Move over NRL, AFL, NBL and BBL – here comes American football down under: NGL.
The NGL – National Gridiron League – will be the top tier of competition for American football in Australia and Campbelltown has won a slice of the action.
Campbelltown Sports Stadium will be hosting two inaugural NGL double headers in October and January 2017.
It will be the only major sport stadium in the Sydney metropolitan area to host a match.
The league will be launched later this year and will have eight teams located in Queensland and NSW, four from each state.
Sydney Express, Central Coast Cyclones, Wollongong Devils, Newcastle Miners, Brisbane Outlaws, Gold Coast Kings, Logan Wolverines and North Coast Heat are the eight teams for the first ever NGL.
The NGL is hoping to expand the league to Victoria and Western Australia in 2017-2018.
The league will host all games at premier stadiums including Campbelltown Sports Stadium and the NGL expects to nationally televise a selected game each week in each state.
A report to Campbelltown Council last week said its officers had successfully negotiated an agreement for the NGL to host competition matches at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Campbelltown Sports Stadium will host the first of the two events on Sunday, October 16 with the second event to be held on Sunday, January 15 next year.
They will both feature a double header as well as entertainment such as a concert in between matches.
Games are scheduled to start at 1pm and the second game at 6pm.
Council are continuing negotiations with the NGL to host a team in their preseason and regular season training program.
If successful, this would result in around 50 gridiron players moving to Campbelltown to train out of the stadium, predominantly using the Athletics Centre grassed infield from October-January.
Council says hosting the NGL will provide aspiring footballers with an alternate sporting code to follow and participate at an elite level.
It will also provide another sporting and entertainment opportunity for the community of Campbelltown and the wider region which is accessible, council said.
“This allows for people to gain access to events such as these without travelling to the major stadia in central Sydney or to Homebush, saving local families and individuals on travelling costs including fuel, tolls and parking.
“Having events such as this provides a strong economic return to the local economy as money is being spent locally and not in other parts of Sydney, which is of benefit to small business and local employment.’’
