Penrith Stadium

Last updated

Penrith Stadium
BlueBet Stadium
BlueBet Stadium logo.png
World Club Challenge Penrith 2023.jpg
Penrith Stadium during the 2023 World Club Challenge.
Penrith Stadium
Former namesPenrith Park
Penrith Football Stadium
Credit Union Australia Stadium (2006–10)
Centrebet Stadium (2011–13)
Sportingbet Stadium (2014)
McGrath Foundation Stadium
Pepper Stadium (2015–17)
Panthers Stadium (2018–21)
BlueBet Stadium (2021–2024)
LocationMulgoa Road, Penrith, New South Wales
Coordinates 33°45′31″S150°41′16″E / 33.75861°S 150.68778°E / -33.75861; 150.68778
OwnerCrown Land Trustees Penrith City Council
OperatorPanthers Leagues Club
Capacity 25,000
Record attendance22,582 – Penrith vs Parramatta, 2010
Field size130m × 68m [1]
SurfaceGrass
Opened23 April 1967
Tenants
Penrith Panthers (NSWRL/ARL/NRL) (SL) (1967–present)
Penrith Nepean United (NSWPL)
Penrith City SC (NSL) (1984–1985)

Penrith Stadium, currently known as BlueBet Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.

Contents

The 22,500 capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the National Rugby League (NRL). The all-time attendance record for the venue is 22,582 in a match between the Panthers and their Western Sydney rivals Parramatta on 17 July 2010. It closed in September 2024 for redevelopment that will include a new western grandstand and refurbished eastern grandstand increasing the ground capacity to 25,000.

History

Panthers Stadium has been used by the Penrith Panthers since their entry into the New South Wales Rugby League competition in 1967. [2] Initially, the stadium only had one main grandstand, the Western grandstand while the ground itself was oval in shape. In the 1980s, the stadium was redeveloped into a rectangle arena more suitable for rugby league and other sports such as association football (soccer) and rugby union. This redevelopment also saw the construction of the Eastern Grandstand. In 2006, a joint Federal and State Government funding project saw $30 million worth of investments come to the stadium.[ citation needed ] In the subsequent developments, the Western Grandstand was extended and revamped. Following the completion of the project, the stadium held 8,000 seats in the grandstand.[ citation needed ]

Two of Samoa's 2008 Rugby League World Cup matches were played at CUA Stadium: their Group C game against Tonga and their 9th place play-off match against former twice World Cup finalists France.

It was briefly featured in a 2009 60 Minutes episode titled "Brute Force" showing Public Order & Riot Squad officers across Sydney.

At the end of 2010, the Federal and State Governments provided funding to redevelop the scoreboard end of the stadium. Initial plans were to build a double-sided grandstand between Penrith Stadium and Howell Oval. However, it was found that a main sewer line ran between the stadium and Howell Oval. Relocation of the line would have cost nearly double what the initial funding would cover. Subsequently, a stand was built at Howell Oval, and the facilities at the scoreboard end of the stadium were redeveloped.

A new video screen was purchased from Subiaco Oval in Perth in 2018 and was installed prior to the start of the 2019 NRL season at the Family Hill end. [3] [4]

In 2021 the Government of New South Wales considered funding a major redevelopment of the stadium. The proposal would have entailed the demolition of the facility and the construction of a 25,000 to 30,000-seat stadium on the site. [5] [6] [7] The stadium was reported to cost $200 to $300 million and would be built with the funds originally allocated for the redevelopment of Stadium Australia which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7] On 9 December 2021, Premier, Dominic Perrottet and Stuart Ayres, minister for Tourism and Western Sydney, alongside Penrith Panthers players Nathan Cleary and Brian To'o officially announced the new stadium. [8] [9] Under the original plan, the stadium would have closed and been demolished at the end of the 2022 NRL season and reopened in 2025. [9]

However, in July 2022, the NSW government entered talks with the Penrith Paceway, a major horse racing facility, to buy the land it sits on to build a brand new stadium. [10] [11] The new plan would have allowed the Panthers to play at the existing site until the new stadium was built.

In February 2023, the ground hosted the 2023 World Club Challenge clash between two-time reigning NRL premiers the Penrith Panthers and four-time defending Super League champions St Helens R.F.C. [12]

Following a change in government, in January 2024, the Government of New South Wales announced revised plans for a new $309 million renovation to transform the Stadium precinct into a modern venue for sporting and entertainment. [13] [14] The redevelopment will include a new western grandstand and refurbished eastern grandstand increasing the ground capacity from 22,500 to 25,000. [15] To facilitate the redevelopment, the stadium closed after the 2024 NRL season and is scheduled to reopen in 2026 with the Panthers to play out of Western Sydney Stadium. [13] [15] The final NRL game at Penrith Stadium prior to redevelopment took place on September 13, 2024, with Penrith taking on the Sydney Roosters in a Qualifying Final in front of a sellout crowd of 21,483. [16]

Naming rights

Penrith Stadium was sponsored by Credit Union Australia, who previously held the naming rights, from early 2006 until 31 October 2010. The stadium's name was sometimes shortened to CUA Stadium.

On 22 January 2011, it was announced that sport betting agency Centrebet had acquired the rights to the sponsorship name of the stadium until 2016. Under their sponsorship rights the stadium was also known as the "Centrebet Stadium Penrith". [17]

On 21 June 2011, it was announced that, for the Women in League round of the NRL, Centrebet had agreed to forego the naming rights for one week, during which time the stadium would officially be known as McGrath Foundation Stadium.

On 28 January 2014, it was announced that sport betting agency Sportingbet acquired the rights to the sponsorship name of the stadium, changing the stadium's name to Sportingbet Stadium Penrith. In 2015, Pepper Money replaced Sportingbet as the naming rights sponsor, renaming the stadium to Pepper Stadium. [18]

At the end of 2017, Pepper Group ended its sponsorship of the ground and the stadium was renamed Panthers Stadium. [19]

On 22 March 2021, BlueBet was announced as the stadium's naming rights partner, signing a two-year deal. [20]

Tenants

In the National Rugby League competition, the Penrith Panthers club have played at this stadium, as their home ground, ever since making their first grade appearance in 1967.

In the National Soccer League, the Penrith City SC club played here in 1984–1985.

The stadium hosted a Western Sydney Wanderers pre-season friendly against Adelaide United on 22 September 2013, and was host to a competitive A-League Premiership match against the Wellington Phoenix on 8 February 2015. The Wanderers also played an FFA Cup match against Brisbane Roar at the venue on 11 August 2015.

On 16 September 2017 the venue hosted an international women's friendly football game when the Matildas defeated Brazil 2–1 in front of a crowd of 15,089.

Rugby league test matches

List of rugby league test and World Cup matches played at Penrith Stadium. [21]

Test#DateResultAttendanceNotes
17 October 2006Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji def. Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands 40–21,713 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying
231 October 2008Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa def. Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 24–1411,787 2008 Rugby League World Cup Group C
39 November 2008Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa def. Flag of France.svg  France 42–148,028 2008 Rugby League World Cup 9th-place playoff
420 April 2013Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga def. Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 38–1010,143 2013 Pacific Rugby League International
53 May 2014Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa def. Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 36–149,063 2014 Pacific Rugby League International

International Soccer matches

List of International Football matches played at Penrith Stadium.

Test#DateResultAttendanceNotes
116 September 2017 Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svg 2–1 Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 15,089 International Women's Friendly
210 November 2018 Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svg 2–3 Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 15,185 International Women's Friendly

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canberra Stadium</span> Stadium in Canberra, Australia

Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports venue by capacity in Canberra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kardinia Park (stadium)</span> Sporting venue in Victoria, Australia

Kardinia Park is a sporting and entertainment venue located within Kardinia Park, South Geelong, in the Australian state of Victoria. The stadium, which is owned and operated by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club, an Australian rules football club who compete in the Australian Football League (AFL). Kardinia Park can accommodate 40,000 spectators, making it the largest-capacity Australian stadium in a regional city, and the third largest-capacity stadium in Victoria behind the Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,024) and Docklands Stadium (56,347).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle International Sports Centre</span> Sports stadium in Newcastle, Australia

Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets FC (A-League). It is owned by the Government of New South Wales and is administered by Venues NSW. Due to past sponsorship deals, the ground has been previously known as Marathon Stadium, EnergyAustralia Stadium, Ausgrid Stadium and Hunter Stadium. Newcastle International Sports Centre is also known as Newcastle Stadium when in use during AFC competitions due to conflicting sponsorship reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookvale Oval</span> Sports venue in Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia

Brookvale Oval, known commercially as 4 Pines Park, is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Northern Beaches Council and is primarily used by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team. Brookvale Oval has an approximate capacity of 20,000 people. By the end of the 2023 season, Brookvale had played host to 720 first grade premiership games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee Oval</span> Stadium in Carlton, New South Wales, Australia

Jubilee Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Carlton, a suburb in Sydney. The stadium is mainly used for rugby league and the A-League, and is one of the home grounds of the National Rugby League (NRL) team St. George Illawarra Dragons. The stadium has hosted football matches, including hosting Sydney Olympic FC in the 2003–04 National Soccer League and recently, Sydney FC in the 2018–19, 2019–20 A-League, 2020–21 and 2021–22 due to the rebuild of the Sydney Football Stadium. The Cronulla Sutherland Sharks temporarily played at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium during the major redevelopment of their leagues club and stadium in 2020–21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leichhardt Oval</span> Stadium in Leichhardt New South Wales, Australia

Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Sydney Stadium. Prior to its merger with the Western Suburbs Magpies, it was the longtime home of the Balmain Tigers, who used the ground from 1934–1994 and 1997–1999. It was named after Ludwig Leichhardt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindmarsh Stadium</span> Football stadium

Hindmarsh Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Australian A-League team, Adelaide United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marrara Oval</span> Sports ground in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Marrara Oval is a sports ground in Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory. The ground primarily hosts Australian rules football, cricket, and rugby league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willows Sports Complex</span> Stadium in Townsville, Queensland, Australia

The Willows Sports Complex was a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was used predominantly as a rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Queensland Cowboys National Rugby League club. The ground was also used for rugby union and soccer. From 2009 to 2011, A-League football club North Queensland Fury called it home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta Stadium</span> Defunct sports stadium in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia,

Parramatta Stadium was a sports stadium in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, 24 km (15 mi) west of Sydney CBD. The stadium was the home ground of several western Sydney-based sports teams, at the time of closure the most notable were the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League and the Western Sydney Wanderers of the A-League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wollongong Showground</span> Multi-sports stadium

Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team, and is still the team's home ground in the lower grade competitions. It is now used as one home ground of the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league side and Wollongong Wolves of the National Premier Leagues NSW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolphin Stadium (Brisbane)</span> Stadium in Kippa-Ring, Queensland, Australia

Dolphin Stadium, commercially known as Kayo Stadium, is a sports stadium in the suburb of Kippa-Ring in the City of Moreton Bay, north of the adjoining Brisbane metropolitan city, Queensland, Australia. Formerly known as Moreton Daily Stadium under a previous naming rights agreement, the stadium serves as the home ground for the Redcliffe Dolphins rugby league club in the Queensland Cup, and NRL club, the Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endeavour Field</span> Rugby league stadium in Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia

Endeavour Field, currently known as PointsBet Stadium for sponsorship reasons and colloquially as Shark Park, is a rugby league stadium in the southern Sydney suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Club, which represents the Cronulla and Sutherland Shire areas in the National Rugby League competition. The Sharks are as of 2023 just one of two professional sporting clubs in Australia that own and operate their home ground as well as Western United's future home ground Wyndham City Stadium. The Sharkies Leagues Club sits beside the stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmore Sports Ground</span> Football field in Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Belmore Sports Ground, formerly known as Belmore Oval, is a multi-purpose stadium in Belmore, New South Wales, Australia. The park covers 22 acres (89,000 m2) and from 1951 has contained the Belmore Bowling Recreation Club green. It is close to Belmore railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redfern Oval</span> Australian football ground

Redfern Oval is an Australian football ground, in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, New South Wales, Australia. The South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Football Club played at Redfern Oval between 1948 and 1987. Rabbitoh supporters often refer to Redfern Oval as "The Holy Land".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concord Oval</span> Rugby stadium in New South Wales, Australia

Concord Oval is a rugby football stadium in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Concord, Australia. The stadium is able to hold 5,000 people as of November 2022, down from 20,000 when the Concord Oval was opened in 1985. As of 2022, it is used mostly for rugby union matches and hosted eight matches during the 1987 Rugby World Cup. It is also a venue for soccer matches and local rugby league matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Coast Stadium</span> Sports venue in Bokarina, Queensland, Australia

Sunshine Coast Stadium is a multi-sport venue located at Bokarina in the Kawana Waters urban centre on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The stadium is the main venue in a sporting precinct that also includes seven fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby League Park</span> Sports stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand

Rugby League Park is a sports stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is currently known for sponsorship reasons as Apollo Projects Stadium, and non-commercially as Christchurch Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Showground Stadium</span> Stadium in Sydney, Australia

Sydney Showground Stadium is a sports and events stadium located at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It hosted the baseball events for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Showground, including the stadium, is operated by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS), under lease from the New South Wales Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Sydney Stadium</span> Stadium in Parramatta, Australia

Western Sydney Stadium, currently known as CommBank Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Parramatta, a satellite city approximately 24 km (15 mi) west of Sydney CBD. It replaced the demolished Parramatta Stadium (1986) which in turn was built on the site of the old Cumberland Oval, home ground to the Parramatta Eels since 1947. The current stadium opened in April 2019 and has a 30,000-seat capacity. The stadium is owned by the NSW Government and built at a cost of $300 million. The stadium hosts games across the major rectangular field sports in Sydney.

References

  1. ↑ "Pepper Stadium". Austadiums. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "History of the Penrith Panthers". penrithpanthers.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Panthers Stadium to get a new Screen". Panther Pride. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Panthers Stadium big screen has arrived, 22 November 2018, retrieved 20 May 2019
  5. ↑ Chammas, Michael (17 June 2021). "Panthers set to get brand new stadium as early as 2025". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Penrith Stadium set for major rebuild early as 2022". Nine News . 17 June 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Penrith the first NRL stadium set for major rebuild". Austadiums. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "New stadium to be built in Penrith | 7NEWS - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. 1 2 "World class stadium coming to Penrith". Penrith Panthers. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Club Statement: Stadium Redevelopment". Penrith Panthers. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Dodds, Troy (5 July 2022). "State Government confirms Paceway negotiations for new stadium; Panthers to play at BlueBet in 2023". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Lenehan, Martin (15 December 2022). "World Club Challenge returns with 2023 pre-season locked in". National Rugby League . Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  13. 1 2 "First look at new and improved Penrith Stadium". Penrith Panthers . 24 January 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  14. ↑ "Penrith Stadium". Infrastructure NSW . Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  15. 1 2 Drennan, Jonathan (24 January 2024). "What $300m in renovations means for the Panthers". Sydney Morning Herald .
  16. ↑ "Relentless procession by the Panthers roasts the Roosters". NRL.com. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "Panthers collect with Centrebet Stadium". NRL.com. 21 January 2011.
  18. ↑ Luca, Rocco (12 February 2015). "Panthers Rename Home Ground". Rugby League Week . Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Panthers to take back naming rights of stadium". Western Weekender. 29 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Panthers home becomes BlueBet Stadium". Penrith Panthers. 22 March 2021.
  21. ↑ Penrith Stadium results @ Rugby League Project
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.