NSW Invests $113 In Future Rugby League

The New South Wales government has announced it will be devoting $113 million to delivering three new state-of-the-art rugby league centres of excellence over the next four years.

The new facilities will be responsible for supporting and developing future male and female NRL athletes and will include training facilities, administration blocks and community facilities.

Commenting on the investment, NSW minister for tourism, sport and western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said: “The NSW Government’s investment in rugby league centres of excellence is not only bridging the gap between elite sport and the general community but cements NSW’s position as the home of the NRL.”

“From community engagement to high-performance outcomes, these facilities will help grow the sport and provide local pathways for our future stars of the NRLW and NRL,” Ayres said.

The government said they believe these projects will play a vital role in NSW’s economic recovery which has faced some difficult times over the past few years with the treasurer, Matt Kean, stating: “NSW was in the midst of a sports facility construction boom.”

“These projects will create dozens of valuable jobs, providing another boost to the construction industry as the NSW economy bounces back from the impacts of the pandemic,” Kean said.

Additionally, NRL clubs like Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, St George-Illawarra Dragons and Parramatta Eels have been selected for the program and the facilities will be built on Belmore Sports Ground, the University of Wollongong and Kellyville Park.

On the decision to invest in rugby league by the state government, Parramatta Eels CEO, Jim Sarantinos, said: “Kellyville Park will not only provide a world-class high-performance facility for the Parramatta Eels NRL, NRLW and elite pathways teams but will also be a precinct that will enable our club to connect with the local community, cater to the changing needs of one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia and increase participation across all forms of rugby league for boys and girls, from grassroots all the way up to the elite levels of the game.”

The announcement from the NSW government brings the investment in centres of excellence projects up to eight centres.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs CEO, Aaron Warburton, added: “This is fantastic news for both our club and the whole Canterbury-Bankstown area.”

“Being able to create a world-class centre of excellence at Belmore will enable our current generation of players, and stars of the future, to access the best facilities and the spin-on effect from that is that the local community will also benefit enormously.

“We are incredibly grateful to the NSW Government for investing in the future of our club and area, in the knowledge that this will be incredibly beneficial for young male and female players for decades to come,” Warburton said.