Rugby league Olympic Park Stadium

melbourne storm playing south sydney rabbitohs @ olympic park

game ii of 1990 state of origin series first played in melbourne , stadium packed capacity new south wales victory on queensland. capacity stadium upped 25,800 through use of temporary seating @ each end. stadium held nswrl premiership match in 1993, when st. george dragons defeated western suburbs magpies 20–8 in front of 11,822 fans. match designated wests home game.

the stadium hosted australia vs new zealand test match on 3 july 1991 part of 1991 trans-tasman test series. match first rugby league test held in australia outside of new south wales or queensland, kiwi s scoring upset 24–8 win on world champions in front of 26,900 fans.

olympic park home ground of melbourne storm 1998–2000 , 2002–2009. exception being 2001 when storm moved home games larger, 56,347-capacity telstra dome, due in part storm s first 3 seasons (1998, 1999 , 2000), each having season average attendance of on 13,000. attractive in move chance play indoors due stadium having retractable roof, , stadium s ability move seating closer rugby league field. seating moved 1 game, however, due cost involved , damage done playing surface, hosted australian football league (who part owners of stadium). round 21 clash defending premiers brisbane. 32–28 win on broncos saw storm s season high crowd of 15,470. ultimately, move docklands deemed failure, and, average season crowd of 11,981, storm decided move olympic park beginning 2002. following move olympic park, storm play of home games , finals @ venue until moving new 30,050-all-seated aami park, built adjacent olympic park, in 2010 (in 2009 major finals against higher drawing teams brisbane , manly-warringah, moved docklands).

during rugby league matches western grandstand named glenn lazarus stand after storm s foundation , first premiership winning captain, while eastern grandstand named tawera nikau stand after new zealand international lock forward played 53 games storm, including 20–18 1999 nrl grand final win on st george-illawarra in front of world record rugby league crowd of 107,999 @ sydney olympic stadium. local fans unofficially dubbed northern end standing room, marcus bai stand after 1 of storm s popular players , outstanding wingers.

the melbourne storm s nickname stadium graveyard , due excellent record @ stadium (136 games, 106 wins, 28 losses, 2 draws). storm s first ever home game @ ground in round 4 of 1998 season when 20,522 saw new team defeat north sydney bears 24–16. game remains highest attended melbourne storm game @ olympic park. highest attended finals game @ stadium storm s first ever finals game when 18,247 saw sydney roosters win 26–12 in 1998 major preliminary semi-final.

melbourne storm moved out in 2010, stadium poorly suited rugby league because dimensions of pitch small. played last game there in round 25, 29 august 2009, winning 38–4 against sydney roosters.

rugby league test matches

list of rugby league test , world cup matches played @ olympic smart stadium.