11 June 2019

Ricky Stuart's stadium call keeps ball rolling for Civic facility

| Tim Gavel
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Site of recent Raiders and Brumbies games, Parramatta's Bankwest Stadium. Photo: Bankwest Stadium.

Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium. Photo: Bankwest Stadium.

Will Ricky’s call be a game changer in the campaign for a new stadium in Civic, and could the removal of selected home games away from Canberra boost the Brumbies bottom line?

On the weekend, the Raiders and the Brumbies played games on consecutive nights, at a new stadium. It was, of course, at Parramatta Stadium against the Wests Tigers and the Waratahs.

If nothing else it provided both teams and Chief Minister Andrew Barr with first-hand insight into what might be possible with a new stadium in Canberra.

Plenty has to fall into place for that to happen, including a resolution on the future of the existing Canberra Stadium and the state of the ACT Government’s finances. Added to the mix is the need to ascertain the desire (or otherwise) of the Government to build a new stadium.

From my observation, the game changed a little over the weekend with Raiders coach Ricky Stuart publicly entering the campaign for a new stadium saying, as the nation’s capital, Canberra deserves it.

Ricky’s entry into the campaign makes things interesting, given his popularity and profile in Canberra through his football feats and his charity work.

Ricky’s comments also have the potential to move the proposal onto the radar of avid rugby league supporter, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who may have been reluctant to look at the proposal in the past because it was considered very much an ACT issue.

Funding for the new stadium in Townsville is evidence enough of the power of a football club, players and the community all campaigning together for the same outcome.

The benefits to Canberra will be enormous and not confined to spectator comfort. As we have seen with new stadiums around the world, it has the potential to transform the perception of a city.

Financially it will also boost the coffers of both the Brumbies and the Raiders through greater patronage. It could also help our next campaign for an A-League team.

In the case of the Brumbies, it needs to happen sooner rather later.

In the interim, one option for the Brumbies might be to move a couple of home games away from Canberra. This has been proposed in the past where the playing of a home game against the Waratahs would occur at the Olympic Stadium. The Brumbies would be paid a set amount for this move by the Olympic Stadium, a welcome boost to the Brumbies finances.

That horse appears to have bolted.

I believe the Brumbies should be looking farther afield. The team received ‘rock star’ support in Japan for the game against the Sunwolves. This could be the home-away game option for the Brumbies. Maybe low-audience drawing games against South African teams could be played in Tokyo.

With the Sunwolves exiting Super Rugby there will be a vacuum to meet the obvious demand. Some form of alliance with Japanese rugby is a possibility and moving some home games to Tokyo and Singapore could be of benefit financially to the Brumbies.

As previously indicated, the landscape continues to change on many fronts when it comes to Canberra sport.

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Something similar to Bankwest in the city would be fantastic.

Capital Retro9:01 am 22 Jun 19

We would have to triple Canberra’s population to support anything like that. The existing stadium at Bruce is very under-utilised already.

Whatever way you look at it there is no business case for another stadium in Canberra.

michael quirk2:59 pm 12 Jun 19

Stadium needs to stack up against other needs especially health. Will the ACT ever again have evidenced based planning? Trams, beer and circuses are the fundamentals of Emperor Barr’s reign.

Why not build it on the existing Epic Park site, tram goes past there so no need to drive!

Capital Retro4:10 pm 12 Jun 19

You’re half-right! The tram does go past there but it doesn’t stop.

Not necessary, complete waste of money and there’s insufficient space. Upgrade Bruce. Barr and Stuart so obsessed with spending lots of other people’s money.

Capital Retro9:54 am 12 Jun 19

“The benefits to Canberra will be enormous and not confined to spectator comfort. As we have seen with new stadiums around the world, it has the potential to transform the perception of a city.”

This is the same sort of babble that we hear about everything that certain people in Canberra espouse when there are new horizons to conquer. It may give some people a warm feeling but in no way will “enormous benefits” be bestowed on me or my family and do people really care about “perceptions of a city”?

I’ve travelled the world a fair bit and I have never sought out the stadiums in any city I have visited to see how they compare.

Well you are missing out then. Do yourself a favour and go to a Premier League match at Wembley, or baseball game at Yankee stadium. It might change your perspective.

Keep living the pipe dream people. Unless the current site is sold to the ACT for a nominal amount and then allowed to be sold off for development, I can’t see a new stadium.

And as always, its fascinating to watch the sporting codes constantly waffling on about wanting better facilities, but never wanting to put even a nominal contribution in towards it… they are amazing however getting the rest of the community to pay for facilities for which they are the primary beneficiary.

Capital Retro8:42 am 12 Jun 19

Who needs to go to a live match on a cold and wet night where you you are gouged on parking (assuming it is available) and food and drink (you can’t take your own like you can do in the movie theatres).

Technology provides the alternative with more and more live HD coverage where you can see all the game with replays etc. And it’s a lot cheaper.

A new stadium in Canberra is more about someone’s “me too” ego than anything else.

It is safe to say that it will be extremely difficult to drive to a stadium in civic. Keep in mind the stadium will be removing yet another area for car parking in civic. Think of the current situation with the AIS stadium. Thats pandemonium defined. Significant (free) shuttle services would have to operate like they do with matches at AIS.
Agree, TV coverage is excellent, assuming you pay a fee to rupert murdoch.

Capital Retro11:03 am 12 Jun 19

You were doing well to you mentioned Rupert Murdoch.

Did he run over your pet dog too?

Why the objection CR? It is the truth after all – if you want to be able to easily watch every game of the Raiders or Brumbies, you need a subscription to Fox Sports or Kayo (owned by Fox Sports). Which are owned by Rupert Murdoch….

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