Grand final rematch between Roosters and Canberra set to mark SCG re-opening for NRL in July
Sydney’s most iconic stadium has been silent for months but is about to spring into life again. First it will be the Swans, then the Waratahs. And then it’s the moment all Roosters fans have been waiting for.
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The homecoming party every Roosters player and fan has been waiting for is now so tantalisingly close to happening that the invitations can start being mailed out.
The back-to-back NRL champions are poised to celebrate their return to the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Canberra Raiders next month.
Forced to play away from their home fortress so far this season, the rubber stamping of the Roosters’ return to Moore Park is still dependent on the easing of COVID-19 restrictions but is set for July 16, against the same team they beat in last year’s grand final.
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“For everyone at the Roosters, we will be delighted to get back to the SCG from Round 10, pending NRL confirmation,” Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly said.
“The SCG is not only our official ground, it is our spiritual home. Playing at such a historic and iconic venue is extra special to everyone.
“We understood the need to consolidate venues in the earlier rounds but we have continued to push to get back to our home venue after our premiership winning season there last year.”
The first game back on home soil after winning the grand final is a time honoured celebration that every premiership side dreams of, but no team has had to wait as long as the Roosters.
Team officials have been pressing hard for a return but the ban on spectators has made it largely futile, until now.
That all changed after ARLC chairman Peter V’landys pushed hard to get approval to reintroduce spectators, initially up to 1000 but climbing to 15,000 by mid July, just when the Roosters return to their hallowed turf.
“We have programmed a return to home grounds in our next phase, which is not far off,” V’landys said.
“We are hoping to have capped crowds. So the SCG in the mix.”
No one is more delighted than Roosters coach Trent Robinson, a lifelong student of the game who has embraced the team’s history and culture.
“It’s always special to play on the SCG,” he said.
“We are looking forward to playing at home from July.”
Sydney’s most iconic stadium has been silent for months but is about to spring into life again with the Swans hosting AFL rivals Essendon on Sunday and the Waratahs returning in July when Super Rugby resumes.
And that’s just the beginning with the SCG Trust chief executive Kerrie Mather appointed to the executive committee of a high-powered forum that will be unveiled on Tuesday.
Chaired by former Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, the Live Entertainment Industry Forum (LEIF) will work with governments, sporting bodies, venues and audiences to prepare for the restart of the $150 billion live event and entertainment industry.
“This pandemic has brought our industry to a complete standstill. The thousands of cancelled sporting events, concerts, festivals, theatre, family and comedy shows, and all the associated revenues related to them, can never be replaced,” Sutherland said.
“Our industry was the first to close during COVID-19 and it will be one of the last to fully re-open.
“We need a clear road map to get our industry back to work, while playing a bigger role in the post COVID-19 economic recovery of our nation.”