Australian NRL rugby league team the Sydney Roosters has struck a 25-year partnership to play home games and finals at the new Allianz Stadium when it opens in 2022.
The Roosters signed the deal with the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground, with the deal marking the longest hiring agreement between a stadium and a club in the history of the sport.
The New South Wales government has already begun demolishing the existing Allianz Stadium in readiness for the rebuild, with the plans having proven to be a political hot potato. The opposition Labor party had threatened to pull the project if it gained power.
However, after the Berejiklian government retained power in the state election held over the weekend, the stadium plans are free to proceed. The new 45,000-seat stadium will feature a hybrid steel and wood roof.
Roosters chairman Nick Politis said: “These grounds have always been our spiritual home and the binding agreement we’ve signed with the SCG means this will always be our home.
“We played our first matches here at the old Show Ground, moved to the Sports Ground and then Allianz Stadium. We’ve had some of our most famous moments on the SCG, including the 1974-75 premierships that marked the start of my involvement with the Roosters.
“Our whole club is excited about what the new stadium will deliver for our members, supporters and players and for rugby league across the board. It cannot happen soon enough.”
Image: Sydney Roosters
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