) that is going to cost $5.25 mil so more parking is a necessity since the 7 fields already there need them now w/o new Sabercats facilities/6 more soccer fields. So $1.95 million is needed in private investment for this stadium project by the team or NRL investors. Sabercats have 30 years to pay back the $3.2 million and the city of Houston will retain ownership of complex until it is paid off. Sounds like a really good investment and a win/win for all parties. Especially since were only talking about $3.2 million, that’s a lot of $ for normal people but it really is a drop in the bucket for a city like Houston & if they don’t pay back the loan the city retains ownership of it. Basically, it’s a great deal for both parties & taxpayers.
    *This whole complex was made to flood even, so the more they put there as soccer/rugby fields and not concrete for business/housing, the more protected that area is from flooding. I’m sure surrounding neighbors are happy about that. The 760 space parking lot bviously doesn’t help flooding but they need it especially if 6 more fields & small stadium are coming.

  • I figured that it was “designed to flood” because the city cant follow its own Chapter 19 regulations. I mean, the site is in the 500 year flood is it not?

  • Mas, you gave yourself the answer to your own question: “If they ever do outgrow this stadium…”. Over the course of years they will either outgrow it or fold so it isn’t permanent, just transitory. In addition, it is not well located in the metro area but the price is definitely right. Chill.

  • WR- What do I need to chill about? I gave you some facts about why this isn’t naive and I was never “unchilled.” lol