Ballymore Stadium
Multifunctional Australian stadium in Brisbane
title: "Ballymore Stadium" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["olympic-field-hockey-venues", "rugby-league-stadiums-in-australia", "rugby-union-stadiums-in-australia", "soccer-venues-in-brisbane", "sports-venues-in-brisbane", "queensland-reds", "sports-venues-completed-in-1966", "herston,-queensland", "ballymore-cup", "a-league-women-stadiums", "1966-establishments-in-australia", "venues-of-the-2032-summer-olympics"] description: "Multifunctional Australian stadium in Brisbane" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballymore_Stadium" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Multifunctional Australian stadium in Brisbane ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox venue"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ballymore Stadium |
| nickname | Ballymore |
| caption | Ballymore Stadium under renovation, 2022 |
| location | 91 Clyde Road, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006 |
| coordinates | |
| owner | Queensland Rugby Union |
| operator | Queensland Rugby Union |
| capacity | 8,000 |
| field_shape | Rectangular |
| surface | Grass |
| opened | |
| renovated | 2021–2023 |
| years_active | 1966–2020; 2023–present |
| cost | A$31.5 million (2021 renovation) |
| architect | Blight Rayner Architecture (2021 renovation) |
| builder | Buildcorp (2021 renovation) |
| project_manager | RPS (2021 renovation) |
| website | |
| tenants | ; Super Rugby AUS |
| :: |
| name = Ballymore Stadium | nickname = Ballymore | image = | image_size = | caption = Ballymore Stadium under renovation, 2022 | fullname = | former_names = | location = 91 Clyde Road, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006 | coordinates = | elevation = | public_transit = | parking = | owner = Queensland Rugby Union | operator = Queensland Rugby Union | suites = | capacity = 8,000 | record_attendance = | dimensions = | field_shape = Rectangular | acreage = | surface = Grass | roof = | scoreboard = | screens = | current_use = | production = | broke_ground = | built = | opened = | renovated = 2021–2023 | expanded = | closed = | demolished = | rebuilt = | years_active = 1966–2020; 2023–present | cost = A$31.5 million (2021 renovation) | architect = Blight Rayner Architecture (2021 renovation) | builder = Buildcorp (2021 renovation) | project_manager = RPS (2021 renovation) | website = | tenants = ; Super Rugby AUS Queensland Reds (2025–present) ; A-League Women Brisbane Roar (2023–present) ; Other Australia women's rugby union team (select matches) Ballymore Stadium, known simply as Ballymore, is a rectangular stadium located in the Brisbane suburb of Herston in the Australian state of Queensland. It is the headquarters of the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) and the Australia women's national rugby union team, and is currently host to the Brisbane Roar Women's soccer team, and the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby AUS. The Ballymore site also hosts several rectangular pitch's as well as the National Rugby Training Centre (NRTC), a state-of-the-art training facility.
History
The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) set up its headquarters at Ballymore in 1966 under a deed of grant from the Queensland 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 QRU was given the ownership and management of the site under the Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) in 1973. The Eastern stand is known as the Bank of Queensland (BOQ) stand.
The Queensland Reds played their home matches at Ballymore from 1967 until 2005. 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 (ARC) in 2007.
Field hockey, an event in the Summer Olympics, is expected to be hosted at Ballymore Stadium during the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane. In a 2018 report entitled "Stadium Taskforce Report", the Queensland state government declared Ballymore Stadium not suitable for a major stadium facility because it doesn't meet modern access standards. Instead, the Taskforce believes Ballymore is better suited for training, local club use, and administration for rugby and similar sports, rather than for hosting large-scale events.
Present use
Though the Reds have since moved out of Ballymore to Suncorp Stadium, which has a greater 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.
Ballymore was the planned home venue for Brisbane City's failed bid to join the A-League. 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.
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.
The National Rugby Training Centre (NRTC) 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.
1987 Rugby World Cup
Ballymore hosted five matches of the 1987 Rugby World Cup. These matches were: ::data[format=table]
| Date | Competition | Team | Score | Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1987 | 1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 1 | 8–21 | 4,000 | ||
| 31 May 1987 | 1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 1 | 47–12 | 10,855 | ||
| 3 June 1987 | 1987 Rugby World Cup Pool 2 | 32–9 | 4,000 | ||
| 8 June 1987 | 1987 Rugby World Cup Quarter-final | 7–16 | 15,000 | ||
| 14 June 1987 | 1987 Rugby World Cup Semi-final | 49–6 | 22,576 | ||
| :: |
Australia women's rugby matches
::data[format=table]
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Attendance | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2024 | 0–62 | 5,365 | 2024 Laurie O'Reilly Cup | |||
| 26 July 2025 | 12–21 | style="text-align:center" | 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup warm-up match | |||
| :: |
References
References
- "Stadium Taskforce Report {{!}} Final Report to the Minister for Housing and Public Works, Minister for Digital Technology and Minister for Sport". [[Queensland Government]].
- Atfield, Cameron. (9 March 2023). "Less is Ballymore: Capacity to be capped at 8000, short of Olympic needs". [[Nine Entertainment]].
- Wenzel, Murray. (29 June 2023). "Rebuilt Ballymore back in business as home of Wallaroos". [[The Queenslander]].
- (29 June 2023). "National Rugby Training Centre opens at Ballymore". [[Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Queensland).
- Keniger, Michael. (6 June 2024). "National Rugby Training Centre, Ballymore by Blight Rayner Architecture".
- Meares, Peter. (2002). "Legends of Australian Sport: The Inside Story". University of Queensland Press.
- (2013). "The move to Suncorp from Ballymore".
- (2020-06-29). "Ballymore redevelopment: State Government's $15 million injection".
- Rugari, Vince. (2017-05-05). "FC Brisbane City's bid to enter A-League has redevelopment of home ground Ballymore as a key proposal".
- Atfield, Cameron. (16 November 2018). "Poor pitch sees international switched from Ballymore to QSAC".
- (17 February 2021). "Ballymore redevelopment set to kick-off". Austadiums.
- (17 February 2022). "Construction works begins at Ballymore". Austadiums.
- Pegan, Martin. (14 July 2024). "Ruthless New Zealand heap more misery on Australia in women's rugby Test rout". [[Guardian Media Group]].
- Coleman-Phillips, Ceri. (25 July 2025). "Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn". [[BBC]].
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