Ballymore to become the new home of Australian rugby sevens

Queensland has scored a massive sporting win with the Wallaroos and Australia’s Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens programs relocating to be based at Ballymore under a landmark new agreement with Rugby Australia.

The teams will be permanently headquartered at an upgraded Ballymore, with funding from the Games Legacy Fund powering a new high-performance facility and a brand-new Eastern Stand, transforming Ballymore into a world-class rugby precinct built to rival the best in the world.

The move will bring up to 90 Rugby Australia athletes and staff north from New South Wales, and the redeveloped site will double as a year-round training and operational base for the Wallabies whenever they’re in Queensland.

Australian rugby stars Isabella Nesser, Henry Hutchinson, Tiarah Minns and Fraser McReight

The Rugby Australia Awards, including the John Eales Medal, will also be held in Queensland twice in the next seven years.

It’s part of an already stacked lineup for Queensland Rugby, which is set to host 10 matches during the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup – all events contributing to a better lifestyle for Queenslanders through a stronger economy.

Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh called it a defining moment for the code.

“The Ballymore upgrade will deliver benefits felt for generations and turn the game’s Queensland heartland into a genuine centre of excellence,” Mr Waugh said.

“This is all made possible by the strength of the partnership between the Queensland Government, Queensland Rugby Union and Rugby Australia.”

Queensland Rugby Union CEO David Hanham described the precinct as soon to be one of the best high-performance rugby hubs in the world.

“The new upgrades will be a launchpad for community sport and athlete development for years to come. The future of Queensland Rugby has never looked brighter,” Mr Hanham said.

Sevens players like Isabella Nasser said the Ballymore improvements were a huge boost for their program.

“Having a field designated to ourselves and the high-performance facilities will be really exciting,” Nasser said.

“A lot of the backbone of the women’s team is from Queensland, so there’s a lot of buzz going around in our team.”

Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight was excited to see the potential for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It’s great for the next generation of rugby players to have a home here in Queensland,” McReight said.

“It’s exciting to see the potential this creates as we look ahead to the next home World Cup and the 2032 Olympic Games.”

Find out more about Queensland’s investment in sport infrastructure here: https://www.sport.qld.gov.au/sport

Last updated:

24 August 2026