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 Far North Queensland 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.[Cutters duo in North QLD showdown](https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/sport/cutters-duo-in-north-qld-showdown/news-story/4e42c1f5c314e650f92a37ffc98a7548)
Venue 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.
History 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 to 1970. It has had various upgrades, notably a $1 million grandstand extension which was officially 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.[New lighting first step in Olympics upgrade for Barlow Park](https://www.austadiums.com/news/1192/new-lighting-first-step-in-olympics-upgrade-for-barlow-park) Further upgrades are proposed to enable the venue to be used for preliminary football matches for the 2032 Olympic games.
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.
Events 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).
Athletics 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.
Rugby Union Cairns District Rugby Union CDRU play matches at Barlow Park.
Queensland Rugby Union
Date Home team Score Away team Tour 15 July 1992 Queensland B 1332 All Blacks Chivas Regal Rugby Series 27 April 1994 Queensland B 1223 Waikato Mooloos
Super Rugby There have been three Super Rugby pre-season trial games at Barlow Park.
Date Home team Score Away team 29 January 2011 Queensland Reds 4215 Canterbury Crusaders 11 February 2012 Queensland Reds 2720 ACT Brumbies 31 January 2015 Queensland Reds 1328 Melbourne Rebels International Rugby Union Games On 21 June 1989 Queensland B played the British Lions during their tour to Australia.
Soccer National Premier Leagues Queensland The FNQ FC Heat, later Cairns FC, played their National Premier Leagues Queensland home games at Barlow Park between 2012 and 2018.
FFA/Australia Cup Four FFA/Australia Cup matches have been held at Barlow Park.
Date Home team Score Away team Attendance 27 July 2016 FNQ Heat 03 Edgeworth Eagles 1,379 1 August 2018 Cairns FC 40 Armadale SC 971 21 August 2018 Cairns FC 12 Sydney FC 3,950 15 September 2021 Edge Hill United 02 Gold Coast Knights 1,946
A-League Two A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup matches have been played at Barlow Park.
Date Home team Score Away team Attendance 6 August 2005 Brisbane Roar FC 00 Sydney FC 4,500 22 September 2013 Brisbane Roar FC 41 Sydney FC 4,707
Rugby League Cairns District Rugby League 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).
Queensland Cup 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.
NRL Pre-Season Trials 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.
Date Home team Score Away team Attendance 28 February 2003 NQ Cowboys 2430 Newcastle Knights 11,200 20 February 2004 NQ Cowboys 2222 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 19,950 25 February 2005 NQ Cowboys 1830 Melbourne Storm 17,000 18 February 2006 NQ Cowboys 2610 New Zealand Warriors 15,000 3 March 2007 NQ Cowboys 1224 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 12,500 23 February 2008 NQ Cowboys 2230 Gold Coast Titans 28 February 2009 NQ Cowboys 1818 Penrith Panthers 12,000 20 February 2010 NQ Cowboys 628 New Zealand Warriors 10,000 26 February 2011 NQ Cowboys 2224 Gold Coast Titans 16 February 2013 NQ Cowboys 2822 St. George Illawarra Dragons 12,036 21 February 2015 NQ Cowboys 3010 Gold Coast Titans 17 February 2018 NQ Cowboys 1630 Wests Tigers 22 February 2020 NQ Cowboys 1816 Brisbane Broncos 19 February 2022 NQ Cowboys 2412 South Sydney Rabbitohs 7,128 12 February 2023 NQ Cowboys 2222 Dolphins 8,922 NRL Telstra Premiership 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. Two other NRL Telstra Premiership matches were played in Cairns at Cazalys Stadium in 2001.
Date Home team Score Away team Attendance16 June 2013 South Sydney Rabbitohs 3024 Gold Coast Titans 16,1183 August 2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs 5010 Newcastle Knights 11,57826 April 2015 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2230 Canberra Raiders 8,7133 July 2016 South Sydney Rabbitohs 020 NQ Cowboys 14,92316 July 2017 South Sydney Rabbitohs 1023 NQ Cowboys 11,2171 July 2018 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2120 NQ Cowboys 7,19512 August 2023 South Sydney Rabbitohs 2614 St George Illawarra Dragons 8,378
International Rugby League Games The stadium hosted three matches in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, including a double-header. 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.
Date Home team Score Away team Attendance 14 June 1990 QLD Country 916 France Chanticleers 5,000 23 October 1999 Cairns Aborigines 3210 5,200 17 October 2009 Cook Islands Aitu, Kuki's 2220 Toa Samoa 4,261 29 October 2017 Ireland Wolfhounds 3612 Italy Azzurri 9,216 29 October 2017 Mate Ma'a Tonga 504 Scotland Bravehearts 9,216 11 November 2017 Toa Samoa 1412 Scotland Bravehearts 4,309
References
External links Barlow Park at Austadiums Barlow Park rleague.com Barlow Park cricinfo.com