Toowoomba Rugby League wants stadium upgrade back in spotlight

A major Toowoomba organisation is urging stakeholders to strike while the iron is hot and table a new bid to upgrade the ageing Toowoomba Sports Ground. We reveal who the organisation is and why we deserve a new stadium here.

Leonie Sokoll gets a selfie with Adam Reynolds as daughter Amelia Ellis watches at the Brisbane Broncos Captain’s Run and Toowoomba Fan Day at Toowoomba Sports Ground. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Toowoomba Rugby League is urging the Queensland Government to put the bid for a stadium upgrade back on the table following a mammoth NRL preseason fixture that drew more than 7000 fans.

The State Government squashed a proposed Toowoomba Stadium Ground upgrade in early 2024 but the sellout pre-season Challenge match between Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans last weekend is proof the Garden City deserves a better stadium, according to TRL chairman Michael Burns.

“100 per cent we all agree. It (a stadium upgrade) is definitely something we need,” Burns said.

“We dropped the ball on this one, we would’ve hoped that as part of all the upgrade discussion that Toowoomba would’ve had a legacy item like the stadium.

“Obviously right now that is off the table.

“We need to get it back on the table, get some kind of discussion around how and what a stadium upgrade would look like.

“Collectively we need to all work together to get this back on the table because it is something we need and would be used a lot.”

With junior and senior Western Clydesdales matches kicking off proceedings and ‘pop up activities’ the TSG precinct was a hive of activity.

Cory Paix of the Broncos in action during the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge match against the Gold Coast Titans at Toowoomba Sports Ground on February 16. Picture: Getty Images

Addison Shyhun gets a selfie with Patrick Carrigan at the Brisbane Broncos Captain’s Run and Toowoomba Fan Day at Toowoomba Sports Ground. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Plenty of fans arrived early to secure their spots in the general admission areas and to watch the first games before the 2.30pm trial kicked off.

“On the weekend we proved that there is a local appetite for rugby league,” Burns said.

“What was great is they closed up Arthur Street with some activations, with a better stadium we can do that on a larger scale, make it a day full of footy, a festival or a weekend of footy if we had a stadium that could cater for it.

Burns’ comments echo those of Toowoomba Regional Council James O’Shea.

Spearheaded by Cr O’Shea, TRC endorsed a motion to start collaborating with the state government and NRL clubs to develop this one-off game into an annual event, either as a trial or even a regular season game.

“When you get 7500 paying customers and then have them lined up out the door trying to get tickets on the day and they couldn’t get in for a trial game, that is unbelievable,” O’Shea said.

“I turned up and I just went ‘holy moly’.

Burns however believes we should not limit thinking to just big matches and special events.

“Schools, organisations, soccer, rugby league, rugby union … there are lots of stakeholders in the stadium.

“The better it is the more often we can utilise it and the more events we can have there.

“Every kid aspires to play in big stadiums.

“If we had a stunning stadium with an amazing field and wonderful facilities local juniors will want to play there.

“From a Toowoomba Rugby League perspective it make our finals and the activations we’re trying to do, fireworks and trying to host bigger crowds, so much better.

“We want it to be as good as it can be because it is well overdue and something that would be used a lot not just by us but by the whole community.”