One of the few remaining suburban stadiums still in use in the NRL, Southern Cross Group Stadium, more glibly known as ‘Shark Park’, was built in 1960 and is home to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. The 22,000-capacity stadium is in the suburb of Woolooware, and where Shirees congregate to engage in one of their favourite pastimes—watching their beloved Sharkies.
Over the years there have been a plethora of different names for the ground, including Ronson Park in 1985 then Caltex Park, Shark Park, Toyota Park and Remondis Stadium before being changed to Southern Cross Group Stadium in 2016. The Sharks Leagues club sits adjacent to the stadium making it convenient for fans to access before and after games. The Sharks, unlike most other clubs in the NRL own their own home ground.
In 2006 the stadium would see the construction of a new Southern grand stand that would seat 1,500 supporters. In 2004 the stadium would set a new attendance record as 22,302 fans packed in to watch local rivals St George Illawarra play the Sharks. This traditional clash continues to draw the biggest crowd for the Sharks due to the heated local derby.
A smaller stadium compared to other current NRL grounds, the suburban atmosphere the ground creates is one of the best in the game. With the stadium backing onto Botany Bay, night games can create a cold and windy atmosphere and many NRL players have gone on record saying that Southern Cross Group is a difficult ground to win at. The Sharks will be looking to use their unique home ground as a springboard into the finals for years to come.
