Designs for the $40 million upgrade of Sydney\u2019s iconic Leichhardt Oval have been unveiled and the community is encouraged to have its say on the proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This planned major upgrade will deliver facilities that meet modern standards so this iconic rugby league venue can continue its almost century long history as a rugby league ground and serving the community as the much-loved home of the West Tigers, as well as junior, community, and club competitions across multiple codes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed\u202fupgrade will\u202ftransform the venue, known by locals as the \u2018Eighth Wonder of the World\u2019, into a\u202fmodern\u202fhub for community events, professional,\u202fand grassroots sports\u202fand\u202fcement its role\u202fas\u202fthe\u202fpermanent\u202fhome for men\u2019s and women\u2019s National Rugby League (NRL) fixtures for the next 15 years.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planned\u202fimprovements\u202finclude:\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If given the green light, construction is expected to\u202fcommence\u202fafter the 2026 season.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u202f$40 million upgrade is being jointly funded with\u202f$20 million from the\u202fFederal Government, $10 million from the NSW Government and $10 million from Inner West Council.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The community exhibition is open from Friday, 16 January 2026 <\/strong>until Thursday, 12 February 2026. <\/strong>To have your say on the Leichhardt Oval refurbishment, visit the NSW Planning Portal<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval is not just about sport, it’s about the identity of the Inner West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a place where the faithful can go along and cheer their local sporting team, and this upgrade from all three levels of government will ensure that spirit is preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval was not fit for purpose, these upgrades will make sure that families will be able to enjoy the hallowed ground for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Sport Anika Wells said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval is an iconic part of Australia\u2019s sporting and community history, and the upgrade to Leichhardt Oval is about making sure it continues to serve the Inner West for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith designs now released by the New South Wales Government, this is a great opportunity for local residents, sporting groups and fans to provide feedback and help shape the future of this much-loved venue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Member for Sydney Tanya Plibersek said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval is one of Sydney\u2019s most loved sporting grounds, and these upgrades will make sure it continues to be for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhether you\u2019re out on the field or cheering from the stands, this upgrade will deliver top quality facilities for everyone to enjoy, including our women\u2019s and girl\u2019s teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:<\/strong>\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a chance for fans and the community to have their say on the upgrade of one of Sydney\u2019s most iconic suburban sports grounds.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFans have dubbed Leichhardt Oval\u202fas the Eighth Wonder of the World and this renewal will cement its status delivering modern facilities which will support its use for both sport and community events for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval has a rich history, and this upgrade ensures it receives the respect it deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a valuable opportunity for the community to have their say and help shape a fit-for-purpose, state-of-the art venue where players and fans can create new memories for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Member for Summer Hill Jo Haylen said: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis long-awaited transformation of Leichhardt Oval is about retaining what we love about the ground, like the hill and the historic Western grandstand, while finally bringing it into the 21st century through a much-needed upgrade, particularly delivering female-friendly facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeichhardt Oval is an iconic community asset for the Inner West, so I encourage everyone to have their say about the plans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “After years of fighting to save Leichhardt Oval our plans for the renovation are progressing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI encourage all Wests Tigers and sports fans to make a submission to help us secure the future of the eighth wonder of the world.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Designs for the $40 million upgrade of Sydney\u2019s iconic Leichhardt Oval have been unveiled and the community is encouraged to have its say on the proposal. This planned major upgrade will deliver facilities that meet modern standards so this iconic rugby league venue can continue its almost century long history as a rugby league ground … Continue reading “Help kick off the upgrade of Leichhardt Oval”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36923"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36924,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36923\/revisions\/36924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}