Eric Weissel Oval
Encyclopedia
Eric Weissel Oval was a multi-use stadium
in Wagga Wagga
, New South Wales
, Australia
. It was named after Eric Weissel
and opened in 1959. It was used mostly for rugby league
matches and had a capacity of 10,000 people, with a record crowd of 11,685 recorded on 20 July 1988 for the Australia vs Papua New Guinea
as part of the 1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup
where the Aussies defeated the Kumuls by a then world record score of 70-8. The oval has hosted City vs Country (ARL
), National Rugby League
trial games, Brumbies vs Waikato Chiefs
(Rugby union
).
a state
and national representative rugby league
five-eighth of the 1920s. In spite of representative honours and the allure of the Sydney first grade competition Weissel played his entire club football career in the Riverina
with five different clubs including Wagga Wagga.
went into receivership, however the oval remained open up until 2007. In 2005 Wagga Wagga Leagues Club, Eric Weissel Oval and Allen Staunton Oval were sold to developers.
The oval was rezoned from private recreation to residential by the Wagga Wagga City Council in 26 September 2005.
In December 2008 the owners of the site, McIntyre Nash Pty Ltd, lodged an application to demolish which includes the removal of fencing, grandstand, change rooms and a broadcast box.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was named after Eric Weissel
Eric Weissel
Eric Weissel was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative goal-kicking five-eighth. He played his club career in country New South Wales and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.- Biography and Club career :Weissel was born in...
and opened in 1959. It was used mostly for rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
matches and had a capacity of 10,000 people, with a record crowd of 11,685 recorded on 20 July 1988 for the Australia vs Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
as part of the 1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup
1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup
The ninth Rugby League World Cup saw yet another change of format. The competition was stretched to cover almost three years , with teams playing each other on a home and away basis...
where the Aussies defeated the Kumuls by a then world record score of 70-8. The oval has hosted City vs Country (ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
), National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
trial games, Brumbies vs Waikato Chiefs
Chiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
(Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
).
Name
The oval was named after Eric WeisselEric Weissel
Eric Weissel was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative goal-kicking five-eighth. He played his club career in country New South Wales and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.- Biography and Club career :Weissel was born in...
a state
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and national representative rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
five-eighth of the 1920s. In spite of representative honours and the allure of the Sydney first grade competition Weissel played his entire club football career in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
with five different clubs including Wagga Wagga.
Closure and redevelopment
In June 2004 the owners of the oval, Wagga Wagga Leagues ClubWagga Wagga Leagues Club
Wagga Wagga Leagues Club was a club founded in 1955 by the Magpies Football Club in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.-History:In 1955, Magpies Football Club purchased an block in Gurwood Street from the Wagga Wagga War Services Home Commission, who constructed a temporary clubhouse...
went into receivership, however the oval remained open up until 2007. In 2005 Wagga Wagga Leagues Club, Eric Weissel Oval and Allen Staunton Oval were sold to developers.
The oval was rezoned from private recreation to residential by the Wagga Wagga City Council in 26 September 2005.
In December 2008 the owners of the site, McIntyre Nash Pty Ltd, lodged an application to demolish which includes the removal of fencing, grandstand, change rooms and a broadcast box.