NRL Canberra Raiders Captain Pushes For Seiffert Oval To Host NRL Games

Queanbeyan City Council endorsed on Wednesday a proposal from the National Rugby League side Canberra Raiders "to host the Knights at Seiffert Oval in a trial game" on Feb. 28, according to Lee Gaskin of the CANBERRA TIMES. The match coincides with more than A$1M ($900,000) in upgrades to the venue for the '14-15 financial year, including a A$500,000 grant from the federal government and a A$500,000 loan from the New South Wales government. Raiders captain Terry Campese said that the success of suburban grounds in the NRL, such as Campbelltown and Leichhardt Oval, "had shown Seiffert Oval could be turned into a boutique venue for one or two games each season." The Raiders-Knights trial match will cost the council up to A$45,000, but it "expects to recoup that money through gate revenue and sponsorships" (CANBERRA TIMES, 5/29).