National Rugby Training Centre at Ballymore
RPS helped manage the development of Queensland Rugby Union’s new high-performance facility.
Developing a world-class facility
Located in the Brisbane suburb of Herston, the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) has held tenure over the Ballymore precinct since 1967. This was confirmed in 1973 by way of a Deed of Grant in Trust over the land, restricting its use to “recreation”.
The precinct contained multiple pieces of ageing infrastructure, including three grandstands, which, along with the site’s three fields, cost the QRU more than $1 million a year to maintain.
QRU had been contemplating the National Rugby Training Centre in various forms over the last decade and was in a position to move forward in 2020 when funding was secured.
Executing the vision
In 2020, RPS was engaged to provide several services to help plan, manage and deliver the $31.5 million high-performance facility.
Our consultants were engaged from the outset to provide guidance in establishing cost estimates for the NRTC locations. Over the course of the next three years, RPS provided:
- Project and program management services, which included managing the project’s design, approvals, procurement and delivery of the facility.
- Town planning services
- Surveying services
- Landscape architecture work
The completed National Rugby Training Centre at Ballymore is the headquarters of Queensland Rugby Union, the new national headquarters of Women’s Rugby and of the national Wallaroos side, as well as a new home for the Queensland Reds men’s and women’s teams.
The NRTC is one of the best high-performance centres in the country, with a 750m2 gym, aquatic recovery and sauna, and a 75-seat auditorium for team meetings and community rugby education.
NRTC in pictures
Project timeline
2020
Funding secured. RPS engaged to provide project and program management services as well as town planning, landscape architecture and surveying services.
2021
Demolition of existing McLean stand. Submission of the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID). 60% of Design Development complete.
Release of Contractor Request for Tender Submission. Approval of MID submission.
2022
Buildcorp awarded contractor. Flooding across Ballymore delays construction. In March, construction commences.
2023
Completion of the National Rugby Training Centre in May. Grand opening in June.
Project stats
$ 31.5 m
to build NRTC
$ 15 m
commitment from federal govt
$ 15 m
state government funding
$ 1.5 m
funding from QRU
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