2010 World Cup City Preview: Rustenburg

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Rustenburg!
Population: 395,539

Province: North West

Average Temperature in June: No data available. FIFA estimates the average temperature to be 16 degrees Celcius in their profile of Rustenburg.

Average Precipitation in June: See above. FIFA has no data for the precipitation in Rustenburg.

Brief History: While I do not mean to disrespect Rustenburg in anyway, there is not a lot of notable history here. It was founded in 1851 as a fertile farming area. While the 1st residents of the city were primarily of Indian origin, the town's history is most noted for it's Afrikaner history. Rustenburg was one of the first towns/cities to be inhabited by the Boers and future president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger, actually lived in what is not Rustenburg for some time, having bought a 5 square-kilometer farm. During the Boer War, Rustenburg served as one of the battlefields. While nothing major happened at Rustenburg, a place in close proximity of Rustenburg called Mafiking did see some more well-known battles.

If any people of Rustenburg are reading this (and before you Americans scoff at that notion, I did have someone from Pretoria comment on my Pretoria post), or just happen to know more than I do about Rustenburg, and there is something notable about Rustenburg that I left out, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to add it. I have not been able to find much on Rustenburg, so any and all help will be appreciated.

United States Sister City: None.

Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium

With a capacity of 44,530, Royal Bafokeng Stadium will be the smallest stadium in the 2010 FIFA World Cup (smallest in Germany in 2006 was the stadium in Leipzig). Opened in 1999, Royal Bafokeng Stadium currently plays host to their permanent tenants, the Platinum Stars of South Africa's Premier Soccer League. If this city and stadium sound familiar, well, it should. Rustenburg and Royal Bafokeng Stadium was one of the 4 stadiums to host games in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Games being played in Royal Bafokeng Stadium
June 12: Group C: England vs. United States
June 15: Group F: New Zealand vs. Slovakia
June 19: Group D: Ghana vs. Australia
June 22: Group A: Mexico vs. Uruguay
June 24: Group E: Denmark vs. Japan
June 26: Round of 16: Group C Winner vs. Group D Runner-up

Lastly, some pictures of Rustenburg