Stadio Pierluigi Penzo
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Stadio Pierluigi Penzo, Venice, Italy — opened 7 September 1913, inaugurated with a ceremonial bottle-breaking; the inaugural match was a 0-7 loss to Genoa, 1 rugby league games hosted, home of Venezia FC (football), tenant continuously since the stadium opened.
Ground facts
| Opened | 7 September 1913, inaugurated with a ceremonial bottle-breaking; the inaugural match was a 0-7 loss to Genoa |
| Home club | Venezia FC (football), tenant continuously since the stadium opened |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 1 |
| Top recorded crowd | 1,500 |
| Capacity | Historic peak of 26,000 (1966); reduced to around 5,000 after tornado damage in September 1970; around 15,000-16,500 after early-1990s restructuring; reduced again to around 7,400-7,450 (2005-2017); current capacity 12,048 following a 2021 renovation after Venezia FC was promoted to Serie A |
| Floodlights installed | Yes, confirmed present today; exact installation date not confirmed |
| Surface | Natural grass, pitch dimensions approximately 105m x 68m; a surrounding running track was removed in the 1991 restructuring |
| Years used | 1982 |
| Location | Venice, Veneto |
Name history
- Campo di Sant'Elena — 1910-1913, in use before formal inauguration
- Campo Comunale Pier Luigi Penzo — 1913-1926, the official name from inauguration
- Campo Sportivo Fascista di Sant'Elena — 1926 to around 1928/1931, renamed under the Fascist regime
- Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo (Campo Comunale Pier Luigi Penzo) — from around 1928/1931 to the present, the current name; the exact date the earlier name was restored is not precisely documented
Rugby league history
This is the historic home of Venezia FC, on the island of Sant'Elena. Its one recorded rugby league match, confirmed directly against Rugby League Project's own venue pages, was a full Great Britain vs France international played 31 July 1982, which France won 8-7 in front of 1,500 fans. Played in mid-summer, outside the normal British/French season, and at a time when Italy had no active rugby league national team of its own (the sport had effectively died out there in the 1970s, not revived until 1993), this was most likely an exhibition or promotional fixture -- a rare instance of a full international staged in Italy, on a football ground otherwise entirely associated with Venezia FC.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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