A concept image for a Civic stadium. Photo: GHDWoodhead.
With Canberra missing out on hosting games in the 2027 Rugby World Cup after a breakdown in negotiations, the focus now turns to whether the city will host another major sports event.
It’s an acceptable assumption, given that the ACT Government opted not to pay the asking price to host games during the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the Rugby World Cup.
The decision by the government will be applauded by some and derided by others.
The current hard sell is due to the condition of Canberra Stadium, which is well past its use-by date and continues to slip down the priority list.
Every time Canberra is floated for a major event that requires a rectangular surface, the state of the stadium is raised as a concern. This immediately puts the city on the back foot as sports bodies seem indifferent to hosting games here.
With regional cities such as Townsville and Newcastle either upgrading their stadiums or building new ones, Canberra is being left behind.
Newcastle Stadium has a capacity of 33,000, Townsville 25,000 and Canberra 25,000.
Although Townsville Stadium has the same capacity, the facilities for both corporates and spectators far exceed that of Canberra.
Then there is the new Parramatta Stadium, which has become an attractive option for sports events.
Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium is the steepest in Australia and brings fans closer to the action. Photo: CommBank Stadium.
Those events could have been considered for Canberra Stadium in the past.
With the building of new stadiums, such as the ones in Parramatta and Townsville, governments appear to be more determined to ensure that those facilities are fully utilised.
Sports organisations seeking to stage major events aim to make as much money as possible, with returns from a range of sources, including government underwriting, ticket sales and corporates.
The importance of corporates and sponsors should not be underestimated. Event promoters want their financial backers to have the best possible experience.
At the moment, it is hard to see Canberra hosting major events such as the Wallabies, Socceroos, Matildas, or Kangaroos matches until we build a new stadium, and that doesn’t appear to be anytime soon.
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