| Stadium Name: | Barlow Park |
| Location: | Crn Scott & Severin St, Parramatta Park, Cairns, Queensland |
| Tenants: | Northern Pride RLFC |
| Seating Capacity: | 16,700 (1,700 seated) |
Barlow Park is a multi-sports facility and stadium in Parramatta Park, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
The Park is home of the Northern Pride RLFC offices, Cairns District Rugby Union, Cairns and District Athletics Association, Australian Sports Commission Development, Oztag, and formerly Cairns FC and Cairns District Rugby League.
Since 2008 it has been the home ground for the Northern Pride rugby league team who play in the State Competition Queensland Cup.[1]
The ground comprises an IAAF international athletics facility, turf sports fields at the main Barlow and West Barlow parks, and a capacity of 15,000 people including a 1,700 seat grandstand with corporate and media facilities.[2]
The Cairns Sports Centre (Barlow Park) was officially opened on Saturday the 5th of December 1987. It was named after James Aloysius Barlow, an alderman with Cairns City Council from 1955-1970. It has had various upgrades, notablya stadium extension which was opened on 13 August 2003. In 2024 a $10.9 million project installed LED lighting which increased the lighting capacity from 500 lux to broadcast standard 1800 lux and also installed a large video screen for scoring and replays.[3] Further upgrades are proposed to enable the venue to be used for preliminary football matches for the 2032 Olympic games.[4]
Prior to the development of the sporting complex, Barlow Park was a cricket ground, and in 1978 hosted a match between the West Indies and Cavaliers XI.[5]
Barlow Park has hosted athletic events, rugby union, soccer, rugby league matches and music concerts, including Midnight Oil (1997), Killing Heidi (2000) and two John Farnham concerts (2003).[6]
The Oceania Area Championships have been held at Barlow Park in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015. These events attracted athletes from around the world compete, as well as international sports people such as Sir Sebastian Coe. The venue also hosted the 2018 Australian All School Athletics Championships.[7]
CDRU play matches at Barlow Park.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 July 1992 | Queensland B | 1332 | Chivas Regal Rugby Series | |
| 27 April 1994 | Queensland B | 1223 | ||
There have been three Super Rugby pre-season trial games at Barlow Park.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 January 2011 | 4215 | Canterbury Crusaders | |
| 11 February 2012 | 2720 | ACT Brumbies | |
| 31 January 2015 | 1328 | Melbourne Rebels | |
On 21 June 1989 Queensland B played the British Lions during their tour to Australia.
The FNQ FC Heat, later Cairns FC, played their National Premier Leagues Queensland home games at Barlow Park between 2012-2018.
Four FFA Cup matches have been held at Barlow Park.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 July 2016 | 03 | 1,379 | ||
| 1 August 2018 | 40 | 971 | ||
| 21 August 2018 | 12 | 3,950 | ||
| 15 September 2021 | 02 | 1,946 | ||
Two A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup matches have been played at Barlow Park.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 August 2005 | 00 | 4,500 | ||
| 22 September 2013 | 41 | 4,707 | ||
The CDRL play their grand final at Barlow Park. Prior to the development of Barlow Park in the 1980s, CDRL and Foley Shield rugby league games were played at Parramatta Park (now the Cairns Showgrounds).
The Cairns Cyclones Rugby League Football Club played 32 home games at Barlow Park between 1996 and 2000.
Since their inception in 2008, the Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club have played their Queensland Cup home games at Barlow Park. Average crowds were around 2,300, with attendances over 4,000 for matches against the PNG Hunters.[8]
The North Queensland Cowboys have played more than a dozen NRL pre-season trial matches. The record attendance at the venue was set at the 2004 Cowboys v Sea Eagles trial which attracted a crowd of 20,000.[9]
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 February 2003 | 2430 | 11,200 | ||
| 20 February 2004 | 2222 | 19,950 | ||
| 25 February 2005 | 1830 | 17,000 | ||
| 18 February 2006 | 2610 | 15,000 | ||
| 3 March 2007 | 1224 | 12,500 | ||
| 23 February 2008 | 2230 | |||
| 28 February 2009 | 1818 | 12,000 | ||
| 20 February 2010 | 628 | 10,000 | ||
| 26 February 2011 | 2224 | |||
| 16 February 2013 | 2822 | 12,036 | ||
| 21 February 2015 | 3010 | |||
| 17 February 2018 | 1630 | |||
| 22 February 2020 | 1816 | |||
| 19 February 2022 | 2412 | 7,128 | ||
| 12 February 2023 | 2222 | 8,922 | ||
Seven NRL Telstra Premiership Games have been held at Barlow Park. The first was on 16 June 2013 between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Gold Coast Titans, which attracted a crowd of 16,118.[10] Two other NRL Telstra Premiership matches were played in Cairns at Cazalys Stadium in 2001.[11]
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 June 2013 | 3024 | 16,118 | |||
| 3 August 2014 | 5010 | 11,578 | |||
| 26 April 2015 | 2230 | 8,713 | |||
| 3 July 2016 | 020 | 14,923 | |||
| 16 July 2017 | 1023 | 11,217 | |||
| 1 July 2018 | 2120 | 7,195 | |||
| 12 August 2023 | 2614 | 8,378 |
The stadium hosted three matches in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, including a double-header.[12] Other international matches have been played, including the 1990 Les Chanticleers Tour, a trial match with New Zealand in 1994, and a qualifying match in the 2009 Pacific Cup.[13]
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June 1990 | QLD Country | 916 | 5,000 | |
| 23 October 1999 | 3210 |  Papua New Guinea | 5,200 | |
| 17 October 2009 | Cook Islands Aitu, Kuki's  | 2220 | 4,261 | |
| 29 October 2017 | 3612 | 9,216 | ||
| 29 October 2017 | Mate Ma'a Tonga  | 504 | 9,216 | |
| 11 November 2017 | 1412 | 4,309 | ||