The Rugby League State and Community Centre will become home to grassroots and women's NRL. Photo: Melbourne Storm
Seabrook Reserve in Broadmeadows will become the home of rugby league youth development squads and in due time, the base for Melbourne Storm’s women’s team as work begins on a $16.9 million hub.
The construction of the Rugby League State and Community Centre was made possible with a $12 million investment made by the Victorian State Government. The NRL has contributed $1.4 million, and the Storm a further $1 million.
At a turning of the soil gathering at Seabrook Reserve, Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence said that the investment is record-setting for Victorian rugby league.
“It’s fantastic that work has started; the benefits for elite women, developing young stars and local grassroots players will be substantial.”
Melbourne Storm chief executive Justin Rodski said that the centre is a “game changer” for women’s and grassroots NRL.
“This new facility is a game changer for rugby league and for the thousands of talented young girls and boys who aspire to play our great game across Victoria,” Rodski said.
“It will also be a great venue for Storm to train and run community programs in Hume, giving more young people the chance to see their idols in person.”
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NRL Victoria general manager Brent Silva expressed his gratitude to the State Government for contributing to the project.
“We thank the Victorian Government for its support – this new centre and administrative hub will give the sport a real boost in Victoria and even better define the pathway for our next generation of champions,” Silva said.
The Seabrook reserve is currently home to the Northern Thunder Rugby League Club. The club has a number of women’s teams including Girls Tag team, Women’s Tag Team and Women’s Tackle that will benefit from the upgrades.
To support the Thunder’s training and playing facilities, the City of Hume has also committed $2.5 million to the project.
The Rugby League State and Community Centre is designed to be female-friendly, with the construction including high-performance training and recovery facilities, a show pitch and two additional competition/training pitches.
The centre will also include administrative facilities for NRL Victoria and Touch Victoria.
The project will create a minimum of 35 jobs upon completion, which is expected to be mid-2022.
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