The Australian Football League (AFL) is teaming up with the New South Wales (NSW) Government to redevelop Showring Oval at Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park.

When complete, the Showring Oval will be the new focal point for women’s sport in NSW, providing a state-of-the-art home for local community teams and schools, talent pathways and the Sydney Swans’ AFLWprogram.

The Government has made a groundbreaking $15 million contribution towards the scheme.

The proposed works will restore the iconic venue into a world-class sports precinct and multi-purpose community space. 

The project will create the first full-size, multi-sport hybrid turf oval with running track and broadcast lighting in Australia. It will cater for elite AFLW matches and more than 4,000 spectators, benefitting local businesses and adding an exciting new chapter to the Entertainment Quarter.

The project is part of the Entertainment Quarter’s broader vision to transform the precinct into a world-class sports, television and entertainment destination for the whole community.

The AFL has partnered with the Sydney Roosters on the Showring proposal and, as co-funding partners, both codes will call the A$32 million facility home. 

Australian football has a rich history at the site. AFL Sydney hosted finals there until 1980 and the Sydney Swans used the venue for training and practice matches in the mid-1980s through to the early 90s.

The Showring Oval redevelopment announcement comes after the NSW Government made other significant funding commitments towards a major upgrade of one of Sydney’s most iconic ovals, Henson Park, and more recently to transform the GIANTS’ training and community centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The Showring Oval redevelopment supports the AFL’s Women’s Football Vision 2021-2030 to empower and enable the women’s game at all levels through participation, pathways and performance and partnerships. 

The project also aligns with the AFL’s national infrastructure plan, Towards 2030, by building the capacity of community football, enhancing elite and talent infrastructure, and driving innovation and growth, which includes building or upgrading an oval per week every week for five years across the country.

Image courtesy of Crawford Architects

@PanStadiaArena