Willows Sports Complex

Closed/Former Venue

1300SMILES Stadium

The Willows Sports Complex was a former stadium located in Townsville which served as the home of NRL club, North Queensland Cowboys. Most recently known by its commercial name of 1300SMILES Stadium, the rectangular Townsville venue hosted its final event in 2019 and was demolished in late 2022.

The stadium opened in 1994 after being converted from a trotting track and originally had a capacity of 31,000, including seating for 10,000. As more seats were added, the capacity was reduced to 21,500, however extensions to the Eastern Grandstand were completed in early 2006, lifting the capacity to 26,500.

The venue featured a western grandstand which incorporated corporate facilities and bars, with grass hills and open seating surrounding the rest of the playing field.

1300SMILES Stadium

The naming rights sponsorship with Dairy Farmers ended following the conclusion of the 2012 season, with the venue re-branded 1300SMILES Stadium as of 19th February 2013, on a five-year agreement. The venue hosted its final NRL game in late 2019, with the new North Queensland Stadium opening in time for the 2020 season as the new home of the Cowboys.

The future of the stadium was undecided for some time, however demolition works finally got underway in September 2022 and are expected to be competed by May 2023. The site will be transformed into an emergency services hub, which will eventually host a $30m police facility.

1300SMILES Stadium

Willows Sports Complex Details

Location
Address
Golf Links Drive, Kirwan Qld 4817 GET DIRECTIONS
Capacity
26,500
Record Crowd
30,302 - 25/04/1999 NRL: North Queensland v Brisbane
Highest Crowd since 2003
26,500 - 13/10/12: Kangaroos v Knights Zealand  
Lights
Yes
Arena Roof
No
Video Screen
Yes
Opened
1994 (Closed 2019)
Redeveloped
2006
Former/Other Names
The Willows
Stockland Stadium
Malanda Stadium
Dairy Farmers Stadium
1300SMILES Stadium
Sports Played
Rugby League
Rugby Union
Football  
Historic Events
2003 Rugby World Cup
Last Event
Thu 29 Aug 2019: NRL: Cowboys v Bulldogs  
Next Event
 
Official Website
Accommodation
See hotels near Willows Sports Complex VIEW ACCOMMODATION
More News

Related News

Information about Willows Sports Complex (1300SMILES Stadium) in Townsville including venue layout, history, records, events, map, tickets, directions and accommodation.
The Austadiums website is made possible by displaying some advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker, whitelist us, or DONATE TO US