Redcliffe has ignited a north v south rivalry to host Olympic diamond sports, with confirmation next year’s Women’s Softball World Cup will be hosted at Kayo Stadium.
While announcing the Dolphins’ rugby league stadium would host the World Cup next April, local political leaders made the pitch for the northside venue to host diamond sports for the 2032 Olympic Games – setting up a head-to-head battle with Logan to the south.
Softball Australia chief executive Sarah Loh said the World Cup would lock the Dolphins out of their secondary home ground for up to 10 weeks at the start of the 2027 NRL season, as a temporary regulation-sized softball diamond would be installed in front of the main western grandstand.
“It’s going to be absolutely amazing to see a softball diamond get put in here,” she said.
“We worked with the Dolphins in regards to using a lot of their specialist crew to be able to do that.”
World Cup tickets would be available in a few months, Loh said, as she eyed another prize further down the road.
Loh said she remained determined for softball to be included in the Brisbane 2032 sports roster. As it stood, there was not an obvious venue for softball and its diamond sport cousin, baseball, to be played at the Olympics.
Local state MP Kerri-Anne Dooley, a member of the incumbent LNP government, said Tuesday’s announcement was also a statement of intent for 2032.
“As we look towards 2032, our hope and our dream is softball and baseball will be included [in the Olympics] and I think by having this event here at Kayo Stadium, we’ll put to the [Games organising committee] that we can deliver softball and baseball right here in Redcliffe,” she said.
That would put Moreton Bay at odds with Logan, which was still working with potential private investors for a purpose-built ballpark at the Griffith University Meadowbrook campus to host Olympic diamond sports in 2032.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery, who has also put his city forward to host rowing events, shrugged off that challenge.
“Logan will do what Logan wants to do,” he said.
“I’m not too worried about them. We’re focusing on what we can deliver here. We’ve been working closely with the World Softball and Baseball Confederation – they’ve been out, they’ve seen this facility. They walked through it about a month ago.
“They love the facility and we think we’ve got the best solution, not only for softball, but options moving forward, whether it’s baseball, whether it’s any other sport.”
While a softball diamond could fit on the Kayo Stadium field, a baseball diamond would be too large.
Logan Mayor Jon Raven said for diamond sports to be part of Brisbane 2032, both softball and baseball needed to be included.
“Moreton Bay has great softball facilities and they’re hosting the World Cup in the lead up to the Games,” he said.
“They don’t have anything of an acceptable international standard for baseball and there’s no legacy for baseball in Australia if they try to scrape together a temporary facility.
“Logan’s pitch for baseball complements the work that is happening on the northside for softball. It will give baseball in Queensland and Australia legacy facilities that can be used by the Australian Baseball League and international competition and training long after 2032.”
When Redcliffe was announced as the host city last year, the 2027 Women’s World Cup was to be held at the nearby Talobilla Park, with temporary stands for about 5000 spectators.
Kayo Stadium, about 800 metres to the east, will be able to hold twice as many people.
Loh said Talobilla Park would still receive significant legacy upgrades as a result of the World Cup, and would remain an official warm-up and training venue.
“It has a place in the heart of this World Cup, and that will remain unchanged,” she said.
The 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup was scheduled for Kayo Stadium from April 5 to 11 next year.
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