Sydney Sports Ground
Sydney (Moore Park), New South Wales, Australia
Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney (Moore Park), Australia — opened 1911, 1,847 rugby league games hosted, home of Eastern Suburbs (Sydney Roosters), 1911-1986.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1911 (The broader Moore Park "Sports Ground" precinct dates to the 1800s and hosted other sports earlier, but rugby league was first played there in round 2 of the 1911 NSWRFL season (Eastern Suburbs beat North Sydney 22-9) — 1911 is used here as the ground's rugby league opening.) |
| Home club | Eastern Suburbs (Sydney Roosters), 1911-1986 |
| Closed | 1986 |
| Demolished | 1986 (exact calendar day not identified in sources found) |
| Site today | The Sydney Football Stadium (now Allianz Stadium), opened on the same site in 1988; a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the site on 19 June 2004 |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 1,847 |
| Top recorded crowd | 34,994 (28,505 (best-documented figure — 1951 NSWRL Grand Final, South Sydney 42-14 Manly-Warringah; the ground's stated capacity of 35,000+ suggests larger crowds may have occurred without a specific number being recorded)) |
| Grand Finals hosted | 1 |
| Last rugby league match | 29 June 1986 — Eastern Suburbs 21-14 North Sydney, attendance 8,175 |
| Years used | 1908–1986 |
| Location | Sydney (Moore Park), New South Wales |
Name history
- Sydney Sports Ground — 1911–1986
Rugby league history
The main home of Eastern Suburbs (now the Sydney Roosters) for 75 years, hosting around 500 of the club's games between 1911 and 1986, with South Sydney also playing occasional home games there in the same period. A speedway operated on the site from 1937 to 1955, drawing large crowds but also, tragically, 12 competitor deaths across that span. The ground held more than 35,000 for its biggest rugby league crowds before being demolished in 1986 to make way for the Sydney Football Stadium (now Allianz Stadium), which opened on the same site in 1988.
Also used for rugby union, soccer, boxing and — most distinctively — motorcycle speedway (1937-1955) before its 1986 demolition.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 1951 NSWRL Grand Final — South Sydney 42-14 Manly-Warringah (Manly's first-ever grand final)
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
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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