Wests Tigers officially open Centre of Excellence

The Wests Tigers have officially opened their new Centre of Excellence at Concord Oval, to be known as the Zurich Centre.

The NRL club hosted a black-tie event at the new facility on Friday evening to launch their new headquarters.

The Zurich Centre is part of the $84.5 million Concord Oval and Community Sports Precinct which provides new recreation spaces for the rapidly growing inner west population, including a basketball court, playground, café and community rooms.

The commercial naming rights deal with Zurich to the Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence is for at least the next five years and is a key element to a partnership which extends well beyond brand visibility, with the insurer to sponsor the Tigers’ inaugural NRLW team.

Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe believes the Zurich Centre, which is part of the new Concord Oval Community and Sports Precinct, is a huge plus for the local area.

“We are so fortunate as an NRL club to have such a wonderful facility, one that is the envy of other sporting bodies worldwide,” Pascoe said.

“We are now also delighted to welcome Zurich as a premier partner of Wests Tigers.

“The Zurich Centre gives us something to be truly proud of and it provides our players and staff with an environment that will help them to be the very best they can be.”

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens was on hand to cut the ribbon at the official opening, and he believes the complex is a game-changer for the inner west community.

“From community engagement to high performance outcomes, this facility has reinvigorated the Concord Oval precinct which will help grow the sport and provide local pathways for our future NRLW and NRL stars.”

The NSW Government contributed $64.6 million towards the precinct redevelopment, including the Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence.

Once a 18,000-capacity stadium built to host the 1987 Rugby World Cup and serve as the home of the NSW Waratahs, the two grandstands were demolished in mid-2020, with construction commencing in November that year.

The new facility includes grandstand seating and match day facilities including change rooms and coaches boxes, with the new-look Concord Oval to continue hosting matches, including as home of the West Harbour RFC.