Danny Leahy Oval
Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Danny Leahy Oval, Goroka, Papua New Guinea — opened Not confirmed, 13 rugby league games hosted, home of Not a fixed club's home ground; functioned as Goroka's main representative/community rugby league venue, including a local Goroka rugby league competition that had ceased by 2013.
Sourcing caveat: Capacity, floodlight status and an opening date could not be confirmed. Whether the venue has seen any renewed regular use since the 2013 revival appeal could not be confirmed.
Ground facts
| Opened | Not confirmed (Also referred to as 'Sir Danny Leahy Oval'; named for Sir Danny (Daniel) Leahy, a pioneering PNG Highlands settler and businessman who died in Toowoomba, Australia, in January 2009.) |
| Home club | Not a fixed club's home ground; functioned as Goroka's main representative/community rugby league venue, including a local Goroka rugby league competition that had ceased by 2013 |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 13 |
| Top recorded crowd | 13,000 |
| Test matches hosted | 5 |
| Surface | Grass (presumed) |
| First rugby league match | 26 Jul 1978, Highlands Zone 12-49 New Zealand (Kiwis tour), attendance 100 |
| Years used | 1978–2001 |
| Location | Goroka, Eastern Highlands |
Name history
- Danny Leahy Oval / Sir Danny Leahy Oval — used throughout
Rugby league history
A major Papua New Guinea Highlands venue that hosted a string of full national-team Tests and World Cup fixtures against Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and France between the 1980s and early 2000s, alongside touring-side matches against representative Highlands Zone sides going back to 1978. The ground was later described as abandoned after PNG's Digicel Cup competition moved to National Sports Institute grounds and the local Goroka rugby league competition folded; a local MP pledged funding in 2013 toward reviving it as a community hub.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 6 Oct 1991 — Papua New Guinea 2-58 Australia, attendance 13,000 (the venue's largest recorded crowd)
- 16 Oct 1994 — Papua New Guinea 12-28 New Zealand, attendance 13,000
- 1989 — Papua New Guinea 18-20 France (World Cup match)
- 1990 — Papua New Guinea 20-18 Great Britain
- 1990 — Papua New Guinea 4-36 New Zealand
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| World Cup Table, 7 Jul 1991 | 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup | Papua New Guinea 18-20 France |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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