I had planned to write something on this, but after what happened to Bulldogs coach, Cameron Ciraldo, this is as timely as ever.
During his side’s match against the Raiders on Thursday night, Mr Ciraldo tried to open the window in the coaches’ box as it was fogging up. As the Bulldogs coach opened the window, the glass shattered and cut his hand, requiring stitches.
After the incident, Ciraldo called for the Raiders to get a new stadium. Sadly, we all know it will be brushed aside. Why, you ask? Well, because if ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr won’t listen to the people of Canberra, fans of both the Raiders and Brumbies, and those lobbying for a stadium, then he won’t listen to a coach who plays at GIO Stadium once a year.
I left Canberra five years ago, but it still holds a special place in my heart. Going to the Raiders and Brumbies games was something I loved doing. Seeing what has become of the once-mighty Bruce Stadium (as it was known during the Raiders’ glory years of the 90s) makes a rugby league tragic, such as me, sad. It’s not only an embarrassment for visiting rugby league teams, but also for visiting rugby union teams.
Of course, it is not only up to Mr Barr to decide on a new stadium for Canberra, since the federal government own it. In 2024, $250m in funding was announced to upgrade the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), with $10m allocated to improve the Bruce Precinct, including building a new stadium. In 2025, Mr Barr said there was no financial justification for building a new stadium, and that GIO, in its current form, is still good for another 10 years. He also said he expected the federal government to contribute 100 per cent of the funding.
While the ACT government prioritised the Canberra Theatre Project and urban renewal, there are other priorities that residents in the north of Canberra need, as Ian Bushnell points out in this article for Region Canberra. Still, I wholeheartedly believe that a better stadium, even though it may not have the day-to-day use of the Canberra Theatre or the Convention and Entertainment Centre precinct, will breathe new life into the city.
Despite only moving up to Townsville last year, I already know what a new stadium can do for not only rugby league fans, but lovers of all events. Not only is Queensland Country Bank Stadium attracting both the rugby league and rugby union World Cups, but major international music artists such as Pink, Jelly Roll, and Guns N’ Roses are choosing Townsville as part of their Australian tours.
This would be amazing for Canberra to attract musicians of this calibre, and while some might say, ‘Well, Sydney is only two hours away,’ I know I would much rather travel to Bruce from anywhere in the city to watch Pink than battle Sydney Traffic any day of the week.
For the time being, rugby league and rugby union fans, visiting teams, and, of course, the Raiders and Brumbies themselves still have to wait at least seven years before they may get a new stadium, which is too little, too late.
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