The Parramatta Eels today officially opened the $70m Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence (COE) and Kellyville Memorial Park Community Centre, the largest rugby league training precinct in the world, marking a transformative milestone for the Club and the broader Western Sydney community.<\/p>\n
Funded by the NSW and Australian Government, The Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues Club, the precinct features five full-sized rugby league fields and is the first gender-equal elite facility in Australia with all training facilities replicated for men and women across NRL, NRLW and Elite Pathways programs.<\/p>\n
The Community Centre, which stands beside the COE will be part of an international standard match venue with a 1,500-seat grandstand and multi-purpose function and community education rooms to enable the Club to expand its community programs and initiatives.<\/p>\n
Parramatta Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis marks a transformative moment for the Club and our community. The Centre of Excellence will provide Eels men\u2019s, women\u2019s and pathways programs with world-class resources and the environment they need to thrive, while increasing participation across all forms of rugby league in one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost importantly, it will be a home for the entire Parramatta Eels family, including past players, members, fans, partners and the wider Eels and Western Sydney community. We sincerely thank the NSW State and Australian Government, the Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues Club for their investment and continued support.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Parramatta Centre of Excellence Drone Footage<\/p>\n
Federal Member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton said:<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing brings people together like sport, and we\u2019re proud to have backed the delivery of a space where connection, opportunity and community spirit can thrive. It\u2019s inclusive, it\u2019s local, it\u2019s Eels\u2014and it\u2019s everything we\u2019re proud of in Parramatta.\u201d<\/p>\n
NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:<\/p>\n
“The opening of the Eels\u2019 Centre of Excellence and Kellyville Memorial Park Community Centre is a game-changing facility for the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dreams of junior boys and girls at the Wentworthville Magpies or Rouse Hill Rhinos of wearing the Eels jersey have become more attainable with the completion of this facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Eels now boast one of the leading rugby league facilities in NSW, improving male and female pathways and player development for the community of Western Sydney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor of the Hills Shire Dr Michelle Byrne said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new Centre of Excellence and Community Centre is a landmark facility for our region\u2014providing young footballers with a world-class facility to train, compete, and chase their dreams. The next Mitchell Moses could very well begin their journey right here,\u201d Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project is a great example of all three levels of government working together with a leading sporting organisation to deliver outstanding outcomes for our growing community and the ever-popular\u2014and rapidly growing\u2014rugby league.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouncil has played a key role in this development, delivering new playing fields, a 250-space car park, and a new access road from Stone Mason Drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is part of Council\u2019s broader commitment to creating Centres of Excellence across a range of popular sports\u2014ensuring our community has access to premier facilities, inspiring participation, and supporting grassroots sports. It is an investment in the future of sport and about providing clear pathways for our local talents to reach the pinnacle of their sporting endeavours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parramatta Leagues Club Chairman Greg Monaghan said:<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations to the Eels on the incredible achievement of launching this world-class Centre of Excellence. As the cornerstone of our Parra Group\u2014now proudly representing 100,000 members\u2014our shared commitment to Rugby League, sport, and community has never been stronger.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether, we contribute over $1 million annually to support local initiatives, and the Centre of Excellence is a significant extension of that commitment. We are extremely proud of the positive and lasting impact this facility will have on our community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also extend our sincere thanks to the Federal and State Governments and The Hills Shire Council for their vision and foresight in backing a project that will benefit generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parramatta Eels major sponsor James Hardie will invest in the Centre of Excellence and Community Centre with initiatives aimed at connecting the broader Western Sydney community.<\/p>\n
James Hardie APAC President John Arneil said:<\/p>\n
\u2018As a company with deep roots in the local area, we believe in building a better future for all, not just through our products, but by investing in the communities where we live, work, and play.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Parramatta Eels today officially opened the $70m Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence (COE) and Kellyville Memorial Park…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":160539,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-160538","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}