Eric Weissel Oval
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Eric Weissel Oval, Wagga Wagga, Australia — opened This site's own directory records use from 1954 (a Great Britain Lions tour match); general references give a later, likely unrelated 1959 formal opening date, 22 rugby league games hosted, home of Wagga Wagga Magpies RLFC (Group 9); also used by Wagga Brothers RLFC and Ladysmith-Forest Hill United RLFC (Group 13).
Sourcing caveat: The ground's 1954 first rugby league use (per this site's own records) predates a general '1959 opening' date found in other references; this is not resolved and is stated as an open discrepancy rather than guessed at. The ground is now demolished.
Ground facts
| Opened | This site's own directory records use from 1954 (a Great Britain Lions tour match); general references give a later, likely unrelated 1959 formal opening date (Named for Eric Weissel (1903-1972), a Riverina rugby league great who played his entire 18-year club career in country NSW (Cootamundra, Temora, Barmedman, Narrandera, Wagga Wagga Magpies) and captained Cootamundra to an unbeaten Maher Cup reign. No evidence was found of an earlier, different name for the ground before it bore his name.) |
| Home club | Wagga Wagga Magpies RLFC (Group 9); also used by Wagga Brothers RLFC and Ladysmith-Forest Hill United RLFC (Group 13) |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 22 |
| Top recorded crowd | 11,685 (Rugby League — World Cup Table, 20 Jul 1988, 1985-88 Rugby League World Cup: Australia 70-8 Papua New Guinea) |
| Capacity | Approximately 10,000 (grass surface) |
| Test matches hosted | 1 |
| First rugby league match | 26 May 1954 — Riverina 26-36 Great Britain, Lions Tour, attendance 10,732 |
| Years used | 1954–2002 |
| Location | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales |
Name history
- Eric Weissel Oval — throughout its recorded rugby league use, no renaming found
Rugby league history
A major Riverina touring venue for four decades, hosting Great Britain Lions tour matches in 1954, 1974, 1979 and 1984, New Zealand Kiwis tour matches in 1978, 1982 and 1986, and Challenge Cup/AMCO Cup/National Panasonic Cup fixtures through the 1970s and 1980s. The last recorded match here was a 2002 NSW City v Country Origin fixture. The adjacent Wagga Wagga Leagues Club went into receivership in 2004, and the whole site was rezoned for housing in 2005 and demolished in 2015; a Daily Advertiser report indicates the Weissel family has since advocated for a new ground to again carry his name.
Also hosted rugby union fixtures.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 20 Jul 1988 — Australia 70-8 Papua New Guinea, 1985-88 Rugby League World Cup, attendance 11,685, this site's own recorded top crowd for the venue
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, 20 Jul 1988 | 1985-88 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 70-8 Papua New Guinea |
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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