Leichhardt Oval

About Leichhardt Oval

Leichhardt Oval is a popular and iconic sporting venue in Sydney's inner west, conveniently located just a short distance from Sydney's CBD.

It is available for continued use throughout the year as:

• a rectangular field for various football codes
• a boutique training venue for high-level sporting teams
• for filming, commercial, video and other promotional uses

Wayne Pearce Hill open to the public through summer

Council has opened up the iconic Leichhardt Oval to public access as a park through summer 2023/24.

The Wayne Pearce Hill is open from Monday to Friday, sunrise to sunset.

Residents will be able to walk their dogs, catch up with friends, or just enjoy a lazy day under the shade of the giant fig trees or soaking up the sun in front of the historic scoreboard.

To protect the surface of Sydney's most used sporting ground, residents will be asked to refrain from entering the playing area.

The trial of public access will take place across summer with a view to making it permanent in 2024.

Upcoming events

Events at Leichhardt Oval may impact parking availability in the local area.

Location

Mary Street, Lilyfield

Parking and transport

Parking

There is some parking at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, adjacent to Leichhardt Oval. Disabled parking is located right outside the door.

Riding your bike

There are bike racks just outside the entrance to LPAC where you can leave your bike.

Light rail

The closest light rail service is the L1 Dulwich Hill Line, which is a 15 minute walk to the oval.

Bus

Several bus routes operate between Central Station and Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, although there are no direct bus stops outside the facility. Routes M10, 470 and 440 all stop within a 10-15 minute walk.

Visit the Transport for NSW website, use your preferred real-time transport app, or phone 131 500 for all times, routes and stops.

Visit the link below to view all upcoming events at Leichhardt Oval.

Upcoming events at Leichhardt Oval

Hiring the oval

Please complete our online booking form to make an enquiry. Please note that completing the form is not a confirmation of booking – a staff member will contact you as soon as possible to confirm your booking's suitability.

Apply to book

Facilities

Sporting facilities

• Rugby league
• Rugby union
• Association football (soccer)
• Filming

General facilities

• Toilets
• Disabled toilets
• Fenced
• Filming
• Floodlighting
• Change rooms
• Canteen
• Dogs on leash on Wayne Pearce Hill during park hours (sunrise to sunset, Monday to Friday during summer 2023-24 park trial). Dogs prohibited at other times.

History

Leichhardt Oval was first used as a rugby league ground in 1934, the same year that it became the home ground of the Balmain Tigers.

During the 1970s the ground underwent a series of major changes, including the installation of better lighting and repositioning of the field to run from north-to-south rather than east-to-west.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s the ground was synonymous with the mid-week Amco Cup – also known by various sponsors' names such as the Tooth Cup, KB Cup and Panasonic Cup.

In June 1980 the ground hosted the final representative rugby league match between NSW and Queensland under the previous "state of residence" rule, right before the existing State of Origin system was introduced.

The ground underwent a series of improvements in 2009 including the Centurions Lounge, a lift and improved corporate areas and safety. These works were co-funded by the then-Leichhardt Council and the Australian Government.

Leichhardt Oval is one of Wests Tigers' home grounds, hosting around 4 to 5 NRL matches each year and drawing large crowds. The club's NSW Cup and National Youth Competition teams also play regular home games at the ground. Council supports West Tigers continuing their strong connection to the ground.

The highest NRL attendance at Leichhardt Oval was recorded is 22,877 in July 2005 for a match between Wests Tigers and South Sydney.

Local junior rugby league is supported at Leichhardt Oval as the home ground of the Balmain Tigers junior representative teams and development squads. The ground has hosted the grand finals of both the Harold Matthews Cup and S.G. Ball Cup competitions.

Films

Inner West Council and AllStar Productions have released a moving film about Leichhardt Oval, spiritual home of the Wests Tigers and Sydney's most famous suburban rugby league ground.

The film is narrated by former Balmain Tigers and NSW Captain Wayne Pearce and includes stirring interviews with former Tigers legends including Garry Jack, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen, Aaron Woods and Robbie Farah.

It was produced to serve as a wake-up call to the National Rugby League leadership in opposition to plans to kill off suburban rugby league grounds.

Major hirers and ticket sales

Leichhardt Oval Master Plan

Visit this page to read more and download a copy of the plan.