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North Ipswich Reserve presently known as Qld Group Stadium and formally Bendigo Bank Oval due to naming rights is a sports venue in Ipswich, Queensland. Originally an Australian rules football (and later cricket) oval, it became a primarily rugby league venue in the 1920s as that code experienced an explosion in local popularity. It is currently home to the Ipswich Jets, who play in the Queensland Wizard Cup. On occasion the venue plays host to National Rugby League trial matches, most recently when the Sydney Roosters played the Jets.

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North Ipswich Reserve

Former names	QLD Group Oval Jets Oval Bendigo Bank Oval
Location	Ipswich, Queensland
Coordinates	27°36′39″S 152°45′53″E
Owner	Ipswich Jets
Capacity	5,500
Surface	Grass
Construction
Renovated	2002
Tenants
Ipswich Jets (Queensland Wizard Cup) Western Pride (2013-2014)

In 2010 Brisbane Roar played an Ipswich invitation side made up of players from Ipswich Knights, Western Spirit FC and Ipswich City FC. Brisbane Roar also played Melbourne Victory in a pre-season game in 2013.[1]

Past Sports Events

Australian rules football

In Australian rules football, the earliest recorded match at what was known as the North Ipswich Reserve was between Ipswich Grammar School and the newly formed Ipswich Football Club in 1870.[2] The ground would serve as the Ipswich Football Club's homeground from 1870 through periods of dormancy in the 1890s and 1900s (appearing as a representative side for the city) until it switched to soccer around 1949.[3][4] The Queensland Football Association (1880-1890) made regular use of the ground for matches, particularly intercolonials. It was home to the Queensland Australian rules football team for interstate tests against the New South Wales Australian rules football team in the 1890s, 1900s and 1920s.[5] Many other prominent Australian rules matches were played there until the code's centre of popularity began to gradually shift from Ipswich to Brisbane in the 20th Century.

Rugby Union

The first recorded Rugby Union match at the ground was in 1878 upon insistence of the Brisbane Football Club which had switched to the code.[6] Rugby was played sporadically on the ground in the years to follow including intercolonial matches in the 1880s.

Cricket

The ground has been used as a cricket venue since 1884. In 1885, cricket authorities assumed control over the ground and it became known as the North Ipswich Cricket Reserve.[7] Following the turn of the century as it began to host a range of other sports it was known simply as the North Ipswich Oval.

Association Football (soccer)

Soccer matches have been played there since the turn of the 20th Century. Ipswich representative association football sides played the New Zealand All Whites at North Ipswich Reserve in 1922, and the Chinese national football team in 1923 [8]

References

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