Canberra Stadium Information & Canberra Stadium Links at HealthHaven.com

Canberra Stadium
Former names	Bruce Stadium, National Athletics Stadium
Location	Bruce, Canberra, ACT
Coordinates	35°15′0″S 149°6′10″E / 35.25°S 149.10278°ECoordinates: 35°15′0″S 149°6′10″E / 35.25°S 149.10278°E
Opened	1977
Owner	Australian Sports Commission
Surface	Grass
Architect	Phillip Cox & Partners
Capacity	25,011
Tenants
	Canberra Raiders (NRL) (SL) (1990-present); ACT Brumbies (Super 14) (1996-present); Canberra City SC (NSL) (1977-1986); Canberra Cosmos (NSL) (1995-2001); Canberra Bushrangers (ABL) (1993-1995)

Canberra Stadium (originally known as Bruce Stadium) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Bruce is the Canberra suburb where the stadium is located, and in turn Bruce was named after Stanley Bruce, Australian Prime Minister 1923-1929.

Capacity is a nominal all-seated 25,011, the largest crowd being 28,753 for the 2004 Super 12 Final. The main grandstand is named after Canberra Raiders and Australian rugby league player Mal Meninga, and a statue of another Raiders and Australian league representative Laurie Daley adorns the main grandstand entrance. The eastern grandstand was named the Gregan/Larkham Grandstand on 28 April 2007, after Brumbies and Australia rugby union greats George Gregan and Stephen Larkham. Both ended their international careers after the 2007 Rugby World Cup as the two most-capped players in Wallabies history, with Gregan at a world-record 139 and Larkham at 102.

The stadium is currently owned by the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission and leased to the Australian Capital Territory Government. While the current lease is due to expire in 2010, the ACT Government is seeking ownership of the stadium through a land transfer with the Australian Government.

[edit] History

Constructed in 1977 for the Pacific Conference Games, it also was the venue for the 4th IAAF World Cup in Athletics. At the latter meet, the fastest 400m for women, was recorded by East German Marita Koch, and also the 4x400m womens relay by East Germany - times that still stands today.

In the late 1980's the running track was removed and re-located to the warm up stadium at the AIS site and in 1990 the Canberra Raiders Rugby league team started playing their home games at Bruce in 1990 after they became more successful.

The removal of the track meant that Australian Rules Football (AFL) could now be played at the ground and in 1995 the first AFL match for premiership points was contested between the West Coast Eagles and Fitzroy.

The were also a number of pre-season AFL games played at the venue, mostly featuring the Sydney Swans.

At the time, there was a puch to have an AFL team in Canberra, but this never eventuated.

Further renovations occurred in 1997 in preparation for staging football (soccer) matches as part of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, which also in turn shrank the size of the playing field preventing any future Australian rules football games being played on the field. The final cost of the renovations was more than seven times what was originally anticipated by the territory government of the time, and the subsequent controversy ended the career of then Chief Minister Kate Carnell. During the lead-up, on 29 May 2000, unseasonal snow fell during a match between the Raiders and the Wests Tigers, the only such event in National Rugby League history, with the snow causing frost damage to the turf intended for the Olympic football tournament.

Sydney FC playing Newcastle at Canberra Stadium in 2006

Olympic football in 2000 has initiated a stadium facelift converting the playing surface from oval to rectangular and bringing the crowd closer to the action. The only downside to this revamp is the stadium can no longer host AFL games. It is now an all-seater rectangular stadium with two main grandstands on either side of the playing field.

There is currently an A-League bid from Canberra that would play at the stadium, starting in 2010, if accepted.

[edit] Crowd Records

Rugby Union

28,753 - 2004 Super 12 Final, ACT Brumbies vs Crusaders

Rugby League

25,253 - 1994 NSWRL season, Canberra Raiders vs Western Suburbs Magpies

Soccer (football)

20,032 - Asian Cup Qualifier, Socceroos vs Kuwait

[edit] Current Tenants

Canberra Raiders (rugby league) 1990 - present
ACT Brumbies (rugby union) 1996 - present

[edit] Former Tenants

Canberra City Arrows (football (soccer)) 1977 - 1986
Canberra Cosmos (football (soccer)) 1995 - 2001
Canberra Bushrangers (baseball) 1993 - 1995

[edit] Other events

Super 12 Rugby union Final 2000, 2001, 2004
Four Group Matches from the 2003 Rugby World Cup were also played at the stadium.
In 1990, the stadium hosted an International Rules match (a combination of Gaelic football and Australian rules football) between Ireland and Australia.
In 1995, the AFL's ailing Fitzroy Football Club played one home game against the West Coast Eagles at the venue.
A day night cricket match between 2 local clubs was played in the mid-1990's.
The 2^nd leg of the 1996 OFC Nations Cup Final
Kanga Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament.
The 2008 Pacific Schools Games
One Group Match from the 2008 Rugby League World Cup was also played at the stadium.

[edit] References

^ http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=28

[edit] External links

Official site
Canberra Stadium at Austadiums

[0] ttp://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=28

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