Ruhrstadion (German pronunciation: [ˈʁuːɐ̯ˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn] ⓘ) is a football stadium in Bochum, Germany. It is the home ground for the VfL Bochum and has a capacity of 27,599. It was known as rewirpowerSTADION [ʁeˈviːɐ̯paʊ.ɐˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn] (or, rarely, [ʁəˈviːɐ̯-]) from 2006 to 2016, also for sponsorship reasons.

History

In 1911 the Spiel und Sport Bochum leased a meadow from a local farmer as their new home ground. The club played the first match at the new venue against the VfB Hamm in front of 500 spectators. The TuS Bochum did not build a stadium until after World War I as late as 1921.

The stadium has a capacity of 27,599 people. The original capacity was over 50,000 but was decreased by numerous modifications.

The stadium was expanded between March 1976 and July 1979 and the first game was between the VfL Bochum and SG Wattenscheid 09 on 21 July 1979. This expansion could technically count as a complete rebuild; legally, it is officially an expansion.

David Bowie performed at the stadium during his Serious Moonlight Tour on 15 June 1983. Herbert Grönemeyer performed multiple sold-out concerts at the stadium in 1985, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019. Additionally, his song Bochum is sung before the kickoff of every home match of VfL Bochum, with the final line before the final chorus of the piece bearing special significance to the club. Herbert has been an honorary member of the club since 2006.

The stadium hosted a UEFA Champions League match between CSKA Moscow and Rangers in December 1992 because the teams weren't able to play in Moscow for weather reasons.

In 2006, a five-year naming rights deal was struck with Stadtwerke Bochum to rebrand the stadium as "rewirpowerSTADION". In 2016, a new naming rights deal was struck with the German housing association Vonovia, and the stadium was rebranded as Vonovia Ruhrstadion.

Germany international matches
DateResultOpponentCompetition
2 July 19220–0HungaryFriendly
23 September 19817–1FinlandFIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying
11 May 19861–1YugoslaviaFriendly
14 April 19936–1GhanaFriendly

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

DateTime (CET)Team #1ResultTeam #2RoundSpectators
27 June 201115:00Japan2–1New ZealandGroup B12,538
30 June 201118:00Canada0–4FranceGroup A16,591
3 July 201120:45Australia3–2Equatorial GuineaGroup D15,640
6 July 201120:45North Korea0–0ColombiaGroup C7,805

See also

External links

  • Media related to Ruhrstadion at Wikimedia Commons

51°29′24″N 7°14′12″E/51.49000°N 7.23667°E/ 51.49000; 7.23667