North Sydney Oval, cricket and multi-sport ground in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
North Sydney Oval is a sports field north of Sydney that has operated since 1867 and hosts various team sports. The ground accommodates around 10,000 spectators with multiple grandstands, lighting towers for evening matches, and a grassy slope where spectators gather.
The oval was established in 1867 and long served as the home ground of the North Sydney Bears rugby league team. The venue has been maintained and redeveloped over the years while supporting multiple team sports.
Fans call the ground Bear Park after the North Sydney Bears, whose first-grade rugby league match here in 1910 drew 3,000 spectators. The hill terracing is named the Doug Walters Stand, and the scoreboard honours winger Ken Irvine, who scored 633 points for the Bears between 1958 and 1970. In 2018 the oval hosted the inaugural State of Origin women's match, won 16-10 by New South Wales.
The oval is close to North Sydney train station and easily accessible by public transport or car with parking available nearby. Multiple bus stops in the area make it convenient for visitors arriving from different parts of the city.
The scoreboard is named after Ken Irvine, the Bears winger who scored 633 points in 176 games for the club between 1958 and 1970, with 171 tries, 59 goals and a field goal, before moving to Manly. In 1998 the ground trialled cricket wicket technology in its early stages.
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