WIN Stadium

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = WIN Stadium
nickname = Sea-Side Stadium


location = Wollongong, New South Wales
broke_ground =
opened = 1911
closed = Open
demolished = N/A
owner = Wollongong Sportsground Trust
operator = Wollongong Sportsground Trust
surface = Grass (Strathyr)
construction_cost =
architect =
former_names =
Wollongong Showground
Steelers Stadium

tenants = Illawarra Steelers (NRL) (1982 - 1998 )
St George Illawarra Dragons (NRL) (1999 - )
Wollongong Wolves
seating_capacity =
20,000

WIN Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. It is now used as one home ground of the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league side.

History

The stadium was originally used primarily for agricultural shows and hosted a greyhound track as well, the name of the venue prior to 1911 was the Wollongong Showground. It is considered to be officially opened in 1911, when the sport of rugby league began playing at the stadium.

When the Illawarra Steelers entered the NSWRFL premiership in 1982, they played their home games at the stadium. Six years after their inception into the competition, the Steelers along with the then Showground Trust converted the ground into a rectangle. In 1992 the southern stand was built. WIN Television purchased the naming rights to the stadium in 1997.

In April 2002, an $8 million upgrade to the stadium saw the opening of a new Northern Grandstand. The 6000 seat grandstand also brought increased corporate entertainment facilities.

In 2006, redevlopment was meant to begin on the stadium's western stand. The western grandstand was to be demolished and replaced by a new stand which was to hold 2500 general seats, 20 corporate boxes as well as media facilities and food and beverage outlets. The $37 million redevelopment was to see a four-star hotel integrated into the stadium which would have allowed fans to watch sporting events from the comfort of their hotel room. The WIN Stadium Trust believed that the redevlopment would provide significant job opportunities locally and bring in new revenue of approximately $2.1 million per year.

However, in late 2006 the NSW State Government ensured that WIN Stadium wouldn't gain a redeveloped western grandstand at any time in the near future. The financial viability of a $100 million proposal for the redevelopment of the western grandstand was questioned by State Cabinet and three major issues ensured that the proposal didn't receive the green light.

* The proposal sacrificed too much of the number two training ground, which is an area that needs to be retained as green space.
* Cabinet requires a larger payment for the development land than the $20 million offered by the proposal.
* The proposal didn’t include a hotel component, which a 2003 feasibility study considered critical to the overall viability of the site.

GROUNDSKEEPER:Mick Barsby

Use

The primary tenants of WIN Stadium are the St. George Illawarra Dragons rugby league team, who play half of their home games there (the rest are played at OKI Jubilee Stadium, in the St. George area). The current attendance record for WIN Stadium was set during a NRL finals match, when 19,608 watched the Dragons defeat traditional rivals the Cronulla Sharks.

WIN Stadium will host a match during the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, between France and Fiji. The stadium has also played host to two pool games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup: Canada vs Tonga and France vs United States, and is also used by the Illawarriors rugby union team during the Shute Shield. It also hosts the Grand Final in the local Illawarra Rugby competition.

The Wollongong Wolves soccer club, who compete in the New South Wales Premier League, once played their home games at WIN Stadium. They currently play in a suburban ground in Cringila, while awaiting the completion of their new stadium in Figtree.

Accessibility

There is a five-bus drop-off bay located at the WIN Entertainment Centre, which is located next to the stadium. The nearest train station is the Wollongong station, which is approximately within 10 minutes walk from the stadium. As the stadium is located at the eastern end of the Wollongong Central Business District, there is a well suited public transport infrastructure. Street parking is available, though parking complexes (such as the Wollongong City Council Carpark) are usually much more accessible.

On game days when St George Illawarra play at WIN Stadium, a shuttle bus service runs between Wollongong Station and the stadium. Also, surrounding streets (including sections of Harbour St, Marine Dr and eastern Crown St) are closed to traffic.

Gallery

External links

Official

* [http://www.wec.org.au/content/win_stadium.htm WIN Stadium official website]
* [http://www.wec.org.au/default.htm WIN Sports and Entertainment Centres official website]
* [http://www.dragons.com.au/ St. George Illawarra Dragons official website]

Resources

*Austadiums|139
* [http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/redevelopment/win.php Redevelopment notes]