Penrith Stadium

Penrith Stadium

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Former names	Penrith Park Penrith Football Stadium Credit Union Australia Stadium Penrith Centrebet Stadium Penrith Sportingbet Stadium Penrith McGrath Foundation Stadium
Location	Penrith Mulgoa Road (cnr Ransley St), Penrith, New South Wales 2750
Coordinates
Owner	Panthers Leagues Club
Operator	Panthers Leagues Club
Capacity	22,500
Record attendance	22,582 - Penrith vs Parramatta, 2010
Surface	Grass
Opened	23 April 1967
Tenants
Penrith Panthers (NSWRL/ARL/NRL) (SL) (1967-present) Penrith Nepean United (NSWPL) Penrith City SC (NSL) (1984-1985) Western Sydney Wanderers (Hyundai A-League) (2015-Present)

Penrith Stadium (also currently known by its sponsorship name of Pepper Stadium) is a rugby league and association football (soccer) stadium located on Mulgoa Road, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.

The 22,500 seat venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the National Rugby League (NRL). The all-time attendance record for the venue is 22,582 in a match between Penrith v Parramatta on 17 July 2010.

History

Pepper Stadium has been used by the Penrith Panthers since their entry into the National Rugby League competition in 1967. Initially, the Stadium only had one main grandstand, the Western grandstand. In the 1980s, the Stadium saw the construction of the Eastern Grandstand. In 2006, a joint Federal and State Government funding project saw $30 million worth of investments come to the Stadium. In the subsequent developments, the Western Grandstand was extended and revamped. Following the completion of the project, the Stadium now holds 8,000 seats in the Grandstand.

Two of Samoa's 2008 Rugby League World Cup matches were played at CUA Stadium: their Group C game against Tonga and their 9th place play-off match against France.

At the end of 2010, the Federal and State Governments provided funding to redevelop the scoreboard end of the stadium. Initial plans were to build a double-sided grandstand between Penrith Stadium and Howell Oval. However, it was found that a main sewer line ran between the stadium and Howell Oval. Relocation of the line would have cost nearly double what the initial funding would cover. Subsequently, a stand is currently being constructed at Howell Oval, and the facilities at the Scoreboard end of the stadium were redeveloped.

Naming rights

Penrith Stadium was sponsored by Credit Union Australia, who previously held the naming rights, from early 2006 until 31 October 2010. The stadium's name was sometimes shortened to CUA Stadium.

On 22 January 2011 it was announced that sport betting agency Centrebet had acquired the rights to the sponsorship name of the stadium until 2016. Under their sponsorship rights the stadium was also known as the "Centrebet Stadium Penrith".

On 21 June 2011, it was announced that, for the Women in League round of the NRL, Centrebet had agreed to forego the naming rights for one week, until which time it would be officially known as "McGrath Foundation Stadium".

On 28 January 2014 it was announced that sport betting agency Sportingbet acquired the rights to the sponsorship name of the stadium, altering the stadium's name to Sportingbet Stadium Penrith.

On 12 February 2015, Pepper Group had replaced Sportingbet as the naming rights sponsor, renaming the stadium to Pepper Stadium.

Tenants

In the National Rugby League competition, the Penrith Panthers club have played at this stadium, as their home ground, ever since making their first grade appearance in 1967.

In the (NSL), the Penrith City SC club played here in 1984-1985.

The stadium hosted a Western Sydney Wanderers pre-season friendly against Adelaide United on the 22nd of September 2013, and was host to a competitive A-League Premiership match against the Wellington Phoenix on the 8th of February 2015.

Rugby League Test matches

List of rugby league Test and World Cup matches played at Penrith Stadium.

Test#	Date	Result	Attendance	Notes
1	7 October 2006	Fiji def. Cook Islands 40–4	1,713	2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying match
2	31 October 2008	Samoa def. Tonga 20–12	11,787	Played as part of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
3	9 November 2008	Samoa def. France 42–10	8,028	Played as part of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
4	20 April 2013	Tonga def. Samoa 36–4	10,143	2013 Pacific Rugby League International
5	3 May 2014	Samoa def. Fiji 32–16	9,063	2014 Pacific Rugby League International

Gallery

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  Centrebet Stadium, Penrith

• 

  Penrith Stadium from halfway

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  Family Hill End of the Stadium

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  Scoreboard End of the Stadium

External links

• Penrith Stadium at Austadiums