Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

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mono_mal
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Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by mono_mal »

The Collegians Rugby League Club, who compete in the Illawarra Carlton Rugby League competition, have recently opened a state of the art facility at Figtree.
The venue was formerly known as Lysaghts Oval and was the home of the Wollongong Wolves in recent years though had become derelict and without a tenant.
The Collegians purchased and re-developed the complex and have recently opened it for the 2013 season.

The ground includes an impressive grandstand that seats 1250 and has 6 corporate boxes.

Photos can be found here:
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/stor ... ce/?cs=298

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dibo
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Re: Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by dibo »

that's *ugly*

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yob
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Re: Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by yob »

I think it has its charms. The colour scheme doesn't flatter it. Grey painted walls a no no. Bricking it up would look nice, hell even that spray on stuff would look good from distance.

My biggest issue is lack of ground level activation. Locals need to drop a good f bomb on players from time to time.

Ultimately it's a fair start. Could be a handy boutique ground, or expanded in to a training centre for a professional club.

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Cheesie-the-Pirate
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Re: Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by Cheesie-the-Pirate »

It's not freaking bad for what is at best the third tier of rugby league in Australia.

Under Bennett's stewardship Saints concentrated its training resources at WIN Stadium and the university is the backup, so not a lot of chance of them training there.

Collies are a wealthy club - their net assets are similar to the mid tier Sydney clubs.

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Adelaide_United_Red
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Re: Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by Adelaide_United_Red »

mono_mal wrote:The Collegians Rugby League Club, who compete in the Illawarra Carlton Rugby League competition, have recently opened a state of the art facility at Figtree.
The venue was formerly known as Lysaghts Oval and was the home of the Wollongong Wolves in recent years though had become derelict and without a tenant.
The Collegians purchased and re-developed the complex and have recently opened it for the 2013 season.

The ground includes an impressive grandstand that seats 1250 and has 6 corporate boxes.

Photos can be found here:
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/stor ... ce/?cs=298
Where do the wolves play now? could they and Collegians work together to bring this ground up to HAL standard or would a 'gong HAL team prefer to play out of WIN Stadium?

mono_mal
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Re: Collegians Sports Centre - Wollongong

Post by mono_mal »

The Wolves now play at John Crehan Park in Crilinga in southern Wollongong, which itself has a decent though dated grandstand, and has a total capacity of 7 5000.
I'm not sure whether they ever actually played at Lysaghts though the article indicates it was their intended home ground following their eviction from Brandon Park though complications prevented the ground from ever being completed. The photos provide evidence of their presence as Wolves signage can be seen on the 'before' photos which also featured soccer goals.

I doubt Collegians have any need to further develop the complex as the Illawarra competition is only semi-professional and I'd assume the current capacity already exceeds their standard crowds.
It may make a suitable training venue for an A-League team and I believe it has the capacity to host Illawarra League representative and finals games and perhaps NRL/A-League trials. Personally I'd like to see the Illawarra NSW Cup team play games at this venue rather than WIN which is much too big for the purpose.

I think if a Wollongong team was admitted to the A- there home would undoubtedly be the recently re-developed WIN Stadium, though if so it would become the only venue in the competition with a sizable hill, which some have suggested is not appealing to A-League administrators.

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