A major new sports and leisure campus for the city of Rizhao in Eastern China. The city, one of a core group of locations chosen to promote sports, healthy living, and the development of football in China, has also been selected as one of the hosts for the twenty-fifth Shandong Games due to be held in 2022.
Comprising state-of-the-art facilities for community and elite athlete use, the campus is located across three sites. The full masterplan encompasses a 12,000 capacity stadium, training facilities, an e-sport arena, and hotel/retail developments.
The masterplan will be delivered in phases, starting with the stadium itself and following the outline vision for the project, ultimately becoming a fully-accessible campus for both elite athletes and the local community.
The training ground is sited separately to the stadium. Intended for local team use, it holds a football academy, team accommodation and three pitches. Together with the stadium, it provides an aspirational, grass-root base for the development of football in the region.
The e-sport arena will be the first in the region, with approximately 3000 – 4000 capacity, and will be AFL’s first e-sport arena.
E-sports is the fastest growing sport across much of the world. Its diverse range of games and inclusive nature creates a unique set of challenges, as does the game’s rapid growth in China.
"We are proud to engage directly with the sporting ambition of the city of Rizhao; to be at the forefront of creating an environment in which players can train, compete, and advance from their local team to the national stage."
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