York Park

University of Tasmania Stadium
Former names	Aurora Stadium
Location	Launceston, Tasmania
Coordinates	41°25′33″S 147°08′20″E / 41.42583°S 147.13889°E
Owner	Launceston City Council
Operator	AFL Tasmania
Capacity	19,000
Field size	170 m × 140 m (560 ft × 460 ft)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1919
Opened	1921
Construction cost	A$23.6M (redevelopment)
Tenants
	Australian rules football Tasmania Football Club (AFL/AFLW) (2028–onwards); Hawthorn Football Club (AFL) (2001–present); North Melbourne Football Club (AFLW) (2019–present); St Kilda Football Club (AFL) (2003–2006); Tasmania Devils (VFL) (2001-2008); North Launceston Football Club (NTFL/TSL) (1923–present); Western Storm Football Club (TSL) (2014–2015) Other Hobart Hurricanes (WBBL/BBL(2015–present); Western United FC (2021–present); (2003 Rugby World Cup
Ground information
	As of 30 December 2018; Source: Cricinfo

York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 21,000 people, York Park is known commercially as University of Tasmania (UTAS) Stadium^[3] and was formerly known as Aurora Stadium under a previous naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004. Primarily used for Australian rules football, its record attendance of 20,971 was set in June 2006, when Hawthorn Football Club played Richmond Football Club in an Australian Football League (AFL) match.

The area was swampland before becoming Launceston's showgrounds in 1873. In the following decades the grounds were increasingly used for sports, including cricket, bowls and tennis. In 1919, plans were prepared for the transformation of the area into a multi-sports venue. From 1923, the venue was principally used for Australian rules football by the Northern Tasmanian Football Association, and for occasional inter-state games. Visiting mainland football clubs regularly played mid-season or end-of-season matches at the ground. Other sports such as cricket, tennis, bowling, cycling and foot-racing have been played at the venue.

Hawthorn has played between two and five AFL matches each season since 2001, and the St Kilda Football Club played two games a year between 2003 and 2006. In 2007, the Tasmanian Government signed a $16.4 million, five-year sponsorship deal with Hawthorn, under which the club will play four regular season games and one National Australia Bank Cup pre-season match at the venue each year. The venue hosted its first VFL/AFL finals during the 2021 AFL finals series.

Throughout its history, York Park has hosted major pop concerts and other entertainments. Since 2001 it has been a venue for international sports events, and in 2005 was redeveloped at a cost of $23.6 million. On 21 February 2009 York Park became home to the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.

^ Atkinson, Cody; Lawson, Sean (15 June 2022). "From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
^ "About University of Tasmania Stadium". City of Launceston. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
^ Clark, Nick (22 October 2016). "University of Tasmania kicks big goals as naming rights sponsor of York Park". The Mercury. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.

[1] Atkinson, Cody; Lawson, Sean (15 June 2022). "From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 February 2024.

[2] "About University of Tasmania Stadium". City of Launceston. Retrieved 16 November 2019.

[3] Clark, Nick (22 October 2016). "University of Tasmania kicks big goals as naming rights sponsor of York Park". The Mercury. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.

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