Willows Sports Complex
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Willows Sports Complex, Townsville, Australia — opened 1995, 554 rugby league games hosted, home of North Queensland Cowboys (1995-2019).
Sourcing caveat: Exact dates and scores for the Cowboys' 2004/2015 home finals campaigns at this ground, and a full list of its 2017 World Cup fixtures, were not identified in sources found. No Grand Final or State of Origin match at this ground was identified either.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1995 (Converted from a trotting track ahead of the North Queensland Cowboys' inaugural 1995 season.) |
| Home club | North Queensland Cowboys (1995-2019) |
| Closed | 2019 |
| Demolished | Demolition began September 2022, completed 2023 |
| Site today | Reported as the planned site for a $30 million emergency services/police facility hub — not the Cowboys' current stadium, which is the separate, nearby Queensland Country Bank Stadium (opened February 2020) |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 554 |
| Top recorded crowd | 30,302 (30,302 (North Queensland Cowboys v Brisbane Broncos, Anzac Day derby, April 1999 — sources differ on the exact date, 25 or 29 April)) |
| Capacity | Around 31,000 at opening, reduced to approximately 26,500 after a 2006 Eastern Grandstand extension |
| Surface | Grass |
| First rugby league match | 11 March 1995 — North Queensland Cowboys 16-32 Sydney Bulldogs (then as Stockland Stadium), attendance 23,156 |
| Last rugby league match | 29 August 2019 — Cowboys defeated Bulldogs, attendance 15,141 |
| Years used | 1995–2019 |
| Location | Townsville, Queensland |
Name history
- Willows Sports Complex — 1995–1995
- Stockland Stadium — 1995–1997
- Malanda Stadium — 1998
- Dairy Farmers Stadium — 1999–2012
- 1300SMILES Stadium — 2013–2019
Rugby league history
The Cowboys' original home for the club's first 25 seasons, carrying five different sponsor names across its life. It hosted home finals during both of the Cowboys' two Grand Final campaigns — including a 2004 qualifying final win over Brisbane and 2015 finals wins on the way to that year's maiden premiership — and staged 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2017 Rugby League World Cup fixtures. The ground closed in 2019 as the Cowboys moved to the newly built Queensland Country Bank Stadium, and was demolished in 2022-23.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group A, 25 Oct 2008 | 2008 Rugby League World Cup | England 32-22 Papua New Guinea |
| Group A, 9 Nov 2008 | 2008 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 46-6 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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