The $30 million Ballymore National Rugby Training Centre (NRTC) and new McLean Stand is starting to take shape, with construction more than a third complete.
The centre of excellence will be the new national headquarters of Women’s Rugby and the national Wallaroos team, as well as an elite training base for the Queensland Reds.
Lead contractors Buildcorp have defied Brisbane’s fickle weather to have laid the ground-floor slab, with the erection of interior walls beginning to show the scale of the 4000m2 building. The ground floor will feature locker rooms for the Wallaroos and Reds, a 750m2 gym with a double-height area for indoor lineout and kicking practice, and an aquatic recovery centre with an endless-river pool.
The new McLean Stand will have capacity for 3010 spectators – more than the ageing stand it replaces – and will allow Ballymore to once again host Hospital Cup finals, as well as Wallaroos Tests and other events such as soccer.
It is also essential to begin to bring Ballymore up to standard for the 2032 Olympics, when the ground will be temporarily transformed into the Olympic hockey venue.
The NRTC and new McLean Stand building is the first stage of a major redevelopment of Ballymore as an allied health and sports precinct, featuring sport climbing and a swim school – bringing in revenue to support the game throughout Queensland.
- Tower crane erection complete
- Northern retaining walls complete
- Recovery pool retaining walls complete
- All in-ground footings complete
- Northern stadium amenities structure complete
- Removal of spoil stockpile commenced
- Form reinforcement pour to ground columns commenced
- In-ground services to amenities commenced
- Piling trimming and pile caps complete
- Lift 1 & 2 base complete
- Slab on ground pour 1 complete
