Infinity Park

Infinity Park is a stadium in the Denver enclave of Glendale, Colorado, and was formerly the unofficial home venue of the United States national rugby union team. The stadium has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. It 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
View of the field in 2010
Address4500 E. Kentucky Ave.
Glendale, CO
United States
Coordinates39.6992°N 104.9349°W / 39.6992; -104.9349
OwnerCity of Glendale
Capacity5,000 (rugby)
Field size100 x 68 m
SurfaceGrass
Opened2007 (2007)
Tenants
American Raptors (SRA) (2023–present)
Glendale Merlins (2007–present)
Denver Barbarians (PRP) (2014–present)
Denver Stampede (PRO) (April – May 2016)
Website
infinityparkatglendale.com/stadium

Infinity Park is the venue for several domestic rugby union teams. The field 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]

College rugby

Infinity Park has also hosted various college rugby championships and other matches. Infinity Park 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.[7] The venue has also hosted the Champions Cup of the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO).[8]

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.[9]

In 2021, Infinity Park hosted home matches for the United States as part of the 2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers.[10][11]

Date Visitors Score Home Event Attendance Ref.
July 29, 2008Canada East Canada26–30Canada Canada West2008 North America 4
USA Hawks United States12–30United States USA Falcons2008 North America 4[12]
August 2, 2008Canada East Canada17–17United States USA Hawks2008 North America 4
Canada West Canada16–11United States USA Falcons2008 North America 4
June 6, 2009England Saxons England28–20Argentina Argentina XV2009 Churchill Cup[13]
Georgia 10–42 Canada2009 Churchill Cup[14]
June 10, 2009Ireland A 30–19 Canada2009 Churchill Cup[15][16]
Argentina XV Argentina35–14 United States2009 Churchill Cup[17]
June 14, 2009England Saxons England56–17 United States2009 Churchill Cup[18][19]
Ireland A 40–5 Georgia2009 Churchill Cup[20][21]
October 10, 2009Argentina XV Argentina57–10United States USA Select XV2009 Americas Rugby Championship[22]
June 5, 2010Uruguay 6–48 Canada2010 Churchill Cup[23]
Russia 22–39 United States2010 Churchill Cup[24]
June 9, 2010Uruguay 10–43 France A2010 Churchill Cup[25]
Russia 17–49 England Saxons2010 Churchill Cup[26]
June 13, 2010France A 27–33 Canada2010 Churchill Cup[27]
England Saxons 32–9 United States2010 Churchill Cup[28]
13 August 2011 Canada7–27 United States2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches5,000[29][30][31]
July 29, 2019Canada 19–47 United States2019 Pacific Nations Cup5,000[32][33][34]
September 11, 2021Canada 16–38 United States2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers[35][36]
October 3, 2021Uruguay 16–19 United States2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers[37]
July 16, 2022Chile 31–29 United States2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers5,000[38]
USA Record at the Infinity Park
Competition Played Won Drawn Lost  % Won
Churchill Cup410325%
Pacific Nations Cup1100100%
Rugby World Cup qualification320166.67%
Test Match1100100%
Total950455.56%

Updated 20 March 2024

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. RugbyRugby, Feb. 28, 2012, "CSU vs CU Sat Infinity Park 4pm"
  8. RugbyRugby, March 27, 2012, "Time to Ruck'n'Roll on the Road to Infinity Park" Archived 2013-02-01 at archive.today
  9. "Barbarians Women name squad to face the USA for the first time". ESPN.com. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  10. "USA and Canada victorious in Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifiers". Rugby World Cup. 3 October 2021.
  11. "Uruguay make history as they qualify for Rugby World Cup 2023 as Americas 1". Rugby World Cup. October 2021.
  12. "Pangelinan stands out in NA4 finals". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  13. "England Saxons fight for victory". england rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  14. "Canada (19) 42 - 10 (10) Georgia (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  15. "Ireland 'A' Leave It Late Against Canada". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. "Ireland 'A' leave it late to down Canada". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  17. "JAGUARS BITE LATE". eRugby News. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  18. "England Saxons reach the Churchill Cup final". england rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  19. "Saxons run riot in Denver". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. "Ireland 'A' Qualify For Churchill Cup Final". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  21. "Ireland 'A' book final date with Saxons". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  22. "Jaguars feast on US meat in the snow". rugby365. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  23. "Canada (14) 48 - 6 (3) Uruguay (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  24. "United States of America (14) 39 - 22 (15) Russia (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  25. "France A (24) 43 - 10 (3) Uruguay (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  26. "Seven-try Saxons smash Russia". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  27. "Canada (10) 33 - 27 (16) France A (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  28. "United States of America (6) 9 - 32 (18) England Saxons (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  29. "Canada make it two from two". espnscrum. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  30. "United States of America (7) 7 - 27 (10) Canada (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  31. "RWC 2011 Warm Ups". Rugby Unplugged. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  32. "Men's Eagles race past Canada to open Pacific Nations Cup". USA Rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  33. "United States of America (20) 47 - 19 (0) Canada (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  34. "Eagles fly high above Canada". americas rugby news. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  35. "Men's Eagles defeat Canada to become No. 1 seed for Rugby Americas North". USA Rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  36. "United States of America (25) 38 - 16 (9) Canada (FT)". espnscrum. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  37. "USA and Canada victorious in Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifiers". World Rugby. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  38. "Chile shock USA to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2023". americas rugby news. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
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