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Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence Build

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
73,537
Simply The Best


Parramatta Eels Chief Executive Officer Jim Sarantinos is so proud of the new training facilities coming up at Kellyville Memorial Park that he expects it to be “the best rugby league facility in the country”.

upload_2021-3-9_6-54-21.png

Works already done by The Hills Shire Council as part of the Master Plan for the park include the construction of a new playing field, refurbishment of two existing fields, construction of a new car park and access from Stone Mason Drive.

Apart from the works, the council recently resolved to enter into a licence agreement with the Parramatta NRL for the joint redevelopment and use of Kellyville Memorial Park as a premier rugby league facility.

“We are proud to say this will become the best rugby league facility in the country,” Sarantinos said.

“The project is testament to the great relationship our club has with the council and we look forward to seeing the precinct develop further for the local community over the coming years.”

A council spokesperson said that once the work is complete, there will be five rugby league grounds, along with the existing baseball field and facilities.

Eels players should be using the two new fields 1 and 3 for their training at Kellyville Memorial Park by the end of the year.

The Eels are also building a $40 million Centre of Excellence at the park, with the Federal Government committing $15 million to the project, which will be the largest community rugby league facility in Australia, according to the club.

The Hills Shire Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne said the extension of the fields “is just a small piece in the bigger picture to transform Kellyville Memorial Park into a premier rugby league facility. Our community is growing, and we need to provide further opportunities for play, as well as a pathway for our emerging talent to reach a representative level in their chosen sport.”

“I’m so proud of the work we are doing at Kellyville Memorial Park and I’m looking forward to seeing our community using these new and improved fields very soon.

The new grounds will add to the existing fields onsite, and will be used by the Parramatta NRL their training facility.

The majority of the playing field expansion project is being carried out by Western Earthmoving.

The council spokesperson said the value of the field extension works is around $1.4 million and the new fields will also be used by the community.

https://hillstohawkesbury.com.au/simply-the-best/
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,279
Everyone’s centre of excellence is the best in the country, but do the other clubs have an academy???? Check mate merkins!!!
 

eels_fan

First Grade
Messages
6,712

Parramatta Eels reveal new $60m home for rugby league in Sydney’s west​

The Parramatta Eels have unveiled plans for a $60 million high-performance rugby league facility that will ensure the club remains a long-term powerhouse in Sydney’s west.


This is the magnificent $60 million high-performance facility that will ensure the Parramatta Eels remain a long-term premiership powerhouse in Sydney’s west.
It is also heavily focused on rugby league’s fastest growing development area – women’s pathways and participation.

Extraordinary figures from Parramatta juniors reveal an 85 per cent growth in the number of women playing rugby league over the last two years, despite the Covid disruptions.


Work will begin on the project next year.

“It sets the club up for generations to come for boys, girls, men and women,” says Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos. “This is a huge investment for our NRL and NRLW teams but also for elite pathways and participation across all forms of the game.


“It will even be an after-hours facility on the five playing fields for touch and tag, like a home seven days a week for rugby league.

“This isn’t about creating on-field success tomorrow or next year. This is a 40-year investment to ensure the Parramatta Eels’ long-term success.”

The Eels are moving from the centre of Parramatta to Kellyville in Sydney’s northwest corridor — the fastest growing catchment area in the city that has thriving junior league numbers.


The $60 million project is being jointly funded by the Eels, Hills Council and the Federal Government and will be the biggest in the southern hemisphere for a sporting outfit.

Talks are continuing with the State government for extra funding. It will be:

• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with NRL and NRLW teams having the same state of-the-art high performance facilities.


• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with a dedicated match venue that can hold stand-alone NRLW and junior representative games.

• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with junior academy facilities for boys and girls.

This is a major weapon in growing rugby league participation in Western Sydney against other codes.

“Soccer and other sports will always be strong,” Sarantinos said. “GWS have gone about it very aggressively over the last 10 years. We’re still incredibly strong in western Sydney.

“We have a fan base of half a million. Our membership has grown 33 per cent in three years. This is part of maintaining that.”

A small grandstand with function rooms on match-day for NRLW games and junior rep football will have the capacity to host up to 5000 fans and create a club-rugby style feel.

Local schools and the community groups will have use of the facility.


It is also about ensuring the NRL team stays ahead of its rivals on the premiership table.

“Having a state of the art facility like this one is critical from a performance perspective,” Sarantinos said. “Everyone is looking for those marginal gains in these areas.”

This is such a far cry from four decades ago when the Eels won their first premiership under legendary coach Jack Gibson, who was considered a leader in the preparation of footy teams.

“We used to do the Mount Pritchard fun run before the start of the season,” recalls old club legend Peter Wynn. “Then we’d be at Cumberland to train a few nights a week.


“There were no weights. You’d just go straight onto the field.

“You’d do 2x20m, 4x40m, 8x100m. Then we’d do eight laps that they’d time to see how our fitness was improving.

“We’d do weights once a week at Parramatta Police Boys club. Recovery was basically a bag of ice.

“On Mondays if you were injured you’d turn up to the Leagues club and report to our trainer Alfie Richards and our doctor, Peter Manollaras.

“The players moving into this new facility are lucky boys.”

591213B2-C655-4C71-AA0A-4FEA8604B292.jpeg8D8FD63C-2DBD-49FF-BC7E-AADCB02F1846.jpeg
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,279

Parramatta Eels reveal new $60m home for rugby league in Sydney’s west​

The Parramatta Eels have unveiled plans for a $60 million high-performance rugby league facility that will ensure the club remains a long-term powerhouse in Sydney’s west.


This is the magnificent $60 million high-performance facility that will ensure the Parramatta Eels remain a long-term premiership powerhouse in Sydney’s west.
It is also heavily focused on rugby league’s fastest growing development area – women’s pathways and participation.

Extraordinary figures from Parramatta juniors reveal an 85 per cent growth in the number of women playing rugby league over the last two years, despite the Covid disruptions.


Work will begin on the project next year.

“It sets the club up for generations to come for boys, girls, men and women,” says Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos. “This is a huge investment for our NRL and NRLW teams but also for elite pathways and participation across all forms of the game.


“It will even be an after-hours facility on the five playing fields for touch and tag, like a home seven days a week for rugby league.

“This isn’t about creating on-field success tomorrow or next year. This is a 40-year investment to ensure the Parramatta Eels’ long-term success.”

The Eels are moving from the centre of Parramatta to Kellyville in Sydney’s northwest corridor — the fastest growing catchment area in the city that has thriving junior league numbers.


The $60 million project is being jointly funded by the Eels, Hills Council and the Federal Government and will be the biggest in the southern hemisphere for a sporting outfit.

Talks are continuing with the State government for extra funding. It will be:

• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with NRL and NRLW teams having the same state of-the-art high performance facilities.


• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with a dedicated match venue that can hold stand-alone NRLW and junior representative games.

• The first NRL Centre of Excellence with junior academy facilities for boys and girls.

This is a major weapon in growing rugby league participation in Western Sydney against other codes.

“Soccer and other sports will always be strong,” Sarantinos said. “GWS have gone about it very aggressively over the last 10 years. We’re still incredibly strong in western Sydney.

“We have a fan base of half a million. Our membership has grown 33 per cent in three years. This is part of maintaining that.”

A small grandstand with function rooms on match-day for NRLW games and junior rep football will have the capacity to host up to 5000 fans and create a club-rugby style feel.

Local schools and the community groups will have use of the facility.


It is also about ensuring the NRL team stays ahead of its rivals on the premiership table.

“Having a state of the art facility like this one is critical from a performance perspective,” Sarantinos said. “Everyone is looking for those marginal gains in these areas.”

This is such a far cry from four decades ago when the Eels won their first premiership under legendary coach Jack Gibson, who was considered a leader in the preparation of footy teams.

“We used to do the Mount Pritchard fun run before the start of the season,” recalls old club legend Peter Wynn. “Then we’d be at Cumberland to train a few nights a week.


“There were no weights. You’d just go straight onto the field.

“You’d do 2x20m, 4x40m, 8x100m. Then we’d do eight laps that they’d time to see how our fitness was improving.

“We’d do weights once a week at Parramatta Police Boys club. Recovery was basically a bag of ice.

“On Mondays if you were injured you’d turn up to the Leagues club and report to our trainer Alfie Richards and our doctor, Peter Manollaras.

“The players moving into this new facility are lucky boys.”

View attachment 54016View attachment 54018
We are finally a powerhouse???
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,279
Remain a powerhouse??? So we are already a powerhouse??? Can someone tell Pou??? Because apparently we are a middle of the road club no one wants decent wants to come too with money problems.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,457
When this COE was first announced it was said to be a $40m project, but now they are saying it is $60m project.

What has happened? Have budgets blown out or have we been given more cash to do it bigger and better?

I love the walkway in that below picture. I hope it is part of the final plans.


210311_Parramatta-Eels-Hero.jpg
 

chiefy1

Juniors
Messages
2,476
When this COE was first announced it was said to be a $40m project, but now they are saying it is $60m project.

What has happened? Have budgets blown out or have we been given more cash to do it bigger and better?

I love the walkway in that below picture. I hope it is part of the final plans.


210311_Parramatta-Eels-Hero.jpg


SamAyub renegotiated the offer 😄
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,146
This is such a far cry from four decades ago when the Eels won their first premiership under legendary coach Jack Gibson, who was considered a leader in the preparation of footy teams.

“We used to do the Mount Pritchard fun run before the start of the season,” recalls old club legend Peter Wynn. “Then we’d be at Cumberland to train a few nights a week.


“There were no weights. You’d just go straight onto the field.

“You’d do 2x20m, 4x40m, 8x100m. Then we’d do eight laps that they’d time to see how our fitness was improving.

“We’d do weights once a week at Parramatta Police Boys club. Recovery was basically a bag of ice.

“On Mondays if you were injured you’d turn up to the Leagues club and report to our trainer Alfie Richards and our doctor, Peter Manollaras.

“The players moving into this new facility are lucky boys.”

I think I would have preferred to play in Wynn's day.
Actually the perfect scenario would be get paid todays wages and train like in Wynn's time.
There is no reason why it couldnt be like that and the game would be way better for it.
Make the players have jobs/Uni and can only train together 4 hours per week.
 

Gary Gutful

Post Whore
Messages
51,723
When this COE was first announced it was said to be a $40m project, but now they are saying it is $60m project.

What has happened? Have budgets blown out or have we been given more cash to do it bigger and better?

I love the walkway in that below picture. I hope it is part of the final plans.


210311_Parramatta-Eels-Hero.jpg
I hope we find better fans than some of those shadowy figures. Probably part of Fitzy's faction...or Maybe Spags or whoever the other merkin was.
 
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