Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has declared the club’s stadium future locked in, after unveiling a 15-year strategy that cements Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Sports Stadium as their long-term homes.
The deal, signed off with Inner West and Campbelltown City councils, comes with more than $100 million in redevelopment funding and sets a clear path to 2029.
Richardson described the announcement as a turning point, telling reporters:
“It’s a major part of the puzzle. There’s a whole lot of things we had to do to re-establish this club. The independent board is operating successfully, our commercial side will show a profit this year for the first time in a long while. We've increased sponsorships by over 40%. The final piece of the puzzle was the stadiums, because we needed quality stadiums that our fans could come along to and know that we could provide quality entertainment for them.”
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A timeline towards 2029
Leichhardt Oval is expected to close in 2027 for its redevelopment, with Campbelltown undergoing upgrades the following year. Both grounds will be fully operational by the 2029 season, by which time 11 games will be locked into either venue. Until then, CommBank Stadium will host the club’s larger fixtures.
Beyond bricks and mortar, Richardson emphasised what the deal means for the Tigers’ identity in Sydney’s west. “It just means that we’re locked in. We’ve got a commitment to the west. We’ll be in 60 schools by the end of the year with our Empower program. We’ve got a strong tie to the leagues’ club and now to the council.”
He added that while Leichhardt retains its heritage value, the real growth opportunity lies in the south-west: “We’ve got a commitment to the historic Leichhardt Oval, but the real spread for this club as far as Membership growth and commercial is to the south-west of Sydney. This is the final piece of the puzzle.”