PNG Football Stadium, known by the sponsored name of Santos National Football Stadium and previously as Lloyd Robson Oval until 2015,[2] is a sporting ground in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It hosted three games for the 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup. It has been the home ground for the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team since 1975. It has a total capacity of approximately 15,000 and is the National Stadium of Papua New Guinea. The stadium was completely redeveloped in preparation for the 2015 Pacific Games.[2]

Santos National Football Stadium
PNG National Football Stadium
Map
Full namePapua New Guinea National Football Stadium
Former namesLloyd Robson Oval
LocationPort Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Coordinates9°28′6″S 147°11′54″E / 9.46833°S 147.19833°E / -9.46833; 147.19833
TypeStadium
Capacity14,800[1]
Field shapeRectangular
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Renovated2015
Expanded2015
ArchitectPopulous
Main contractorsPopulous
Tenants
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team (1975–present)
Port Moresby Vipers (PNGNRL; 1986–present)
Papua New Guinea Hunters (Queensland Cup; 2016–present)
Papua New Guinea NRL team (NRL; 2028–onwards)

History

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Lloyd Robson Oval hosted its first Rugby league international on 6 July 1975 when PNG played host to England who were on their way to Australia and New Zealand for the down under leg of the 1975 World Cup. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 12,000 England ran out 40–12 winners in what was the Kumuls international debut game.

PNG played the 1982 and 1986 Kangaroos at the oval. The Australians, unbeaten on both Kangaroo Tours, won both games 38-2 and 62-12 respectively. The 1986 game saw the Oval's record attendance when 17,000 enthusiastic fans saw the Kangaroos defeat the Kumuls.

The opening Test match of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour was played at the Oval between Papua New Guinea and the British before a crowd of 12,107.

Lloyd Robson Oval was the primary venue of the 2009 Pacific Cup. The four round-robin matches were played at the ground on 24–25 October and 31 October, with the final played on 1 November 2009.[3]

The oval is also home of the Port Moresby Vipers and Gulf Isou who play in the PNGNRL Digicel Cup.

Lloyd Robson is also a regular host of the annual rugby league game between the Kumuls and an Australian Prime Minister's XIII at the conclusion of the Australian-based National Rugby League season. These games are usually well attended, with 16,000 attending the game in 2012 won 24–18 by the Mal Meninga coached PM's XIII.

Soccer is also played at the Lloyd Robson Oval, with both the national men's and women's PNG teams, as well as Papua New Guinea National Soccer League playing matches at the ground, though they both generally use the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium.

At the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, it hosted many matches, including the final.

Rugby league test matches

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List of rugby league test matches played at Lloyd Robson Oval.[4]

Date Winner Score Runners-up Competition Attendance
6 July 1975   England 40–12   Papua New Guinea Friendly 12,000
29 May 1977   Papua New Guinea 37–6   France 1977 France World Cup tour 14,000
30 July 1978   New Zealand 30–21   Papua New Guinea 1978 Kiwi tour 11,541
25 July 1982   New Zealand 56–5   Papua New Guinea 1982 Kiwi tour 13,000
2 October 1982   Australia 38–2   Papua New Guinea 1982 Kangaroo tour 15,000
17 August 1986   Papua New Guinea 24–22   New Zealand 1985–1988 World Cup 15,000
4 October 1986   Australia 62–12   Papua New Guinea 17,000
12 July 1987   New Zealand 36–22   Papua New Guinea 1987 Kiwi tour 15,000
2 June 1990   Great Britain 40–8   Papua New Guinea 1989–1992 World Cup 7,837
11 August 1990   New Zealand 18–10   Papua New Guinea 7,837
13 October 1991   Australia 40–6   Papua New Guinea 14,500
31 May 1992   Great Britain 20–14   Papua New Guinea 1992 Lions tour 7,294
26 June 1994   Papua New Guinea 29–22   France 1994 France tour 5,000
27 October 1994   New Zealand 30–16   Papua New Guinea 1994 Kiwi tour 15,000
6 October 1996   Australia 52–6   Papua New Guinea Friendly 15,000
17 June 2001   France 40–6   Papua New Guinea 2001 France tour 15,000
7 October 2001   Australia 54–12   Papua New Guinea Friendly 14,000
24 October 2009   Cook Islands 24–22   Fiji 2009 Pacific Cup 3,269
25 October 2009   Papua New Guinea 44–14   Tonga 9,813
31 October 2009   Fiji 26–16   Tonga 2,000
1 November 2009   Papua New Guinea 42–14   Cook Islands 10,151
28 October 2017   Papua New Guinea 50–6   Wales 2017 World Cup 14,800
5 November 2017   Papua New Guinea 14–6   Ireland 14,800
12 November 2017   Papua New Guinea 64–0   United States 14,800
15 October 2023   Papua New Guinea 46–10   Cook Islands 2023 Pacific Bowl 7,133
22 October 2023   Fiji 22–18   Cook Islands 7,133
29 October 2023   Papua New Guinea 16–43   Fiji 14,546
5 November 2023   Fiji 12–32   Papua New Guinea 14,809
3 November 2024   Papua New Guinea 42–20   Cook Islands 2024 Pacific Bowl Unknown

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Football Stadium nearly ready". 9 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b "PNG National Football Stadium". Populous. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. ^ ARL (Press Release) (2009-07-28). "Pacific Cup announced". Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  4. ^ Lloyd Robson Oval @ Rugby League Project
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Preceded by FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Final Venue

2016
Succeeded by