Established in 1871, the structures and grounds underwent significant redevelopment between 2012 and 2014. It has threegrandstands: Riverbank Stand, Eastern Stand, and Western Stand, and is known for itsheritage-listed scoreboard, which stands alongside a new digital scoreboard. Australia's first stadium hotel, named the Oval Hotel, opened in 2024.
Top: First grandstand, built 1882, later renamed George Giffen Stand Second: Adelaide Oval grandstands in 1889 Third: View of the Oval in 2006, prior to the 2012-2014 major redevelopment Bottom: The Oval in 2016
In 1882, a grandstand, possibly designed byWright & Reed Architects, and later renamed the George Giffen Stand, was opened to the public. In 1884, the first Test match was played at the grounds, for whichthe mound was built andMoreton Bay fig trees were planted.[4]
During 1888, aswitchback rollercoaster was constructed and was adjacent to Adelaide Oval, where the present Riverbank Stand resides.[10]
In 1889 the original grandstand was expanded to include a dining saloon and "ladies retiringrooms", and a new stand, designed byEnglish and Soward, was built adjacent to it.[4]
Ahead of a cycling event held on 24 March 1900, SACA undertook some major renovation of the grounds in order to accommodate acycling track around the oval. Thousands of loads of earth were carted from the Torrens to create the necessary slope to the track, and apicket fence was built around the Oval's playing surface. A newspaper commenter wrote at the time: "The removal of the soil and the sloping of the banks of the lake [the Torrens] have greatly improved both its width and its appearance, while the banking up of the oval has rendered it impossible for anyone to see in from outside, for the mound is continued beyond the inner fence so as to form a natural grandstand for the spectators".[11]
In 1911, the Adelaide Oval scoreboard, designed by architectF. Kenneth Milne, began service.[12]
Between 1923 and 1929 substantial modifications and additions were built at the grounds, to designs by SACA architectCharles Walter Rutt.[4] These included the John Creswell Stand (built 1923) and the entrance gates, and the western stands were integrated under one roof.[13] At this time, the other stands were named Sir Edwin Smith Stand (built 1889), George Giffen Stand (built 1882) and Mostyn Evan Stand (built 1919-26).[4]
On 25 August 1973, during an SANFL game betweenNorwood andNorth Adelaide, two young children, Joanne Ratcliffe (born 1962)[14] and Kirste Gordon (born 1968), went missing, presumably abducted,[15] in a crime sometimes referred to as theAdelaide Oval abductions.[16][17]
On 20 January 1990, theSir Donald Bradman Stand was opened,[4] after being built to replace the John Creswell stand.[18]
In 1997, lights were constructed at the ground allowing sport to be held at night. This was the subject of a lengthy dispute with theAdelaide City Council relating to the parklands area. The first towers erected were designed to retract into the ground; however one collapsed and they were replaced with permanent towers.[19]
Temporary stands were constructed for the2006 Ashes Series to cope with demand. In August 2008 SACA announced that it had approved plans to redevelop the ground, involving expanding its capacity to 40,000. Development plans showed a reconfiguration of the playing surface and a remodelled Western stand. The redevelopment would make the ground a viable option for hostingAustralian Football League games as well as international soccer and rugby. The state and federal Governments each pledged $25m to the project, leaving the SACA to raise at least $45m. The SACA planned for the new stand to be ready in time for the 2010–11 Ashes series.[21] The South Australian government announced it would commit funding to redevelop Adelaide Oval into a multi-purpose sports facility that would bring AFL football to central Adelaide.[22] Announcing an agreement negotiated with SACA, SANFL and the AFL, theRann Labor government committed $450 million to the project.[23]
The three original western stands were demolished (George Giffen stand (1882),Sir Edwin Smith stand (1922), Mostyn Evan stand (1920s)) were torn down in June 2009[24] and a single Western Stand was developed in its place ahead of the2010–11 Ashes series.[25]
The Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (AOSMA), a joint venture of SACA and theSouth Australian National Football League (SANFL), was registered as a company on 23 December 2009 following the re-announcement of the plan.[26] In 2010 AOSMA had eight directors, four associated with SACA (Ian McLachlan, chair; John Harnden; Creagh O'Connor; andJohn Bannon), and four with SANFL (Leigh Whicker-CEO, Rod Payze, Philip Gallagher & Jamie Coppins).[27]
In 2010 the new Western Stand was completed, incorporating 14,000 individual seats and featuring improved shading conditions and amenities for SACA members.[28]
In the lead-up to the2010 state election, the oppositionSA Liberals announced that, if elected, it would build a new stadium with a roof, located at Riverside West at the site of the state government's new hospital location.[29][30] The incumbentSA Labor government subsequently announced it would fund a $450 million upgrade and redevelopment of the whole of Adelaide Oval, rather than just the Western Grand Stand.[31]
However, in early-mid-2010, prior to the election, it became clear that $450m would be inadequate. Following the election, won by Labor, theRann government capped the State Government's commitment at $450 million, and set a deadline for the parties to agree.[32] In May, treasurerKevin Foley announced that "the government's final offer to the SANFL and SACA for the redevelopment" was $535 million, and the deadline was extended to August 2010.[33] Simultaneously, SACA and theSANFL were in the process of negotiating an agreement that would enableAustralian rules football to use Adelaide Oval during theAFL season as their home ground.[34][35][36][37] In August 2010, SANFL and SACA representatives signed letters of intent committing to the project, including the capped $535 million offer from the state government.[38]
In early 2011, the AFL, SANFL, SACA, the SA Government and theAustralian Government reached an agreement to upgrade Adelaide Oval. The SACA and the SANFL proposed, if SACA members vote yes on the upgrade in early May, that the whole Stadium would undergo redevelopment, except for the Northern Mound, theMoreton Bay fig trees and theheritage-listed scoreboard. A three-quarters majority of SACA members were required to vote in favour of the proposed upgrade for it to ahead, with a successful vote resulting in the SANFL and AFL having control over the stadium for 7 months of the year and SACA having control for 5 months of the year. SACA members had the choice of voting online on 28 April 2011 or attending in person an Extraordinary Meeting at theAdelaide Showground on 2 May 2011. At 6 pm, 28 April 2011, It was announced that 60% of SACA members that voted online voted yes, 15% short of the majority vote needed for the upgrade to go ahead. At 10.15 pm, on 2 May 2011, the final result was announced: 80.37% of total votes cast were in favour of Adelaide Oval being redeveloped (10,078 members voted yes and 2,461 voted no), meaning that the 75% threshold had been reached and the upgrade and stadium reconfiguration was approved.[41][42] Following the vote, the South Australian Government increased its funding commitment to $535 million.[43]
Demolition (April 2012)
The upgrade commenced in April 2012. The Chappell Stands and Sir Donald Bradman Stand were demolished.[20] The Riverbank Stand was complete in late 2013 in time for the Ashes test as well as parts of level one of the Eastern Stand. The new Eastern Stand was fully completed with a total capacity of 19,000, bringing the overall seating capacity of the stadium to 50,083 in time for the 2014 AFL season.[44][45]
As part of the 2012-14 redevelopment, the already rebuilt Western Grandstand (SACA and SANFL members-only stand) had modifications to improve sightlines for some seats, the addition of a new media centre for AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Soccer matches and AFL standard interchange benches. The Northern Mound had its seating capacity increased, and the historic scoreboard and the Moreton Bay fig trees, planted in the 1890s, remained untouched.[46] The 2014 development included renaming the central part of the Western stand the Sir Donald Bradman Pavilion.[47]
The lights under the roof of the grandstands were replaced withLEDs in November 2017, followed by the light towers in December 2023 with the latter costing $5 million.[48]
Australia's first stadium-hotel, the Oval Hotel, was announced in December 2018[49] and opened in September 2020.[50] It has 138 guest rooms.[51]
In 2012 Austadiums.com described Adelaide Oval as being "one of the most picturesqueTest cricket grounds in Australia, if not the world."[53] After the completion of the ground's redevelopment in 2014, sports journalistGerard Whateley described the venue as being "the most perfect piece of modern architecture because it's a thoroughly contemporary stadium with all the character that it's had in the past".[54]
Volunteers lead 90-minute guided walking tours of the grounds for interested visitors, including children.[55]
Night time view of the Adelaide Oval from the Riverbank Pedestrian Bridge, April 2024
The oval is 190 m (620 ft) by 125 m (410 ft).[56] This is both unusually long and narrow for an Australian cricket or football ground. The arrangement was highly favourable for batsmen who playedsquare of the wicket, and heavily penalised bowlers who delivered the ballshort or wide so that the batsman could playcut,hook orpull shots. Before the far ends in front of and behind the wicket were roped off, making the playing area shorter, it was not uncommon for batsmen to hit an all-runfour or even occasionally a five.[57]
The Adelaide Oval pitch runs north–south. Historically, Adelaide Oval's integral pitch was generally very good for batting, and offering little assistance to bowlers until the last day of a match. Since the redevelopment in 2013, adrop-in pitch has been used at the venue.[58]
Theheritage-listed scoreboard, designed by architectF. Kenneth Milne[12] and located on "The Hill", was first used in 1911, and has been retained. Today there is a manually operated display adjacent to a huge digital one, around four storeys high.[55] The scoreboard, which was first heritage-listed by theNational Trust in 1984, was listed on theSouth Australian Heritage Register in 1986.[59] This is the only manual scoreboard still operating in major Australasian cricket venues. Due to the 10-letter limit, some names have to be truncated, or be replaced by nicknames.[60][61]
'"The Hill" (or "Northern Mound"), located under the scoreboard and shaded by the Moreton Bay fig trees,[62] was created in 1898[55] or 1900,[11] with earth from the banks of theRiver Torrens.[55][46] It became a favoured spot for some of the most vocal supporters in the crowd, and was known for being very noisy before the 2014 redevelopment.[59]
Since then, seating has been installed on part of the hill, and only around 3,500 spectators can be accommodated on the strip of grass in front of the scoreboard, a fraction of the crowd that used to gather there.[63] As of 2024[update] The Hill includes the Northern Mound Terrace, a hospitality venue set on largetimber decking.[62]
Since 2021 Bradshaw Bell, named after former SACA CEOKeith Bradshaw after his death, is rung at the start of each day's play in aTest match. Weighing 64 kg (141 lb), the bell was designed by Australian Bell and local digital engineering company Applidyne, and forged at Billmans Foundry inCastlemaine, Victoria.[64]
The members' stands were the first section of the ground completed in the 2014 redevelopment of Adelaide Oval. They retain significant portions of the original members' stands, including the brick archways and long room.[citation needed]
As of 2024[update] Adelaide Oval has threegrandstands: Riverbank Stand, Eastern Stand, and Western Stand.[65]
The Riverbank Stand is the southern stand of Adelaide Oval, gaining its name from the River Torrens which is behind it. It has a capacity of 14,000 spectators.[citation needed]
The Eastern Stand holds 19,000 spectators. The five segments are named after South Australian Australian rules football identities: from north to south namedGavin Wanganeen Stand,Jack Oatey Stand,Max Basheer Stand,Fos Williams Stand, andMark Ricciuto Stand.[66]
The Victor Richardson Gates, at the south-eastern entrance of the oval[20] off King William Road, were locally heritage-listed as of city significance in 2001.[67] Architect and then mayorJames Campbell Irwin suggested the idea of honouring Richardson in 1965, and a public appeal supported by SACA and SANFL raised funds for the gates. In 1966, the small road leading to the Oval from King William Road was named Victor Richardson Drive. The five iron gates, set between rectangular arches, were erected in 1967, in honour of cricketer and footballerVictor Richardson (1894–1969). Former footballerIan Hannaford was supervising architect, andreliefs created by South Australian sculptorJohn Dowie were added after over £5000 was raised. The gates include two double-sided bronze reliefs, showing groups of football players competing for the ball and cricketers batting, bowling, and fielding, with the batsman resembling Richardson. Lord Mayor Walter Bridgland led the opening ceremony on 28 October 1967, with Alderman Irwin opening the gates.Sir Donald Bradman and Don Brebner, then SANFL president, attended the ceremony, which was held during aSheffield Shield lunch break. Players Ian and Greg Chappell, Richardson's grandsons, helped to form the guard of honour. A central bronze plaque was installed after the death of Richardson in 1969.[20]
In 2003, when the Chappell Stands were built, the gates were moved slightly northwards, and precast concrete pillars and a capping beam replaced the original metal framework. After the stands were demolished in April 2012, the Victor Richardson Gates were repositioned in March 2014.[20]
In 1874 a side representing England led byW.G. Grace defeated a South Australian side by 7 wickets in what was the first international cricket match at the groundAdelaide Oval during the2008 Test series between Australia and India.Sachin Tendulkar can be seen fielding in the left of the image.Adelaide Oval during a day–night match for the2015 Cricket World Cup
Adelaide Oval hosts some of the many events in the cricketing calendar, including the annual Australia Day One Day International on 26 January (replacing a traditional Australia Day Test) and every four years, one of the five Ashes Test matches against England. The Tests are now normally held in early December and is a clash between Australia and the international touring team of that particular season. Adelaide Oval was the host of the first ever day/night Test match, whenAustralia played New Zealand on 27 November 2015.[68]
In 2011, Adelaide Oval held its firstTwenty20 International between Australia and England, a match which England won by one wicket. The ground was announced as one of the venues for the2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and hosted one of the semi-finals.[69]
1873 - 13 December – The first cricket game is played on the ground between Australian born players and players born overseas.
1874 - 1 March – England beat South Australia by 7 wickets in the first international cricket match at the ground.[70]
1874 - 7 November – South Australia play Victoria on Adelaide Oval for the first time. Victoria won by 15 runs.
1877 - 10 November – The firstfirst-class cricket match played at the ground was between South Australia and Tasmania. South Australia was victorious, winning by an innings and 13 runs.[71]
1878 - 30 January – The first cricket century at the ground was scored byJohn Hill, 102 not out for North Adelaide against the Kent Club.[72]
1884 - 12 December – The first Test match was played at the Oval. England beat Australia by eight wickets. (Scorecard)
1894 - 15 January –Albert Trott collected 8/43 on debut against England, the grounds best single-innings Test match bowling figure.
1932 – TheBodyline affair reached its lowest point at the ground whenBill Woodfull andBert Oldfield were struck, and on the third daymounted police patrolled to keep the 50,962 spectators in order (a record crowd for cricket at the ground). The total attendance for the match was 174,351.During the third test of the 1932–33 Ashes seriesBert Oldfield was struck in the head by a ball fromHarold Larwood. This series became known as theBodyline due to the controversial aggressive tactics of the English.
1946 –Arthur Morris of Australia, andDenis Compton of England both made centuries in both innings of the Test.
1947 – Australia scored the highest team total in a test match at the ground, 674 runs, againstIndia.
1949 - 15 January – The first women's test match held at the ground was between England and Australia. Australia would win by 186 runs.
1960 – Australia played theWest Indies in the fourth test of theFrank Worrell Trophy. The match ended in a draw, with the West Indies unable to take the final wicket of the fourth innings, as the last batsmenKen Mackay andLindsay Kline held out for 109 minutes. West Indies bowlerLance Gibbs took the only Test crickethat-trick at the ground in Australia's first innings. (Scorecard)
1975 – The first One-Day International match at the ground was between Australia and the West Indies. Australia won by 5 wickets. (Scorecard)
1982 – In a Sheffield Shield game againstVictoria,David Hookes hit a 43-minute, 34 ball century – by some metrics the fastest hundred in history. (Statistics)
1991 – South Australia compiled the highest fourth innings winning total in Sheffield Shield history, reaching 6/506 (set 506 to win) againstQueensland.
1992 – The West Indies defeated Australia by one run in the fourth test of the Frank Worrell Trophy, when a bouncer byCourtney Walsh brushedCraig McDermott's glove to end a 40-run last-wicket partnership. It was the narrowest victory ever in Test cricket. (Scorecard)
1997 – The first cricket match under lights was aOne Day International between South Africa and New Zealand on 6 December 1997. (Scorecard)
1999 –Sri LankanspinnerMuttiah Muralitharan was called forthrowing by umpireRoss Emerson in a One Day International against England. The Sri Lankan team almost abandoned the match, but after instructions from the president of the Sri Lankan cricket board (relayed to captainArjuna Ranatunga by mobile phone) the game resumed.
2006 – During the Ashes series, many temporary stands were erected to cope with the demand for tickets. Stands were put between the Chappell stands and on the top of the hills. Australia beat England by 6 wickets on a remarkable last day. (Scorecard)
2014 - 10 December –Michael Clarke scored his 7th century on the ground, the most test cricket centuries at the ground.
2017 - 2 December – Adelaide Oval hosted the first day/night Ashes Test,[74] attended by a record crowd for cricket of 55,317.[75]
2018 - 4 February – Adelaide Oval hosted its firstBig Bash LeagueGrand Final with the Adelaide Strikers defeating the Hobart Hurricanes for the Championship.
2019 - 30 November - David Warner breaks the record for most runs scored in a single test innings by an individual player at Adelaide Oval with a score of 335* against Pakistan, surpassing Donald Bradman's 299* in 1932.
2020 - 19 December – India were all out for 36 on the third day of a test match against Australia in the second innings. This is India's lowest ever test score and the lowest ever test score recorded at the Adelaide Oval.[76]
From 1877 until the1973 SANFL Grand Final, Adelaide Oval was the marquee ground forSouth Australian National Football League matches. After a dispute between cricket and SANFL administrators, Australian rules football in South Australia was moved toFootball Park in the western suburbs of Adelaide until its permanent return to the ground in 2014. Adelaide Oval hosted the1889 SAFA Grand Final, the first grand final in any Australian rules football competition after Port Adelaide and Norwood finished the 1889 SAFA season with the same win–loss–draw record. The record crowd for an Australian rules football match at Adelaide Oval was set at the1965 SANFL Grand Final betweenSturt andPort Adelaide when 62,543 saw the latter win by three points. After 1973 Australian rules football matches were sporadically held at the ground apart from South Adelaide games as that club continued to use the ground for their home matches after 1973. After the advent of the Australian Football League in 1990 only one AFL match was held at the ground before it was permanently adopted again by the code, with Port Adelaide hosting Melbourne during the last minor round match of the 2011 AFL season.[77] As of 2014, all SANFL Finals Series matches are played at the ground including the SANFL Grand Final. RegularAustralian Football League matches at the venue also began in 2014.
1877 May 12 – The first South Australian Football Association match took place on the ground between theOld Adelaide Football Club and theBankers Football Club. The original Adelaide club won the match 4 goals to 1.[78]
1877 August 18 –St Kilda became the first interstate club to play at Adelaide Oval defeating the originalAdelaide Football Club by three goals.[79]
1887 June 20 – After the previous two encounters betweenNorwood andPort Adelaide were drawn, the South Australia interest in their next meeting set a record for Australian rules football at the time with at least 11,000 spectators present. Attending the match were Chinese General Wong Yung Ho, Consul-General U. Tsing who were both accompanied by Dr. On Lee of Sydney and Mr. Way Lee of Adelaide. The Chinese commissioners were provided theprivate box of theGovernor of South AustraliaWilliam C. F. Robinson. Norwood won the match by two goals.[81]
1911 August 5 – TheAustralian Football Council Carnival was held at the ground for the first time and was won by South Australia. The competing leagues fielding representative sides were the SANFL, VFL, VFA, WANFL, TSL and NSW. This was the first time a Tasmanian side had played at Adelaide Oval.
1945 September 29 –Haydn Bunton Sr, triple Brownlow and Sandover medalist, played for Port Adelaide in the1945 SANFL Grand Final, the only premiership decider of his career. Despite Port Adelaide obtaining a 32-point lead at quarter time,West Torrens would eventually win the match by 13 points.
1965 October 2 – The1965 SANFL Grand Final crowd set the record attendance for a sporting match at the venue with 62,543 people witnessingPort Adelaide defeatSturt by three points.
1973 September 29 – The1973 SANFL Grand Final betweenNorth Adelaide andGlenelg was the last SANFL Grand Final at Adelaide Oval until 2014. Due to the advent of the national Australian Football League in 1990, effectively relegating the SANFL to second tier, it remains the last top flight Grand Final hosted at Adelaide Oval.[87]
1990 September 8 – The last game at the ground before the presence of an AFL team in South Australia was between West Torrens and Woodville with the latter winning by 45 points. The clubs would merge the following year.
1996 July 20 – The last game at the ground involvingPort Adelaide's senior team before entering the AFL was against Sturt with the former side winning by 40 points.
2011 September 4 – The firstAustralian Football League match at the venue was played between Port Adelaide and Melbourne. Port Adelaide won the match by 8 points.
2014 March 29 – The firstShowdown, betweenPort Adelaide andAdelaide, was played. Port Adelaide won the game by 55 points.
2014 September 7 – The first Australian Football League final at the ground, an elimination final, was played betweenPort Adelaide andRichmond. Port Adelaide won by 57 points.[88]
2017 September 22 – The first preliminary final held at the venue brought the largest crowd for an AFL match at the Oval to date. 53,817 watchedAdelaide defeatGeelong by 61 points.
2019 March 31 – The firstAFLW Grand Final to be held at the ground featured the Adelaide Crows defeating Carlton by 45 points.
2023 April 13 – The first AFLGather Round is held in Adelaide. The venue hosted six of the nine matches across four days.
2025 August 16 – A new AFL attendance record is set at the venue, with 54,283 attendees atAdelaide vsCollingwood surpassing the previous record set in 2017.
The first senior league Australian rules football match was played on Adelaide Oval in 1877 between theoriginal Adelaide club and theBankers club. The 1990 SANFL season was the last year that the competition was the highest level of Australian rules football in South Australia. In 1991 the newly created Adelaide Crows entered the Australian Football League, subsequently playing the highest level of football in the state. Port Adelaide would join the Australian Football League in 1997.[citation needed]
Adelaide United FC have played a number ofA-League home games againstSydney FC andMelbourne Victory FC. Adelaide Oval was the site of an international friendly match between theSocceroos andNew Zealand on 5 June 2011. On 25 July 2014, Adelaide United played its first game at the fully re-developed Adelaide Oval when it played host to SpanishLa Liga sideMálaga CF. In front of 23,254 fans and a television audience in Spain, Málaga defeated the Reds 5–1.[90]
1904 July 20 – The South Australian British Football Association beat the crew aboardHMS Katoomba 9–0.[89]
1920 July 5 – During a visit by thePrince of Wales, a soccer match was organised between theSouth Australian British Football Association and the crew aboard the visitingHMS Renown with the game resulting in a draw 0–0.[91]
1924 October 6 – Over the course of a day three codes were played on Adelaide Oval, Australian rules football, rugby and soccer. The soccer match was between two teams, one called "Adelaide United" and the other "Hindmarsh" with the latter team winning 2–0.[92]
1925 – During a tour of Australia, the English football team was prevented from playing on Adelaide Oval by ground administrators.[citation needed]
1937 July 29 – England beat South Australia 10–0.[citation needed]
The 1903 Walne Stakes cycling race at Adelaide Oval was won by American professional cyclistMajor Taylor who is pictured crossing the line
From the first cycling race held at Adelaide Oval in 1882, Adelaide Oval regularly hosted cycling races that attracted tens of thousands of spectators.[96][97] Cycling races were halted after a fence was erected on the inner side of the asphalt track around 1911.[98]
1882 – The first bicycle race took place on Adelaide Oval during part of a Scottish sport fete on Easter Monday that attracted a then record 15,000 spectators over the course of the day.[96]
1885 – The first time the Intercolonial Bicycle Championship was held at Adelaide Oval. F.H. Shackleford won the premier 10-mile race in 34 minutes 30 seconds. A.L. Henzel won the women's 3-mile bracelet race in 9 minutes 43 seconds.[99]
1900 – Ahead of a cycling event held on 24 March, SACA undertook some major renovation of the grounds in order to accommodate acycling track around the oval. Thousands of loads of earth were carted from the Torrens to create the necessary slope to the track.[11]
1903 – American professional cyclistMajor Taylor, the first world champion black athlete, wins the Walne Stakes in front of at least 10,000 spectators. He won the half-mile in a time of 57s ± 2.5.[100] He won 11 races out of 14, and was placed second in three.[101] Taylor's trip to Australia to compete in cycling races inspired the 1992 filmTracks of Glory.[102]
In 1991, theNSWRL came to Adelaide Oval when theSt. George Dragons played theBalmain Tigers on a cold and wet Friday night under temporary lights in the first of five games that the Dragons would play at the oval over the next five years. That game, with the Dragons winning 16–2, set a rugby league record crowd for the ground when 28,884 people attended[citation needed], and was in fact the highest minor round attendance for the1991 NSWRL season (beaten only by four of the six Finals series games including the Grand Final). In 1997 Adelaide got its own side in the much vaunted (but short lived)Super League competition with theAdelaide Rams. Their first home game attracted their record crowd when 27,435[citation needed] saw the Rams defeat SL's other new team, theHunter Mariners 10–8. However, after disputes over money (and dwindling crowds due to poor on-field results) they left the ground in 1998 and moved toHindmarsh Stadium. In the2010 and2011National Rugby League seasons,Sydney club theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs played home games at the Oval against theMelbourne Storm. The Bulldogs had intended to make Adelaide Oval their second "home" (the club plays its home games at Sydney'sOlympic Stadium), but the plan was abandoned after 2010. On 20 November 2016, it was announced that theSydney Roosters will take on theMelbourne Storm in the2017 NRL season meaning that top level Rugby league returned to Adelaide for the first time since 2011. The Roosters won the game, played on 24 June in Round 16 of the season, 25–24 in golden point extra time in front of a crowd of 21,492 fans.[103]
It was announced in February 2018 that the Oval would host oneState of Origin match in 2020.[104]
On 10 November 2022, it was announced that Adelaide Oval would host the first game of the2023 State of Origin series on 31 May.[105]
2010 July 10 - The first game of first-grade rugby league is played since the Rams dissolved, with theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs taking down theMelbourne Storm 20–18, in front of a crowd of 10,350.[106]
2020 November 4 – ANRL State of Origin match was scheduled to be held at Adelaide Oval on 1 June for the opening leg of the 2020 NRL State of Origin series but was postponed due to the ongoingimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the2020 NRL season. Queensland ended up winning the rescheduled game 18–14.[107]
Adelaide Oval hosting Australia and South Africa in arugby union test match on 27 August 2022
Adelaide Oval hosted two games of the2003 Rugby World Cup. On 25 October,Australia played their first international game in Adelaide when they defeatedNamibia 142–0 in front of 28,196 fans. The next dayIreland defeatedArgentina 16–15 in front of 30,203 fans.
On 3 July 2004, Australia hosted the Pacific Islanders at Adelaide Oval, winning 29–14 before a crowd of 19,266.
Adelaide Oval did not host another rugby union match until 27 August 2022, when Australia defeatedSouth Africa 25–17 in aRugby Championship test match in front of a crowd of 36,336.
1888 July 16 – England defeated South Australia 28–3 in a Rugby Union match.[108]
2003 October 25 – The first of two matches of theRugby World Cup were played at Adelaide Oval. The first match saw Australia thrash Namibia 142–0. The following day Ireland defeated Argentina by one point.
Albert Spalding's 1888 tour sides with theChicago team left and All-American team right. The two sides played three matches at Adelaide Oval with Chicago winning 2–1.
In 1888, American Baseball administratorAlbert Spalding brought theChicago team and an additional composite team called the All-Americans to Australia and would play a series of three exhibition matches at Adelaide Oval. Chicago would win the Adelaide series 2–1.[109] Following on from this exhibition of the match in Australia, over the next few years intercolonial matches were commonly played against other states on the ground.
1888 December – American Baseball administratorAlbert Spalding brought theChicago team and an additional composite team called the All-American team to Australia and played a series of three exhibition matches at the ground. Chicago would win the series 2–1.[110]
1934 August 12 – The final game of the inaugural1934 Claxton Shield series was played between Victoria and South Australia with the latter state winning 5–8.[111]
During World War II anAmerican football match was held at Adelaide Oval where 25,000 locals attended as part ofIndependence Day celebrations in 1942
During World War II an American football match was held by American soldiers stationed in Adelaide on Independence Day. At least 25,000 spectators attended the match that was staged between teams referred to as the "Packers" and "Bears" with the latter winning the match.
13 June 1938 – During an interval of a Port Adelaide and Norwood SANFL match with 27,764 spectators present, a long distance kicking contest was held using American footballs.[112] Measurements of kicks were then compared to College footballers in the United States. Robert Elliott ofNorth Adelaide won the competition kicking an Australian football 67 metres. Robert Elliott kicked the American football 62 metres, 13 centimetres short of the top American figure set by Jack Cohen from theUCLA Bruins using the American ball.[113]
4 July 1942 – An exhibition match was held by American soldiers.
The largest spectator event of the 19th century at the Adelaide Oval was the "Grand Corroboree", acorroboree performed by around 100Aboriginal men and women fromPoint MacLeay mission andYorke Peninsula on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 May 1885. They had been invited to Adelaide by the colonial government to perform as part of the Queen's Birthday celebrations. After organisers expected a crowd of around 5,000, approximately 20,000 spectators (around a sixth of Adelaide's population) turned up. The crowd became rowdy and police had to clear the performance space before the event could begin.[8][9] Profits from the show were assigned to the Aboriginal people.[122] The corroboree was so successful that other performances were arranged at other venues. Also at this time, the first football match held between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal teams in Adelaide was organised by Football and Cricketing Association secretaryJohn Creswell, and a second followed at the oval on 2 June 1885.[8]
As part of the 1927 Royal Tour, theDuke andDuchess of York had a motorcade through Adelaide Oval with many people present for the event.[123]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in South Australia, theAdelaide Christmas Pageant was held at Adelaide Oval to a permitted audience of 25,000 in 2020, and 16,000 in 2021. Tickets were drawn from a raffle, and the pageant was held in the evening. The 2022 pageant returned to the streets, although Adelaide Oval was reserved in the event of anothervariant.[124][125]
^abcdefgCity of Adelaide (1996)."The Adelaide Oval"(PDF). Heritage of the City of Adelaide. Retrieved3 August 2024.The text in this Information Sheet was copied from theHeritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide (1996).
^"A New Sensation".Evening Journal. Vol. XXI, no. 5724 (SECOND ed.). Adelaide. 2 January 1889. p. 3.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved5 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Re: Adelaide Oval Redevelopment inc. $450 million 'extension".Sensational Adelaide.Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved27 May 2011.The "Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority" was registered as a company on 23 Dec 2009 following the re-announcement of the plan (now $450 million) by Mike Rann, in time for the March 2010 election.
^Rann caps State Government's commitmentArchived 1 December 2010 at theWayback Machine, Advertiser, 7 April 2010: SA Premier Mike Rann has capped the State Government's commitment to any redevelopment of Adelaide Oval for AFL football at $450 million. "It's $450 million – and not a penny more", said Mr Rann today ruling out the government underwriting any cost over-runs at Adelaide Oval.
^"cricket".Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXXI, no. 1698. 18 April 1874. p. 2.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved19 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"A Worthy Citizen".The Register. Adelaide. 20 September 1926. p. 9.Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved4 September 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^"FOOTBALL".South Australian Register. Vol. XLII, no. 9599. 20 August 1877. p. 7.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved10 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SATURDAY"S FOOTBALL".The Register. Vol. LXXIV, no. 19, 551. Adelaide. 12 July 1909. p. 5.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved11 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Sports and Pastimes".The Southern Cross. Vol. XXXII, no. 1602. South Australia. 9 July 1920. p. 16.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved11 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Untitled".The News. Vol. 56, no. 8, 698. Adelaide. 25 June 1951. p. 15.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved11 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^ab"Easter Monday".The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 5, 472. South Australia. 11 April 1882. p. 3 (Second Edition).Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved1 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Cycling".Evening Journal. Vol. XLV, no. 12665. Adelaide. 24 November 1911. p. 1 (THE SPORTING SECTION).Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved8 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Cycling notes".The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXVIII, no. 5, 360. South Australia. 25 November 1911. p. 20. Retrieved3 August 2024 – via National Library of Australia.The recent move on the part of the Adelaide Oval authorities in taking the fence to the inside of the asphalt tract has put an end to all hopes of seeing bicycle races reorganized on that ground.
^"The cycling carnival".The Register. Vol. LXVIII, no. 17, 589. Adelaide. 30 March 1903. p. 3.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved14 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Hockey".The Chronicle. Vol. 47, no. 2, 401. Adelaide. 27 August 1904. p. 22.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved17 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"HOCKEY".The Register. Vol. LXX, no. 18, 306. Adelaide. 15 July 1905. p. 5.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved17 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"HOCKEY".The Advertiser. Adelaide. 6 August 1926. p. 16.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved17 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"EVENTS OF THE ROYAL VISIT".The Register. Vol. XCII, no. 26, 743. Adelaide. 4 May 1927. p. 12.Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
Adelaide
Festival Plaza
Australia v
England
India
West Indies
Pakistan
New Zealand
South Africa
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