Headingley Stadium Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Headingley Stadium
Construction

Location	Headingley, Leeds, England
Coordinates	53°48′59″N 1°34′56″W / 53.81639°N 1.58222°W / 53.81639; -1.58222
Owner	Leeds Rugby Yorkshire CCC
Capacity	39,850 Rugby stadium (21,500) Cricket ground (18,350)
Surface	Grass
Opened	1890
Renovated	1991, 2011, 2015, 2017–19
Expanded	1931, 1932, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2019
Tenants
Rugby Stadium Leeds Rhinos (1890–present) Leeds Tykes (1991–2020) Bramley (1997–1999) Cricket Ground Yorkshire CCC (1891–present)

Headingley Stadium is a large sports complex in Headingley, Leeds, England. It's special because it has two separate sports grounds right next to each other. These grounds share some facilities and are connected by a stand.

One part is the Headingley Cricket Ground, home to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The other part is the Headingley Rugby Stadium, where the Leeds Rhinos rugby team plays. The stadium was first owned by a company called Leeds Cricket, Football, and Athletic Company. Today, the cricket ground is owned by Yorkshire CCC, and the rugby ground is still owned by Leeds CF & A. Both groups work together to manage the whole stadium.

What's in a Name? How Headingley Stadium Got Its Titles
The Cricket Ground: Home of Yorkshire Cricket
- Who Owns the Cricket Ground?
The Rugby Ground: Home of the Leeds Rhinos
Making Headingley Better: Recent Upgrades and Plans
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name? How Headingley Stadium Got Its Titles

Stadiums sometimes change their names when companies pay to sponsor them. This is a way for businesses to advertise. Headingley Stadium has had a few different names over the years.

From 2006 to 2017, it was called the Headingley Carnegie Stadium. This name came from Leeds Metropolitan University, which has a sports school called the Carnegie School.

Then, from November 2017 to November 2021, it was known as the Emerald Headingley Stadium. This was because Emerald Group Publishing bought the naming rights. However, Emerald Group stopped their sponsorship in 2021. This happened because of concerns about how Yorkshire County Cricket Club handled claims of unfair treatment by a former player.

More recently, in December 2023, the rugby stadium got a new name. The Leeds Rhinos rugby team made a big deal with AMT Auto. Now, the rugby part of the stadium is called the AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium. It's quite rare for the stadium's name to change, as this was only the fourth time in its long history.

The Cricket Ground: Home of Yorkshire Cricket

The cricket ground in 2006.

The cricket ground is on the northern side of the stadium complex. It first opened in 1891. Since 1899, it has hosted important international cricket matches, including Test cricket, One Day International games, and Twenty20 matches.

This ground is the main home for the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. It also hosts the Northern Superchargers team for The Hundred competition. In 2023, it was a venue for The Ashes, a famous cricket series. In 2015, bright floodlights were added so games could be played at night. The cricket ground can hold 18,350 fans. It also has special areas for important guests and a modern media center built in 2010. Many parts of the cricket ground have been rebuilt since 2000.

Who Owns the Cricket Ground?

In 2005, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club borrowed money to buy the cricket ground. They got £9 million from Leeds City Council and bought the ground for £12 million. Most club members voted to support this purchase.

After buying the ground, the club announced plans to make it even better. In 2006, they planned to rebuild a stand next to the rugby ground. This would add 3,000 seats, making the total capacity 20,000. They also planned to improve another stand, called the Winter Shed, with a new pavilion complex.

The Rugby Ground: Home of the Leeds Rhinos

Headingley rugby ground

The rugby ground is on the southern side of the complex. It is mainly known for rugby league and is the home of the Leeds Rhinos. Sometimes, it also hosts rugby union games. The Leeds Rhinos are a very successful team. They have won the League Championships 11 times, the Challenge Cup 14 times, and the World Club Challenge 3 times.

The rugby stadium has three main stands and an open area for fans to stand at one end. One stand has only seats, while two others have both seats and standing areas. The stadium can hold 20,112 spectators. In 2018, a new South Stand was opened, sponsored by Tetley's. A new North Stand, called the Emerald Stand, opened in 2019.

Making Headingley Better: Recent Upgrades and Plans

North Stand and entrance

Redevelopment on the rugby side of the ground

In 2014, Yorkshire CCC announced a big plan called the "Headingley Masterplan." This plan involves spending about £50 million over 20 years. The goal is to make sure the cricket ground remains a top place for international matches.

Several parts of this plan have already been finished:

Phase One: New Floodlights – Four tall floodlight towers were put up in 2015. These lights, shaped like the Yorkshire Rose, allow games to be played in the evening.
Phase Two: Redeveloped Howard Stand – A new stand, shared with the rugby ground, opened in 2019. It has three levels of seating for 4,200 people. It also has better facilities for businesses and new food and drink stalls.

Other parts of the plan are still being considered for the future:

Phase Three – Adding more seats to the upper part of the North East Stand.
Phase Four – Building a new main pavilion with new changing rooms for players. This would also create a new main entrance to the stadium.
Phase Five – Adding a roof to cover the Western Terrace, a popular standing area.

The Clean Slate Pavilion

The Headingley Carnegie Pavilion was built through a partnership between Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Metropolitan University. This modern building replaced older structures. It has new changing rooms designed for cricket players and special boxes for guests. The Yorkshire County Cricket Club offices are also located here. The pavilion is also eco-friendly, using things like ground source heat pumps and solar heating for hot water.

The rugby ground has also seen many improvements. In 2006, the Carnegie Stand opened, offering both standing and seated areas. In 2017, both the North and South Stands were taken down and rebuilt. The new South Stand has two levels, with a larger standing area for 5,500 fans and seats for 2,200. The new North Stand has 3,800 seats, more executive boxes, and facilities for players, staff, and media. It also includes 4,200 seats for the cricket ground.