Soccer City in Johannesburg, these days known as FNB Stadium, was designed and built to become the national stadium of South Africa, and, more importantly, to become an icon of nation building. The venue resembles a calabash, a type of cooking pot that is used all over the African continent and was supposed to be the epitome of a united nation: united in standing together while supporting their national teams, both for football and rugby. 

Until the turn of the century, these sports represented the two opposite of the South African social spectrum. While sports was already increasingly used to create harmony and unity, the idea of having both sports calling the same venue their home, got many ecstatic. Yet, it had a rocky start from the very early beginning.

An inspection merely weeks prior to the start of the tournament, concluded that the field crown was more than they actually preferred. The cameras on one side of the field were not able to capture the commercial messages on the perimeter boarding on the other side. The suggestion was made to either flatten the field by removing soil (including the grass that had just started to sprout) from the central axis, or to raise the sides of the fields. With the venue manager not being present, due to commitments back in Europe, and merely weeks left until the start of the tournament, the decision was made to raise the sides of the field by, approximately 30 centimetres. At that moment in time, South Africa was experiencing winter, hence the conditions to (quickly) grow a new surface, were limited. The decision turned out to be disastrous, as it killed the goose with the golden egg. By raising the sides of the field, the field suddenly became approximately half a metre shorter on all sides, as supporting steps had to be constructed to prevent the field from collapsing into the surrounding moat that separated the field from the stands. Consequentially, the field was no longer compliant with the dimensions the International Rugby Board (today known as World Rugby) stipulated. And rugby was, and still is, the big money spinner in the country. Where stadium management had banked on hosting multiple football and rugby games, complemented by concerts and religious or political rallies to make a living, this decision forced them to go back to the drawing board.

Black frost

The LOC and stadium team still managed to grow a descent surface, but experienced black frost two nights before the opening game. Black frost is when the air temperature drops below freezing, but the air is too dry for visible ice crystals (white frost) to form on the grass.