NSW Waratahs to play Super Rugby matches in Wollongong, Newcastle and Tamworth in 2020
While Allianz Stadium is being rebuilt, the NSW Waratahs will take the Super Rugby show on the road next season and host key games in NRL heartlands.
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Australia’s country music capital is being lined up to host its first Super Rugby match next year after NSW Rugby struck a deal to play games in Wollongong and Newcastle in 2020 as part of their ambitious plans to eat into NRL’s heartland.
With two matches already scheduled for Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium and Lottoland also expected to host at least one game next year, the Waratahs are sticking by their promise to take the code into rugby league territory and now have Tamworth in their sights.
Forced to find a new home while Allianz Stadium is being rebuilt, the Waratahs have resisted the temptation to remain at one ground in their traditional stronghold in Sydney’s eastern suburbs by instead adopting a nomadic existence to spread the game.
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“We’re a bush-to-beach organisation and as much as we value and appreciate the work of the NSW Government and the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust in building a new stadium for the Waratahs, it gives us a great opportunity,” NSW Rugby chief executive Andrew Hore said.
“Last year, time frames were against us in terms of spreading our wings as far as we’d like, we’re really excited about the opportunity to further that in 2020.”
Although the venues for four of the Waratah’s eight home matches for 2020 are yet to be finalised, The Daily Telegraph understands the team’s games will be shared by up to six venues.
The Waratahs’ first home game of the season, against the Auckland-based Blues, will be played at the McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on February 8. WIN Stadium will host the Waratahs and the Chiefs on March 6 and Bankwest Stadium holds the fixtures against the Lions (February 28) and Brumbies (May 23).
Of the four remaining home matches, three will be in Sydney, with at least one at Lottoland after the success of last year’s trip to the city’s northern beaches.
The Waratahs played three matches at the SCG last year and won them all but it is undecided how many they will return for in 2020 because the stadium is in such demand from both summer and winter sports.
“We’re happy with the mix of venues we’ve been able to secure so far,” Hore said. “We’re working closely with the (SCG) Trust to finalise the last of our Sydney fixtures, as they balance their obligations to range of other sports — we’d expect to finalise those locations shortly.”
The venue for the match against South Africa’s Bulls on March 21, has not been announced either, but The Daily Telegraph understands that it will be played at Tamworth’s Scully Park, which has hosted NRL games in the past two seasons.
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The Waratahs will open the 2020 season against the defending champion, the Crusaders, in Christchurch on February 1, while last season’s Australian conference champions the Brumbies, host the Queensland on January 31, marking the earliest ever start for a Super rugby season.
The format will be the same as last year, with three conferences, and will run uninterrupted until the final on June 20, but with most matches in Australia starting around half an hour earlier to make them more attractive to families.
WARATAHS HOME DRAW FOR 2020
Saturday, February 8 v Blues (McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle)
Friday, February 28 v Lions (Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta)
Friday, March 6 v Chiefs (WIN Stadium, Wollongong)
Saturday, March 21 v Bulls (tbd)
Saturday, March 28 v Sunwolves (tbd)
Saturday, April 18 v Reds (tbd)
Saturday, May 2 v Rebels (tbd)
Saturday, May 23 v Brumbies (Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta)
Originally published as NSW Waratahs to play Super Rugby matches in Wollongong, Newcastle and Tamworth in 2020
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