Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) For the first time since it opened in 1961, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is now without a permanent tenant, following D.C. United’s move to a new stadium. However, the city still has plans for RFK before it comes down.
Events D.C. announced Tuesday that the 57-year-old stadium will host a rugby match between South Africa and Wales in June, in addition to plans to host high school football games.
Rugby is growing in popularity, Events D.C.’s Erik Moses told WMAL.
“The D.M.V. area has about 230 rugby clubs, 23 of which are based in the District,” he said. “Washington, D.C. happens to be the number one metropolitan area for the growth of women’s rugby and number two for overall adult participation.”
The building lost its last permanent tenant when D.C. United wrapped up its last season prior to its move into a soccer-specific stadium at Buzzard Point. Before that, the building held legendary status as the longtime host of the Washington Redskins, along with the second iteration of the Washington Senators before a departure to Texas, and the stopgap home of the Washington Nationals ahead of the opening of Nationals Park.
It lacks the amenities many teams crave in their homes nowadays, including luxury suites, wide concourses, and digital connectivity. However, the city is still working on what is next for the site.
“Until such time as we’re ready to replace the stadium, we’re going to keep it up and running and continue to program it for things that bring people to our city,” Moses said. He cited an eight-figure cost for demolition that the city may not be willing to pay without knowing what the future holds for the campus.
“It would not be an insignificant cost and expense to bring down a building of this size and to haul everything away so you don’t have an eyesore sitting here,” he said. “We’re going to squeeze whatever additional memories we can out of the building…and then at some point it will sunset as well.”
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