Belmore Sports Ground

Belmore Sports Ground holds a long memory for rugby league, even if its primary tenant now plays a different game. The main stand, the Parry Stand, was erected in 1936. It sits on land that was once Gunn's Paddock.

The ground is defined by its shape. The surface is natural grass, worn smooth by decades of rugby boots before being turned over to Sydney Olympic FC.

For a long time, this was a place of noise. The highest recorded crowd, nearly 28,000 people, packed in for a match between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Parramatta Eels in 1993. That atmosphere has faded since safety regulations removed the standing areas, but the capacity remains substantial enough to hold a cause.

Today, the stands are quieter than they were during the rugby league heyday. The main grandstand provides shelter from the sun and rain, but the open sky above the field is a constant presence.