Ballymore Stadium

Ballymore is a rugby union stadium situated in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is the headquarters of Queensland Rugby Union and was the home ground of the Brisbane City team in the National Rugby Championship, until the league's disbandment in 2019. It is also used as a training facility for the Queensland Reds and the Australia national rugby union team.

Ballymore Stadium

Ballymore
Location	Herston, Queensland
Coordinates	27°26′31″S 153°1′4″E
Owner	Queensland Rugby Union
Capacity	6,000[1]
Surface	Grass
Opened	1966
Tenants
Queensland Reds (Super Rugby) (1996–2004) Brisbane City (NRC) (2014–2019) Brisbane Roar A-League Men (2024–present) Brisbane Roar A-League Women (2023–present) Australia women's rugby union team

The stadium was the home ground of the Reds until they moved to Suncorp Stadium in 2006. The Brisbane Strikers football club also played at the ground prior to 2003. Ballymore was used as a training facility and headquarters for A-League club Brisbane Roar from 2008 to 2014. It will be used as the club's women's home stadium from 2023–24 season.^[2]

History

The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) set up its headquarters at Ballymore in 1966 under a deed of grant from the state government. The first club game played at the new site was a match between Teachers and Wests. The QRU moved in February 1967. In March of the following year Ballymore's grandstand was officially opened. The Eastern Stand was opened on 21 June 1992. The ground exceeded capacity in 1993 when 26,000 watched the Wallabies play South Africa. A year later the first match under lights was played at the ground. Today the grandstand is known as the McLean Stand (named in 1982 after the McLean family).^[3] The Eastern stand is known as the Bank of Queensland stand.

The Queensland Reds played their home matches at Ballymore from 1967 until 2005.^[4] Their Super Rugby matches were moved to Lang Park for the 2006 season but they still played their home games in the 2006 Australian Provincial Championship at Ballymore. The stadium also hosted the Ballymore Tornadoes during the only season of the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007.

During the 2032 Summer Olympics, Ballymore will host field hockey.^[5][6]

Present use

Though the Reds have since moved out of Ballymore to Suncorp Stadium, which has almost three times the capacity, Ballymore is still the host to many rugby union matches. The Queensland Premier Rugby finals are held at the ground, and Queensland XV and off-season matches for the Reds are also played at Ballymore. From 2014 until 2019, Brisbane City held its home National Rugby Championship matches at the stadium.

The QRU has plans to redevelop the site to include a high performance centre comprising advanced sports medicine and training facilities, a gymnasium and aquatic facilities, as well as on-site accommodation for visiting teams, with Brisbane firm Blight Rayner as architects for the project. ^[7]

Ballymore was the planned home venue for Brisbane City's failed bid to join the A-League.^[8] In November 2018, a planned friendly football match between South Korea and Uzbekistan had to be moved to QSAC due to the poor state of the pitch.^[9]

In February 2021 demolition and construction works commenced on the stadium and surrounding precinct, to allow for the creation of the National Rugby Training Centre. The McLean Stand was demolished in February 2021, and will be replaced by the indoor training centre which includes a new grandstand capable of seating 3010 spectators, and also features corporate facilities, a 700 square-metre gym, rehabilitation areas, a 75-seat auditorium, a 120-seat function room, changing rooms and offices. A second rugby field with surrounding offices is included in the masterplan, though has not been constructed.^[10][11]

The National Rugby Training Centre will be the headquarters for the Australia women's national rugby union team (the Wallaroos) and a training site for the Queensland Reds men's, women's and academy teams.

Rugby World Cup

Ballymore hosted five matches of the 1987 Rugby World Cup. These matches were:

Date	Competition	Team	Score	Team	Attendance
24 May 1987	1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 1	Japan	8–21	United States	4,000
31 May 1987	1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 1	Australia	47–12	United States	10,855
3 June 1987	1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 2	Ireland	32–9	Tonga	4,000
8 June 1987	1987 Rugby World Cup Quarter-final	England	7–16	Wales	15,000
14 June 1987	1987 Rugby World Cup Semi-final	New Zealand	49–6	Wales	22,576

See also

• Rugby union in Queensland
• Queensland Rugby Union

References

1. "Ballymore Stadium". Austadiums. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
2. D'Urbano, Nick (19 April 2023). "Roar to return to Brisbane permanently next season". KeepUp.com.au. Australian Professional Leagues. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
3. Meares, Peter (2002). Legends of Australian Sport: The Inside Story. University of Queensland Press. pp. 166–167. ISBN 9780702234101. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
4. "The move to Suncorp from Ballymore". Queensland Rugby. 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
5. Ballymore Stadium becomes first Brisbane 2032 Olympic venue under construction Archived 20 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine Inside the Games 12 January 2022
6. Hockey body blasts Brisbane's Olympic Ballymore plan Archived 20 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 12 April 2023
7. "Ballymore redevelopment: State Government's $15 million injection". The Courier Mail. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
8. Rugari, Vince (5 May 2017). "FC Brisbane City's bid to enter A-League has redevelopment of home ground Ballymore as a key proposal". Fox Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017.
9. Atfield, Cameron (16 November 2018). "Poor pitch sees international switched from Ballymore to QSAC". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
10. "Ballymore redevelopment set to kick-off". Austadiums. 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
11. "Construction works begins at Ballymore". Austadiums. 17 February 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.

External links

• Ballymore Redevelopment Proposal Archived 1 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine
• Ballymore Stadium at Austadiums
• “State of the art” Rugby Centre proposed for Ballymore