Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson has warned Campbelltown City Council to commit $50 million in stadium upgrades by 30 June this year - or risk losing the club’s long-term presence in Sydney’s southwest.
Richardson said Campbelltown Sports Stadium no longer meets the professional standards required to host National Rugby League (NRL) matches. Unless a financial commitment is secured soon, the Tigers will consider shifting home games to one of Sydney’s newer venues from 2026.
“We won’t play there, it’s as simple as that,” Richardson said on the club’s Behind the Roar podcast. “I don’t do ‘Trumpian’ threats, but we won’t play there. At the moment, it’s not at a standard that’s required to be an NRL ground.”
A stadium fit for a future-ready club
The Tigers are currently contracted to play four games at Campbelltown this season and next, but no such agreement exists beyond 2026. For Richardson, that uncertainty doesn’t match the club’s vision.
“To be the great club we want to be, and to have the quality of players we need to have... we need a stadium to build ourselves around,” he said. “If we don’t have that stadium, we need to find one.”
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The club is asking for an initial $50 million over the next three years, with a longer-term plan to invest $100 million over the coming decade. The proposed redevelopment would expand capacity to 24,000, add space for 1,500 corporate guests, and upgrade key matchday facilities, including dressing rooms, screens, and fan amenities.
Richardson says the investment would unlock vital revenue streams and help bridge the financial gap between Wests and rival NRL clubs based at modernised venues.
“As the game continues to evolve, so must the Wests Tigers,” he said. “If we want to compete at the highest level against other NRL clubs... we need to address the financial advantage those clubs currently have.”