If you are a Rugby League fan you will probably know this great stadium from the 2008 Rugby League Cup Final which saw New Zealand beat strong pre-match favourites Australia 34 points to 20. To this day it is still considered to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of Rugby League as Australia had won every game of the tournament by a big margin and it was their 10th consecutive World Cup final.
If you are not a fan of the game you might not be too familiar with Lang Park which celebrated its centenary in 2014. In the early years from 1914 onwards it hosted various sports such as athletics, soccer, and cycling. Since 1957, when the stadium was taken over by Brisbane Rugby League, it has primarily been used for rugby and soccer.
It boasts a capacity of 52,500 and it was the venue for the recent WBO welterweight title fight that saw Jeff Horn beat Manny Pacquiao with a unanimous decision in front of 51,052 boxing fans. Like the 2008 RL Cup Final, it proved to be another upset and one that fight fans debate as Pacquiao landed twice as many punches as Horn.
Through the sponsorship of Lang Park, or simply Brisbane Stadium to some, by Suncorp since 1994 it’s officially known as Suncorp Stadium. In recent years it has also held music concerts by household names such as Bon Jovi, Coldplay, U2, Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters and British born singer Robbie Williams played to almost 105,000 fans in 2006.
Suncorp Stadium is one of the only major sporting venues in the whole of Australia that doesn’t have a car park but its location in downtown Brisbane means it’s is well served by bus, ferry, and train. If you really need to bring the car there are parking places within a short 10-minute walk but do remember there are extra trains to nearby Roma Street and Milton stations on matchdays and transport is free for ticket holders. Many spectators visit the Westfield Chermside shopping precinct prior to attending an event for easy parking.
The Suncorp Stadium can be booked for private functions and you can also attend a tour of the grounds to learn more about this historic venue, that many consider being one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere. A ground tour for an adult is $16 with concessionary prices of $10 but if you book as a group of 15 or more these prices are reduced to $14 and $9 respectively. You’ll find more info about tours here.
There are plenty of hotels within easy access of Suncorp Stadium ranging from the $62 per night iBis Brisbane through to the $123 per night 5 star Next Hotel. If shopping is your thing then you will probably want to visit the nearby shopping area known as The Barracks. HWB are mad keen Brisbane Broncos supporters who call Suncorp Stadium home as you can probably guess from the homepage. Nothing better than watching the NRL at Lang Park!