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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Barlow Park

Barlow Park is a multi-sports facility and stadium in Parramatta Park, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

The Park is home of the Northern Pride RLFC offices, Cairns District Rugby Union, Cairns and District Athletics Association, Australian Sports Commission Development, Oztag, and formerly Cairns FC and Cairns District Rugby League.

Since 2008 it has been the home ground for the Northern Pride rugby league team who play in the State Competition Queensland Cup.

Venue

The ground comprises an IAAF international athletics facility, turf sports fields at the main Barlow and West Barlow parks, and a capacity of 15,000 people including a 1,700 seat grandstand with corporate and media facilities.

History

The Cairns Sports Centre (Barlow Park) was officially opened on Saturday the 5th of December 1987. It was named after James Aloysius Barlow, an alderman with Cairns City Council from 1955-1970. It has had various upgrades, notablya stadium extension which was opened on 13 August 2003. In 2024 a $10.9 million project installed LED lighting which increased the lighting capacity from 500 lux to broadcast standard 1800 lux and also installed a large video screen for scoring and replays. Further upgrades are proposed to enable the venue to be used for preliminary football matches for the 2032 Olympic games.

Prior to the development of the sporting complex, Barlow Park was a cricket ground, and in 1978 hosted a match between the West Indies and Cavaliers XI.

Events

Barlow Park has hosted athletic events, rugby union, soccer, rugby league matches and music concerts, including Midnight Oil (1997), Killing Heidi (2000) and two John Farnham concerts (2003).

Athletics

The Oceania Area Championships have been held at Barlow Park in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015. These events attracted athletes from around the world compete, as well as international sports people such as Sir Sebastian Coe. The venue also hosted the 2018 Australian All School Athletics Championships.

Rugby Union

Cairns District Rugby Union

CDRU play matches at Barlow Park.

Queensland Rugby Union

Date Home Team Score Away Team Tour
15 July 1992 Queensland B 13 – 32 All Blacks Chivas Regal Rugby Series
27 April 1994 Queensland B 12 – 23 Waikato Mooloos

Super Rugby

There have been three Super Rugby pre-season trial games at Barlow Park.

Date Home Team Score Away Team
29 January 2011 Queensland Reds 42 – 15 Canterbury Crusaders
11 February 2012 Queensland Reds 27 – 20 ACT Brumbies
31 January 2015 Queensland Reds 13 – 28 Melbourne Rebels

International Rugby Union Games

On 21 June 1989 Queensland B played the British Lions during their tour to Australia.

Soccer

National Premier Leagues Queensland

The FNQ FC Heat, later Cairns FC, played their National Premier Leagues Queensland home games at Barlow Park between 2012-2018.

FAA Cup

Four FFA Cup matches have been held at Barlow Park.

Date Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
27 July 2016 FNQ Heat 0 – 3 Edgeworth Eagles 1,379
1 August 2018 Cairns FC 4 – 0 Armadale SC 971
21 August 2018 Cairns FC 1 – 2 Sydney FC 3,950
15 September 2021 Edge Hill United 0 – 2 Gold Coast Knights 1,946

A-League

Two A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup matches have been played at Barlow Park.

Date Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
6 August 2005 Brisbane Roar FC 0 – 0 Sydney FC 4,500
22 September 2013 Brisbane Roar FC 4 – 1 Sydney FC 4,707

Rugby League

Cairns District Rugby League

The CDRL play their grand final at Barlow Park. Prior to the development of Barlow Park in the 1980s, CDRL and Foley Shield rugby league games were played at Parramatta Park (now the Cairns Showgrounds).

Queensland Cup

The Cairns Cyclones Rugby League Football Club played 32 home games at Barlow Park between 1996 and 2000.

Since their inception in 2008, the Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club have played their Queensland Cup home games at Barlow Park. Average crowds were around 2,300, with attendances over 4,000 for matches against the PNG Hunters.

NRL Pre-Season Trials

The North Queensland Cowboys have played more than a dozen NRL pre-season trial matches. The record attendance at the venue was set at the 2004 Cowboys v Sea Eagles trial which attracted a crowd of 20,000.

{{table alignment

Date Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
28 February 2003 NQ Cowboys 24 – 30 Newcastle Knights 11,200
20 February 2004 NQ Cowboys 22 – 22 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 19,950
25 February 2005 NQ Cowboys 18 – 30 Melbourne Storm 17,000
18 February 2006 NQ Cowboys 26 – 10 New Zealand Warriors 15,000
3 March 2007 NQ Cowboys 12 – 24 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 12,500
23 February 2008 NQ Cowboys 22 – 30 Gold Coast Titans
28 February 2009 NQ Cowboys 18 – 18 Penrith Panthers 12,000
20 February 2010 NQ Cowboys 06 – 28 New Zealand Warriors 10,000
26 February 2011 NQ Cowboys 22 – 24 Gold Coast Titans
16 February 2013 NQ Cowboys 28 – 22 St. George Illawarra Dragons 12,036
21 February 2015 NQ Cowboys 30 – 10 Gold Coast Titans
17 February 2018 NQ Cowboys 16 – 30 Wests Tigers
22 February 2020 NQ Cowboys 18 – 16 Brisbane Broncos
19 February 2022 NQ Cowboys 24 – 12 South Sydney Rabbitohs 7,128
12 February 2023 NQ Cowboys 22 – 22 Dolphins 8,922

NRL Telstra Premiership

Seven NRL Telstra Premiership Games have been held at Barlow Park. The first was on 16 June 2013 between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Gold Coast Titans, which attracted a crowd of 16,118. Two other NRL Telstra Premiership matches were played in Cairns at Cazalys Stadium in 2001.

Date Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
16 June 2013 South Sydney Rabbitohs 30 – 24 Gold Coast Titans 16,118
3 August 2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs 50 – 10 Newcastle Knights 11,578
26 April 2015 South Sydney Rabbitohs 22 – 30 Canberra Raiders 8,713
3 July 2016 South Sydney Rabbitohs 00 – 20 NQ Cowboys 14,923
16 July 2017 South Sydney Rabbitohs 10 – 23 NQ Cowboys 11,217
1 July 2018 South Sydney Rabbitohs 21 – 20 NQ Cowboys 7,195
12 August 2023 South Sydney Rabbitohs 26 – 14 St George Illawarra Dragons 8,378

International Rugby League Games

The stadium hosted three matches in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, including a double-header. Other international matches have been played, including the 1990 Les Chanticleers Tour, a trial match with New Zealand in 1994, and a qualifying match in the 2009 Pacific Cup.

Date Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
14 June 1990 QLD Country 09 – 16 France France Chanticleers 5,000
23 October 1999 Cairns Aborigines 32 – 10  Papua New Guinea 5,200
17 October 2009 Cook Islands Aitu, Kuki's Cook Islands 22 – 20 Samoa Toa Samoa 4,261
29 October 2017 Ireland Wolfhounds Ireland 36 – 12 Italy Italy Azzurri 9,216
29 October 2017 Mate Ma'a Tonga Tonga 50 – 40 Scotland Scotland Bravehearts 9,216
11 November 2017 Toa Samoa Samoa 14 – 12 Scotland Scotland Bravehearts 4,309

References

  1. ^ "Barlow Park". Cairns Regional Council. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. ^ [Cutters duo in North QLD showdown](https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/sport/cutters-duo-in-north-qld-showdown/news-story/4e42c1f5c314e650f92a37ffc98a7548)
  3. ^ [New lighting first step in Olympics upgrade for Barlow Park](https://www.austadiums.com/news/1192/new-lighting-first-step-in-olympics-upgrade-for-barlow-park)
  4. ^ "Barlow Park | Plans & Progress | Q2032". q2032.au. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  5. ^ "vs Cricket Scorecard at Cairns, December 01 - 02, 1978". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Barlow Park, Cairns, Australia Concert Setlists | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Barlow Park on the Athletics Track Directory". 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Cairns Cyclones are no more". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  9. ^ "NRL Pre-Season: Cowboys v Sea Eagles - Austadiums". www.austadiums.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  10. ^ Gavin Broomhead (16 June 2013). "South Sydney Rabbitohs remain top of the NRL ladder after win over Gold Coast Titans in Cairns". Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  11. ^ "2001 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 10 - North Queensland Cowboys 22 lost to Northern Eagles 24 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Barlow Park - Results - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Cook Islands progress to Pacific Cup - NRL.com". 19 October 2009. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2024.