The NSW Waratahs will play their two biggest home-game fixtures of the 2020 Super Rugby season at Bankwest Stadium – the new home of sport and entertainment in Western Sydney.
In a win for rugby fans across Greater Sydney, the Tahs will play the Queensland Reds in Round 12 on Saturday 18 April and the Brumbies in Round 17 on Saturday 23 May – with a huge crowd anticipated for both games.
The Waratahs will play their first Bankwest Stadium game in season 2020 in Round 5 against the Lions on Friday 28 February.
All three Bankwest Stadium fixtures will kick off at the fan-friendly time of 7.15pm.
The NSW Waratahs on Friday confirmed all eight of their 2020 Super Rugby fixtures.
NSWRU also confirmed their Round 9 game against the Sunwolves will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and their Round 8 clash, previously earmarked for ‘Country NSW’, will be held at Scully Park, Tamworth.
It will be the first time the NSW Waratahs play a Super Rugby fixture in Country NSW.
The Scully Park clash with the Bulls has been made possible courtesy of a $300,000 joint grant from the NSW government’s Office of Sport and Drought Relief Fund.
Friday’s announcement takes the NSW Waratahs home venues in 2020 to six, as they extend on their efforts in 2019 to take the professional game around the state.
The confirmation of the Reds (Round 12) fixture at Bankwest Stadium will see three games in Sydney’s west once again in 2020.
McDonald Jones Stadium will host its second Super Rugby fixture, while the Illawarra region will have the professional game on their doorstep for the first time.
Trips to Newcastle and Wollongong have been made possible thanks to the support of Venues NSW, Newcastle City Council and Destination Wollongong.
NSW Waratahs Interim-CEO Phillip Van Schalkwyk said that the updated draw was a direct reflection of the organisation’s aim to take the professional game to the people of NSW.
“The [NSWRU] Board made it clear from the outset that we wanted to use our current displacement as an opportunity to engage with fans across NSW,” Van Schalkwyk said.
“To be playing in regional, country and a range of metropolitan locations in 2020 is a great result.”
Fans have voted with their feet and flocked to Bankwest Stadium for events since it opened to the public on 14 April this year.
By year’s end, more than 575,000 fans will have attended sporting events at Bankwest Stadium in its first nine months of operation. An additional 25,000 people have visited the Stadium for business, community or cultural events.
Bankwest Stadium will host the Sydney 7s on 1-2 February 2020 – the perfect start to the rugby season at the venue.
NSW Waratahs 2020 Super Rugby home fixtures:
Round 2: NSW Waratahs v Auckland Blues, McDonald Jones Stadium
Round 5: NSW Waratahs v Lions, Bankwest Stadium
Round 6: NSW Waratahs v Chiefs, WIN Stadium
Round 8: NSW Waratahs v Bulls, Scully Park, Tamworth
Round 9: NSW Waratahs v Sunwolves, SCG
Round 12: NSW Waratahs v Reds, Bankwest Stadium
Round 14: NSW Waratahs v Rebels, Brookvale Oval
Round 17: NSW Waratahs v Brumbies, Bankwest Stadium
For a full NSW Waratahs 2020 Super Rugby draw, click here.
To see the action-packed 2020 Bankwest Stadium Event Calendar, click here
