Eric Tweedale Stadium

Eric Tweedale Stadium (formerly Granville Park) is a multi-purpose sporting and recreation reserve in Merrylands, New South Wales. It is located on 13.2 hectares of land approximately 24 kilometres west of Sydney and was formally opened in 1887 by the then Mayor, John Nobbs.[1] One of the first sports clubs to play at Granville Park was the Granville Royals Rugby Club in the late 1880s.[2]

Eric Tweedale Stadium
Merrylands RSL Rugby Park
LocationMontrose Avenue, Merrylands, New South Wales
Coordinates33°50′25″S 150°59′48″E
OwnerCumberland Council
Capacity5,000 (1,000 seated)
SurfaceGrass
Opened1887
Tenants
Parramatta R.C. (Shute Shield)
Greater Sydney Rams (NRC) (2015)

The land was owned by the City of Parramatta until May 2017 when the newly created Cumberland Council inherited the park, as a result of New South Wales council mergers.

The main field, known for sponsorship purposes as Merrylands RSL Rugby Park, is now the home ground of the Parramatta Two Blues club, founded in 1879, which competes in Sydney's premier rugby union competition, the Shute Shield.[3][4] Total capacity for the ground is 5,000, of which 1,000 is seated. The clubhouse has a large hall suitable for hosting functions as well as changing room facilities and amenities. The main field has lighting suitable for hosting night time sports events. In 2021, the ground was renamed after the Australian rugby international and Two Blues player Eric Tweedale on the occasion of his 100th birthday.[5]

Granville Park is also one of the home grounds for the Greater Sydney Rams team that plays in the National Rugby Championship.[6] The New South Wales Waratahs team plays occasional pre-season trial matches at the ground.[7][8]

There are also sporting facilities for soccer,[9] cricket, and basketball.[10] A children's Splash Park was built in 2014,[11] and the reserve also has barbeque and picnic facilities.

References
  1. "Granville Public Park". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 September 1887. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  2. "Football". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 May 1889. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  3. Nix, Alwyn (12 August 1995). "Kookas tipped to down Parra". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  4. Growden, Greg (29 March 2010). "The union and clubs must band together to save Two Blues from extinction". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  5. https://www.2gb.com/stadium-to-be-named-in-honour-of-living-legend-eric-tweedale/
  6. "Greater Sydney Rams are ramping up rugby in your backyard for 2015". Rams Rugby. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  7. Riordan, Joseph (29 January 2015). "Wycliff Palu spreading his rugby legacy in Western Sydney's growing Pacific Islander community". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  8. Cook, Paul (20 January 2015). "Tahs Ready". Rugby News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  9. "History". Parramatta City FC. 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  10. "Granville Park". Sportscourts. 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  11. Metcalfe, Caryn (9 April 2014). "New splash park to open at Granville Park, Merrylands". Parramatta Advertiser. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
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