NRL match in Wagga Wagga hailed a success

Further improvements at the Exhibition Centre in the vicinity of $1.7M will take place following the highly successful NRL match in Wagga Wagga on 4 May.

The game between the Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers is part of a multi-year agreement between Council and the ACT-based club.

Key highlights from the NRL game were:

• Attendance: 10,079
• Significant digital and media coverage
• Live Foxtel TV audience of 170,827
• Estimated economic benefit of more than $2M
• An Equity and Domestic Violence program was undertaken by Alan Tongue
• Mortimer Shield visit and fan engagement with an excess of 600 primary school children involved
• Average accommodation occupancy rates increased on Thursday: 94% (up from 90% in 2018), Friday: 97% (up from 82%), and Saturday 77% (up from 50%)
• Gold Cup attendance increased by approximately 800 on 2018
• 26% of ticket sales were sold outside of the Riverina
• Overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community, Raiders, Canberra Region Joint Organisation and Murrumbidgee Turf Club

With the success of the match, Council approved more than $1.7M of works at McDonald’s Park and the Exhibition Centre. The funds were previously targeted to improve traffic flow at the Exhibition Centre and will now be utilised to also deliver venue improvements that will benefit local sport and help attract other top-level sporting events.

Planned works include an additional exit from Kooringal Road to the Exhibition Centre to Kooringal, the construction of the southern hill, works to improve accessibility such as wheelchair compliant spaces, further permanent seating and other amenity improvements.