Oakes Oval
Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Oakes Oval, Lismore, Australia — opened 1934, 15 rugby league games hosted, home of North Coast / Northern Rivers rugby league representative teams.
Sourcing caveat: The Test/tour matches listed above are touring-side representative fixtures against regional NSW representative teams, not full national-team Test matches; no full Australia vs [country] Test was found at this venue.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1934 |
| Home club | North Coast / Northern Rivers rugby league representative teams |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 15 |
| Top recorded crowd | 10,358 |
| Capacity | Approximately 10,000-12,000 |
| Test matches hosted | 3 |
| Floodlights installed | Yes |
| Surface | Grass oval, comparable in size to the SCG |
| First rugby league match | 1934 (Richmond River Colts v NSW Colts, per general histories; not independently itemised) |
| Years used | 1958–2005 |
| Location | Lismore, New South Wales |
Name history
- Recreation Ground — until 1957
- Oakes Oval — 1957-present
Rugby league history
A major regional multi-sport venue and Lismore's Regional Sporting Hub, hosting rugby league representative fixtures against touring international sides (1958-1987), several neutral-venue NSWRL pre-season cup matches through the 1980s and 1990s, and a 2005 City v Country Origin fixture. Also a significant cricket and Australian Football venue. Completed a $12.4 million redevelopment in 2024 (delayed by 2022 flooding), adding new grandstand seating and a refurbished Gordon Pavilion, and won the NSW Ken Gannon Community Football Facility Award.
A significant cricket ground (hosted a Women's One Day International, 13 Jan 1993) and Australian Football venue; also home to NSW Country Eagles rugby union (National Rugby Championship) since 2014.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 13 Jul 1958 — North Coast 15-56 Great Britain (Lions Tour)
- 10 Jun 1962 — North Coast 13-33 Great Britain (Lions Tour)
- 5 Jul 1987 — Northern Rivers 12-46 New Zealand (Kiwis Tour)
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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