Kippax Lake Field
Creating a High-Performance Rugby Venue in Moore Park
New South Wales

Kippax Lake Field, located within public parkland, needed to strike a balance between providing a top-tier rugby training facility for teams like the Sydney Roosters, Sydney Swans, and Australian Rugby Union, and maintaining its role as a community asset. The field also had to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding parkland, creating a world-class playing surface while ensuring continued access for park users and community groups.

SPORTENG’s team worked closely with Centennial Parklands to confirm the anticipated hours of use, current maintenance practices, and expected turf conditions. The project also involved liaising with stakeholders to ensure the new design met both professional and community needs.

SPORTENG designed a natural turf rectangular field of play – upgrading and expanding on the previous field. Careful consideration of existing site conditions, geotechnical reports and existing services helped the team understand the unique attributes of the site. As for all natural turf fields, key design elements included:

• Drainage and Irrigation: To ensure maximum turf capacity throughout the year.

• No Perimeter Fencing: Allowing for a seamless flow from the field to the surrounding lake and parkland.

The Turf Management Plan developed by SPORTENG covered:

• Hours of use protocol for years 1–3

• Maintenance levels and renovation schedules

• Visual and physical performance tests for the turf

• Ongoing turf testing and quality monitoring

The upgrade of the Kippax Lake Field has been a major success, creating a high-performance sports field while enhancing the area as a welcome community asset. Located right in the heart of Sydney’s Moore Park, it now sits proudly next to its neighbours, the SCG and Allianz Stadium.