Gold Coast Sports Precinct facts for kids
The Gold Coast Sports Precinct is a big area in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has many different places for sports and events. Imagine a whole neighborhood just for playing games!
This precinct has been home to professional sports teams. These include teams for Australian rules football, baseball, basketball, cricket, rugby league, and rugby union. It was also a very important place for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. During the Games, it hosted events like athletics, badminton, weightlifting, and wrestling. The exciting opening and closing ceremonies for the Games also happened here.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Sports Precinct
The land where the Gold Coast Sports Precinct now stands was once a farm. It was called 'Birribon' and belonged to the Cooper family.
Early Days: Rugby and Football Teams
In 1983, the Nerang Bulls Rugby Union Club started playing at Carrara Oval. They moved away a year later. Then, in 1986, a new Australian rules football team called the Brisbane Bears was formed. Their owner, Christopher Skase, decided to make Carrara Oval their home. He built a stadium there with special stands to make it look good on TV. By 1987, the new Carrara Stadium could hold 16,500 people.
In 1989, big floodlights were put up at the stadium. These lights allowed games to be played at night. The first night game at Carrara was on July 15, 1989. The Bears played against the Geelong Cats in front of a huge crowd of 18,198 fans.
New Sports and Teams Arrive
The Gold Coast Rollers basketball team joined the National Basketball League in 1990. To house them, the Carrara Indoor Stadium was built. A new baseball team, the Gold Coast Clippers, also started playing at Carrara Stadium in 1990.
However, the Brisbane Bears moved to another stadium in 1992. The baseball team, now called the Gold Coast Cougars, returned to Carrara Stadium in 1993. The indoor stadium was improved in 1996 to attract more basketball fans. But the Rollers team stopped playing later that year.
Rugby League and Future Plans
In 1996, a new National Rugby League team, the Gold Coast Chargers, began playing at Carrara Stadium. They played for three seasons before their team also stopped. The Cougars baseball team won a championship in 1999, but then their league ended.
Professional sports returned in 2007 with the Gold Coast Titans rugby league team. They played at Carrara Stadium for a year before moving to a new stadium in Robina.
In 2009, the Gold Coast Football Club was created and made the precinct its home. Carrara Stadium got a big makeover starting in 2010. This was followed by the exciting news in 2011 that the Gold Coast would host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The precinct then grew with many new sports venues and facilities. In October 2020, the Brisbane Roar soccer team moved their training to the precinct. A new National BMX Freestyle Park opened there in May 2022.
Teams That Call the Precinct Home
Many exciting sports teams use the Gold Coast Sports Precinct today:
- The Gold Coast Football Club, known as the Suns, plays Australian Football League (AFL) games at Carrara Stadium.
- The Brisbane Roar soccer team trains at Elite Field 1. They play in the A-League.
- Titans Netball plays in the Sapphire Series. Their home games are at the Sports and Leisure Centre.
Teams That Played Here Before
Over the years, many teams have used the precinct:
- Brisbane Bears (Australian rules football, 1987–1992)
- Gold Coast Clippers (Baseball, 1989–1990)
- Gold Coast Dolphins (Cricket, 1990–1993)
- Gold Coast Rollers (Basketball, 1990–1996)
- Daikyo Dolphins (Baseball, 1992–1993)
- Gold Coast Cougars (Baseball, 1993–1999)
- Gold Coast Chargers (Rugby league, 1996–1998)
- Gold Coast Titans (Rugby league, 2007)
- East Coast Aces (Rugby union, 2007)
- Gold Coast Blaze (Basketball, 2007–2012)
- Gold Coast United (Soccer, 2011–2012)
Amazing Sports Facilities at the Precinct
The Gold Coast Sports Precinct has many modern places for sports.
Current Sports Venues
- Carrara Stadium: This is the main outdoor stadium. It can hold 25,000 people. It's mostly used for Australian rules football and cricket. The Gold Coast Suns manage the stadium.
- Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre: This indoor center can hold 5,000 people. It's perfect for basketball and netball. It also has training areas for the Gold Coast Suns.
- Carrara Indoor Stadium: This indoor venue is next to Carrara Stadium. It can hold 2,992 people and is used for many different sports. It is also the main office for Squash Australia.
- Carrara Elite Field 1: This outdoor oval is also known as Austworld Centre Oval. It's mainly used for Australian rules football training. Some Victorian Football League games are played here too.
- Carrara Eastern Oval: Another outdoor oval used for Australian rules football. It's a training ground for the Gold Coast Suns academy.
- Carrara Southern Sports Fields: These are several outdoor soccer fields. They are used by Gold Coast Soccer.
- Carrara Cricket Nets: An outdoor area with nets for cricket training. It's located outside Carrara Stadium.
- KDV Sport Academy: This academy offers golf and tennis. It has a 12-hole golf course and many tennis courts.
- National BMX Freestyle Park: An outdoor park for BMX training and competitions. It has exciting features like high walls, quarter pipes, and box jumps.
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