23°C | Tuesday October 21, 2025 
28 February 2025
By James Mullan
North Sydney Council has opened up the possibility of involvement in the 2027 Rugby World Cup, potentially allowing North Sydney Oval, Bon Andrews Oval, and North Sydney Olympic Pool as potential training facilities for competing teams.
A motion led by councillor Mary-Ann Beregi was passed 8-2, allowing council officers to liaise with Rugby Australia and Destination NSW on a range of initiatives for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
However, securing matches at North Sydney Oval will be difficult, with only five pool games set for Sydney and established venues such as Sydney Football Stadium, Stadium Australia, Penrith Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Kogarah Oval, Brookvale Oval, and Leichhardt Oval expected to be prioritised. These venues, mostly rectangular and larger in capacity, regularly host professional winter sports, while North Sydney Oval primarily accommodates semi-professional competitions such as the Shute Shield and NSW Cup.
Despite this, North Sydney Oval’s rugby history could support its case. The venue, part of the St Leonards Park precinct where rugby has been played since the 1890s, is home to Northern Suburbs Rugby Union and previously hosted the 2017 and 2018 Shute Shield grand finals. It is also set to stage Women’s Super Rugby this season and hosted the 2019 Women’s State of Origin rugby league match.
Neither Super Rugby nor the NRL has considered the ground suitable for regular play. The NSW Waratahs avoided scheduling games there between 2019 and 2022, instead playing at the SCG, Brookvale Oval, and Parramatta Stadium during Sydney Football Stadium’s reconstruction. The NRL has not hosted a game at North Sydney Oval since 2005, with a planned 2020 fixture cancelled due to COVID-19.
The council’s motion also allows for engagement with the NSW Minister for Sport to seek grant funding for facility upgrades at North Sydney Oval, aiming to elevate its status among Sydney’s professional venues. Training use appears a more viable outcome, with North Sydney Oval and Bon Andrews Oval considered potential preparation sites for World Cup teams.
In a broader initiative, the council has been given the green light to hold a roundtable with North Sydney Local Government Area businesses to explore commercial opportunities linked to the 2027 Men’s and 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cups. North Sydney Oval may have stronger prospects for hosting matches in the 2029 Women’s event, given its lower capacity requirements. By comparison, England’s upcoming tournament will feature host venues as small as 8,000 and 12,000 seats, while North Sydney Oval accommodates approximately 15,000 spectators.