Bulldogs to move games to Bankwest Stadium and Perth
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Canterbury CEO Andrew Hill has announced that the Bulldogs will move home games to Bankwest Stadium during the redevelopment of ANZ Stadium, while the club has also signed a three-year deal to play an annual match in Perth.
With work on ANZ Stadium due to start after next year’s State of Origin match in Sydney, the Bulldogs will seek to stage as many home games as possible before builders move in and have struck an agreement to play at Bankwest Stadium from then on.
The deal makes Canterbury the fourth NRL club to call the new Bankwest Stadium home after Parramatta, Wests Tigers and South Sydney.
As a result, the Bulldogs will play 10 home matches in Sydney next season, with the club's allocation of games to comprise:
- A second and final year as the home side in Brisbane as part of Magic Round;
- One home match at Canterbury's spiritual ground at Belmore Oval, and;
- Any additional home matches in Sydney that take place after the start of the ANZ Stadium re-development to be played at Bankwest Stadium.
In addition, have agreed to make Perth’s HBF Park their home ground for three games over the next three years.
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“The Western Australian Government has been passionate about bringing top-level rugby league to Perth and has sought to form a partnership with the Bulldogs in order to provide a platform to showcase our great club,” Hill said in a letter to Bulldogs members.
“With the enormous success of the State of Origin match in Perth last month, this is a fantastic opportunity for the Bulldogs to showcase themselves in a market that has embraced the game of rugby league and we thank the Western Australian Government for choosing the Bulldogs to be part of this opportunity moving forward.
"It also means that Bulldogs fans can next season look forward to 10 home matches in Sydney, in addition to our staging of home matches at Magic Round and in Perth."
South Sydney, the other NRL club which calls ANZ Stadium home, last month announced they would also play home games at Bankwest Stadium along with three matches at regional centres while the venue was under redevelopment.
