The Carrara Stadium, also recognized as the Metricon Stadium, has solidified its position as a well-regarded sports venue with a significant historical background. Situated in Carrara, Gold Coast, Australia, lies this renowned venue that has served as the host to a diverse range of sporting events, enthralling spectators with its exceptional adaptability and advanced amenities. Throughout its existence, Carrara Stadium has borne witness to a plethora of historic events spanning various sporting disciplines. This multifaceted arena has demonstrated the abilities of international athletes hailing from various sports, ranging from Australian Rules Football to cricket and rugby league. Its broad range of presentations has left a lasting imprint on the global sporting arena. The present discourse aims to provide an in-depth examination of the extensive past and conspicuous accomplishments associated with Carrara Stadium. Specifically, the discourse will concentrate on the exceptional games, unprecedented achievements, and consequential occurrences that have cemented its standing as a top-tier athletic facility in Australia. Carrara Stadium is regarded as an epitome of athletic prowess and a repository of indelible recollections, owing to its association with high-scoring T20 international cricket contests, Australian Rules Football, and the National Rugby League. This discourse aims to provide an in-depth examination of the longstanding heritage and adaptability of Carrara Stadium, investigating its evolution throughout the years alongside the impactful occurrences that have indelibly ingrained themselves within Australia’s sporting annals. We cordially invite you to join us on this exploration.
History of Metricon Stadium (Carrara Stadium)
During its nascent stage, the Nerang Bulls Rugby Union Club was established and situated at Carrara Oval in the year 1983. Subsequent to a period of two seasons, the aforementioned club relocated to Glennon Park situated in Nerang, in the year 1985. In 1986, the Brisbane Bears, an Australian rules football club, were authorized to join the Victorian Football League for the 1987 VFL season. The club formally declared its intention to designate Carrara Oval as its principal home ground. In early 1987, Christopher Skase, the financial supporter of the Bears, invested a significant sum of $1 million into the Carrara Oval redevelopment project. This undertaking involved enhancing player amenities, constructing seating accommodations for up to 6,000 viewers, and installing a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard. On the 19th of April 1987, the Fitzroy Lions emerged victorious in the inaugural Victorian Football League (VFL) match played at Carrara Oval, drawing a crowd of 17,795 spectators while competing against the Brisbane Bears. In 1989, a lease agreement was executed between the Brisbane Bears and the Albert Shire Council, wherein the parties agreed to a duration of thirty years for the use of the ground, with the added provision of an option for a ten-year extension. Subsequent to the aforementioned declaration, Christopher Skase orchestrated the procurement and installation of floodlights amounting to $6 million, for which payment was never rendered. On 15 July 1989, the inaugural nocturnal match was held at Carrara stadium. Following financial losses of $10 million sustained by the newly appointed owner of the Bears, Reuben Pelerman, during the AFL seasons between 1990 and 1992, a permanent relocation of the team to the redeveloped Brisbane Cricket Ground was effected in 1993.
The inaugural Touch Football World Cup was held at Carrara Stadium in 1988, featuring the participation of national teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the United States. The Gold Coast Clippers conducted their 1989-1990 Australian Baseball League campaign at Carrara prior to rebranding as the Daikyo Dolphins and relocating to the proximate Palm Meadows. During the season of 1992-93, the team relocated to Carrara under the name of Gold Coast Cougars. In preparation for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the Brazilian national football team established their training facility at the Carrara Stadium. Subsequent observations from the Brazilian cohort indicated that the terrain exhibited at Carrara stood among the foremost in the global landscape.
In the aftermath of the disbandment of the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995, a novel rugby league team, the Gold Coast Chargers, was established and commenced operations from the Carrara Stadium in the year 1996. The employment of the ground persisted up until the culmination of the 1998 National Rugby League season. In 2005, the National Rugby League (NRL) made a formal announcement that it had determined the Gold Coast Titans to be deserving of a license for participation in the league. Subsequently, it was revealed that the stadium presently available in the area would serve as their home ground for the 2007 season, until such time as the newly-constructed Robina Stadium became available. The Robina Stadium was indeed opened the following year in 2008.
In 2009, the Carrara Stadium was officially designated as the recipient of a significant $126 million redevelopment project, thereby facilitating the creation of a state-of-the-art sports arena that would be fitting for the newly-formed Australian Football League (AFL) franchise known as the Gold Coast Suns. The stadium’s redevelopment entailed a financial outlay of $144. 2 million and its seating capacity was augmented to accommodate a total of 25,000 onlookers, with a supplementary provision for 15,000 extra seating arrangements on a temporary basis. The stadium presents an Australian Football League oval that possesses the capacity to support an International Cricket Council-compliant oval. In addition, the facility provides an International Association of Athletics Federations field and a FIFA World Cup football field. On the 22nd of May 2011, an open day event was held at the stadium, preceding the inaugural match scheduled for the 28th of the same month.
On the 25th of March 2017, the venue was selected as the host site for the inaugural Grand Final of AFL Women’s. In a recent match, the Adelaide Crows emerged victorious over the Brisbane Lions with a score of 35 points to 29. The Lions were granted the privilege of hosting the match, however, due to unavailability of their preferred venue, the Brisbane Cricket Ground, they were compelled to utilize Carrara Stadium.
In 2018, an upgrade was carried out on the stadium in response to the successful bid by the Gold Coast to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, resulting in a temporary seating capacity of 35,000. Following the conclusion of the sporting events, it was observed that the seating capacity was reinstated to its pre-existing value of 25,000. The stadium played host to both the inaugural and concluding ceremonies, in addition to serving as the venue for the athletic events held during the Commonwealth Games.
Amidst the 2020 Australian Football League season, which encountered disruptions due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium was utilised extensively as a number of non-Queensland based teams were subjected to prolonged intervals of stay within Gold Coast quarantine locations and consequently played their home fixtures at the aforementioned venue. In total, 42 matches were hosted at the ground in 2020, representing the highest number of matches played at any particular venue. Furthermore, the ground achieved a significant milestone by hosting its inaugural finals match.
Metricon Stadium (Carrara Stadium) T20 records
The venue recognized as Carrara Stadium, alternatively Metricon Stadium, has been the site for a number of exhilarating T20 international cricket fixtures. As an illustration, on the 17th of November in the year 2018, South Africa achieved triumph over Australia by a margin of 21 runs. In a recent development, specifically on October 5, 2022, Australia emerged victorious over the West Indies by securing a 3-wicket lead.
Regarding matches with significant scores, the stadium has witnessed several closely contested cumulative points. Australia achieved the pinnacle score at the location, tallying 146/7 in 19. 5 overs against the West Indies. In the aforementioned match, the West Indies team achieved a score of 145 runs with the loss of 9 wickets in the allocated 20 overs. In a prior match, South Africa achieved a score of 108 runs for the loss of six wickets within a mere duration of ten overs whilst playing against Australia. Remarkably, the West Indies were constrained to a mere 145 runs during their allotted 20 overs against Australia at the stadium; notably, this represents the lowest total recorded at the venue.
Upon evaluating the individual performances at the Carrara Stadium, it becomes evident that AJ Finch, a cricketer from Australia, has emerged as the most prolific run-scorer. During the period from 2018 to 2022, an aggregate of 65 runs were tallied by Finch across a total of 2 matches contested at the said location. Regarding bowling statistics, it is worth noting that JR Hazlewood, a notable cricketer from the nation of Australia, currently holds the record for the highest tally of wickets taken in T20 international cricket matches at Carrara Stadium. During the 2022 match, Hazlewood was able to secure three wickets.
Metricon Stadium Famous matches
Carrara Stadium, commonly referred to as Metricon Stadium, is a multipurpose facility that has served as a noteworthy site for various athletic contests and activities. Preceding the 2000 Summer Olympics, the Brazilian national football team established its training site at Carrara Stadium for the purpose of pre-tournament preparations. The team subsequently expressed favorable sentiment with regard to the quality of the playing surface, commending it as being among the world’s best. Carrara Stadium served as the designated home turf for Gold Coast Chargers, a rugby league franchise that participated in the NRL competition from 1996 to the conclusion of the 1998 season. The continuity of rugby league matches was sustained therein, as evidenced by the occurrences of NRL premiership matches in both the years of 2001 and 2005.
Within the domain of Australian Rules Football, the North Melbourne Football Club made a commitment to host a total of nine home games at the Carrara venue during the 2007-2009 seasons. The undertaking, nevertheless, proved to be less efficacious due to limited amounts of audience turnout, culminating in an early termination of the contractual obligation during the last year, in light of a lackluster attendance record during the primary home game of 2008. Notwithstanding this hindrance, Carrara Stadium maintained its status as a venue for noteworthy events, exemplified by a November 2011 International Rules football match where Ireland emerged victorious over Australia.
Australian Football League (AFL) has played a significant role in the historical narrative of Carrara Stadium. In the year 2014, the stadium documented its largest assemblage of spectators, consisting of 24,032 individuals, who convened to witness the AFL match between the Suns and Collingwood. In 2017, the venue played host to the inaugural Grand Final of AFL Women’s and witnessed the triumph of Adelaide Crows over Brisbane Lions. Since the middle of 2011, the Gold Coast Suns have employed Carrara as their designated home ground. In May of the aforementioned year, they played their inaugural game at the reconstructed stadium, which regrettably resulted in a loss against Geelong.
Carrara Stadium accomplished a significant milestone by undergoing an upgrade to accommodate a temporary seating capacity of 35,000 in preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This venue effectively served as the stage for the opening and closing ceremonies, in addition to hosting the athletics events. In the year 2020, the AFL season was significantly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19, resulting in the extensive utilization of the stadium because a multitude of non-Queensland teams resided in Gold Coast hubs. This was instrumental in the staging of 42 matches at the venue, the highest number of matches held at any ground. Furthermore, the stadium prominently hosted its very first finals match during that season.
FAQ
When was the Nerang Bulls Rugby Union Club formed?
Which Australian rules football club used Carrara Oval as their home ground in 1987?
When was the first VFL game played at Carrara Oval?
What was the seating capacity of Carrara Oval after the redevelopment by Christopher Skase?
When did the Brisbane Bears permanently move to the Brisbane Cricket Ground?
What sporting event did Carrara Stadium host in 1988?
Which rugby league team competed out of Carrara Stadium from 1996 to 1998?
When did the Gold Coast Titans start using Carrara Stadium as their home ground?
What was the cost of the redevelopment of Carrara Stadium for the Gold Coast Suns?
When was the first match played at the redeveloped Carrara Stadium?
Which team won the inaugural Grand Final of AFL Women's at Carrara Stadium?
What was the temporary seating capacity of Carrara Stadium for the 2018 Commonwealth Games?
How many matches did Carrara Stadium stage during the 2020 AFL season?
Conclusion
In summary, Carrara Stadium, alternatively referred to as Metricon Stadium, boasts a historic legacy as a multifaceted arena for sporting events. From its inception as a venue for rugby union contests, the stadium has served as the domicile for several Australian rules football franchises, thus bearing witness to a plethora of unforgettable occasions and notable games. The facility has demonstrated its suitability for international events, as exemplified by its utilization in hosting the Brazilian football team during the 2000 Summer Olympics and in staging the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, Carrara Stadium has established itself as a notable venue for T20 international cricket, with captivating matches and remarkable individual feats occurring on its revered turf.
The stadium’s sustained and progressive evolution, through a series of extensive redevelopment endeavors, has substantiated its recognition as a top-tier and globally-renowned sporting establishment. Carrara Stadium exerts a notable appeal on both athletes and spectators owing to its versatile seating capacity, advanced amenities, and superior quality playing field. The stadium has sustained its significance as a critical Australian Rules Football venue by serving as host to various events, such as the AFL matches and the AFL Women’s Grand Final, as well as functioning as a hub throughout the COVID-19 induced disruptions during the 2020 season. Furthermore, the efficacy of the venue in accommodating T20 cricket tournaments serves to underscore its adaptability as a multifarious sporting facility.
The Carrara Stadium is poised to maintain a substantial presence in Australian sporting events and international gatherings as it moves forward. The historical and symbolic significance of the stadium will endure in the collective memory as a consequence of the exhilarating contests, celebrated artistic displays, and treasured reminiscences that transpired within its confines. Carrara Stadium’s significant imprint and consecrated role in the realm of athletics is projected to persist for an extended period, inclusive of the facilitation of athletic competitions, preparatory programs, and high-profile championship events.