Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
In just a few short weeks, Sydney's all new football stadium at Moore Park will open its doors for the first time. The $828 million price tag will put it right up there alongside Perth's Optus Stadium as the most expensive in Australia's history. That's causing plenty of raised eyebrows in these financially torrid times. But it is also an incredible achievement, given that ground was broken for the construction in April 2020, just as the world was hunkering down behind closed doors.
The factors surrounding its construction meant that there were moments of doubt as to whether the new Allianz Stadium, as it will be known, would ever come to be. Protestors had already delayed demolition of the original Sydney Football Stadium that it replaced.
Time has a strange effect, however. The work continued during 2020 and 2021, while most Australians had to fall back on virtual sports and Aus online pokies for their entertainment and gambling fun. Now, the restrictions are lifted, the casino games have recommenced at Sydney's famous Crown Casino and there's about to be a bumper opening ceremony with five days of non-stop sporting action at the new stadium.
There can surely be few better ways to welcome a return to normal with a spirit of hope for the future, and Sydney's new stadium has become a symbol of those feelings. It already looks impressive and features 42,500 seats, all of which are covered, a 360 degree open concourse both inside and outside the stadium, superior player and spectator facilities and new community spaces.
The stadium will be hosting a community open day on 28 August. This will give the public their first opportunity to get a proper look at the facility. The first sporting action will be a rugby league showdown on 02 September, when the Sydney Roosters take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL. It's also worth noting that these same teams contested the last competitive game at the old Sydney stadium in 2018. The Roosters won that one to make it through to that year's NRL Grand Final.
The following day, the Wallabies will be taking on the reigning World Cup holders South Africa in a one-off test match that is expected to play out in front of a full house. Andy Marinos is the CEO of Rugby Australia and said it was extremely exciting to get the Wallabies and the Springboks facing off in the first ever international event at the new stadium, and predicted it would be one to remember.
On 06 September the Matildas will host Canada in an international soccer friendly. Canada won Gold at the Tokyo Olympics and the match will be important for both teams in their preparations for next year's Women's World Cup. Matildas striker Kyah Simon said she could not wait to try out the turf at the stadium, which will be one of the World Cup host venues.
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