There's more than meets the eye when it comes to the National Rugby Training Centre (NRTC) at Ballymore.
In addition to a high-performance building with a gym, dressing rooms and recovery facilities, the construction of a top-level third field built to the same dimensions and specs as Suncorp Stadium will enable one of the most important elements of the site’s redevelopment.
It will guarantee an additional quality training field which the Wallaroos, Queensland Reds and Queensland elite pathway teams can all utilise during the day, or under the new floodlights.
During March, lead contractors Buildcorp and Reds representatives visited Tinamba Turf at Gleneagle, near Beaudesert, for an inspection of the new turf to be laid on Field 3.
They also made a nursery visit that puts any backyard gardener in the shade with more than 6000 plants sourced to plant around the new facility.
Throughout March, significant progress was made on the $30m NRTC project.
It included internal glazing, anchors being installed for the grandstand seating, completion of the tiered structure to the auditorium and polishing of the concrete auditorium floor, as well as the removal of the northern mound and the locker framework for the Reds and Wallaroos dressing rooms began.
In March, the project team reached these construction milestones:
- Turf inspection for Field 3
- Nursery visit for plants
- Grandstand soffit sheeting, speakers and light troffers installed
- Cleaning & colour tinting of the precast concrete elements complete
- Irrigation and soil placement complete to the level 1 garden podium
- Internal glazing & install progressed on both ground floor & level 1
- Anchors installed to the grandstand seating slats for the seating
- Removal of the existing northern mound & make-good works complete
- Underground civil works around the player’s tunnel commenced
- Tiered structure to the auditorium complete
- Continue setting of the external facade blueboard in preparation for textured finish
- Level 1 Murrayfield Room cold room and kitchen hood installed
- Tiled prep works commenced to the level 1 terrace
- Auditorium polished concrete floor polished
- Locker kickers installed to both Wallaroos and Reds dressing rooms
- Field 3 spoon drains and civil stormwater complete, subsoil drainage commenced
- Commissioning commenced to both lift 1 & 2
- Aluminium frames, glazing and doors installed to level 1 corporate suites
- Complete removal of the remaining perimeter scaffold
- Commenced framing to the level 1 ceilings
- Continued services fit-off throughout ground floor and level 1
