'Title will fast-track enclosed stadium'
Date September 12, 2012
Michael Chammas
Queensland State of Origin coach Mal Meninga and Raiders CEO Don Furner chat at the club's headquarters in Bruce, Canberra.
Photo: Casual CAS
Raiders chief executive Don Furner believes a Raiders premiership would fast-track a proposal to build an enclosed stadium in Canberra's CBD by 2017.
Fairfax obtained figures which revealed the Raiders had run their home matches at a loss on six occasions this year.
On a cold and miserable night in the nation's capital back in round 24, the Raiders attracted just 8860 fans for their home game against the Roosters, losing $14,000 because their game day operations cost more than what they earned at the gate.
The ACT government has proposed a $280 million development, which would require $180 million of funding from the federal government, to be built in the heart of the city.
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Furner believes a title this season would only add merit to the push from the Raiders, as well as Super Rugby franchise ACT Brumbies, to have the roofed stadium built in the next five years.
''If we win the grand final we'd get even more leverage to push that,'' Furner said. ''I think we're the one city in Australia that deserves an enclosed stadium. The plans are afoot. We've had meetings with the ACT government. The government themselves are very keen on building a closed stadium back in the city.
''I think it would be fantastic for Canberra. It would bring some life back into the city.
''Our players would move in there and we'd move our training base back in there. It'd have restaurants and pubs like the SFS and Melbourne, which is not what Canberra is renowned for.''
While the Raiders didn't pocket the profit - because the finals are run by the NRL - they still lured almost 25,000 fans into Canberra Stadium for last Sunday's final against the Sharks.
Furner believes an enclosed stadium would attract similar crowd figures on a weekly basis in Canberra.
''Absolutely we can get it weekly if we have it,'' he said.
''I went to Origin two in Melbourne, and I'd never been to that enclosed stadium. It was cold and windy outside, but inside it was 22 degrees. It did dawn on me how good it could be for Canberra.
''We'd love to get more Sunday afternoon games. I always ask to get the reverse of what the Cowboys have got. They get Saturday nights because it's too hot in the day up there. Imagine how hard it is for us getting people to come out in zero or minus one temperatures on a Monday night in the middle of August.''
The stadium, which would be used for rugby league, rugby union and football, would also provide the club with an opportunity to boost its corporate partners, who are reluctant to brave the cold conditions and fork out big money for outdoor seating.
Sport Minister Andrew Barr was in New Zealand during the rugby world cup earlier in the year and looked at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin as a model for what could be built in Canberra.
The state government has already shown drafts of the stadium to the Raiders.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rug...sed-stadium-20120911-25qss.html#ixzz26AcnbKvb
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Hmmm, not too sure what to make of this.
That stadium in Dunedin is a beaut and if it was built in the heart of town it'd be great in a lot of ways.
But, we'd be trading away one of our biggest advantages - the cold Canberra winter.
Having said that, I think there's about as much chance of it getting built as Souths winning the grand final this year so it's probably a moot point.
