Geelong is set to welcome some of the world’s best hockey players when the Commonwealth Games comes to town in four years.
Stead Park will host the hockey tournament as well as aquatics, para swimming, beach volleyball, gymnastics, hockey, table tennis, para table tennis, triathlon and para triathlon.
Stead Park is the home of Hockey Geelong and currently features two synthetic pitches, one sand and one hybrid.
At Gold Coast 2018, 360 players from 11 nations competed in hockey. A sport with a rich history in Australia, the Kookaburras have won every men’s team gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1994 and the Hockeyroos are four-time women’s champions.
“Geelong is a proud sporting city, and the Commonwealth Games will deliver great benefit to the entire community through improved infrastructure and exposure on the world stage,” Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery Jacinta Allan said.
“Victoria 2026 will provide a boost to jobs, hospitality and the local economy and allows use to share our incredible regional communities with the rest of the world.”
The Games will be held between March 17 and 29, 2026, with a bumper 12 days of competition between the Commonwealth’s best athletes across regional Victoria allowing the regions to shine on the world stage.
As a regional hub alongside Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland, Geelong is expected to benefit significantly from the Games, including the creation of additional housing, world-class sports facilities and thousands of jobs.