Latest Rugby League News

Deal reportedly done to save Leichhardt Oval

The ground needs urgent upgrades.

Published by
Scott Pryde

A deal between the Australian Rugby League Commission and Australian Federal Government is believed to have been struck to save Leichhardt Oval.

It has been suggested Leichhardt will officially be shut down at the end of 2025 without immediate upgrades and rennovation work to keep the ground up to safety and modernisation standards.

But it now appears that may not be the fate facing the ground, with News Corp revealing the government and NRL have struck a $50 million deal for the rennovation work.

It's believed Commission chairman Peter V'Landys and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have both been involved in the discussions, with the ARCL, NRL and Government currently also discussing the financial terms of a potential NRL expansion team in Papua New Guinea.

It's understood the money for Leichhardt was set aside in last week's federal budget, with the report suggesting a new grandstand at the northern end of the ground will be built to improve sponsor and hospitality issues, while new dressing rooms, media facilities, toilets, and bar and foot outlets will be built, with the ground's capacity increasing to 19,000.

The famous hill will be going nowhere as part of the rennovations, with Leichhardt to retain its vintage charm that has some fans refer to it as the "eighth wonder".

The Tigers have confirmed they are currently in the process of working through their stadium strategy for the coming years, with an announcement expected in the next three months.

That plan will confirm the Tigers idea for the next three years, with the club weighing up their traditional grounds at Leichhardt and Campbelltown against more modern options at Homebush and Parramatta.

It's understood work at Leichhardt will start next year, although it's unclear how long the venue will be offline for.

Published by
Scott Pryde