Plans are underway for a clubhouse at a main sports precinct, with rugby league and rugby union clubs aiming to secure a sustainable future.
The Sunshine Coast Falcons and Brothers Sunshine Coast had successful 2026 seasons, with the clubs crediting the facilities and support at The Sports Hub in Warana as key to their progress.
The Falcons finished the season as minor premiers before falling to Redcliffe in the grand final, while Brothers Sunshine Coast claimed their first senior reserves grade premiership just four years after the club was formed.
With the clubs continuing to grow, the next step is a planned permanent clubhouse at The Sports Hub to provide a long-term home for players, members and supporters.
The Sports Hub chairman Ashley Robinson said building a dedicated clubhouse would be the final piece of the Sports Hub jigsaw which would sit on the vacant waterfront land in between the hub’s existing sports training and recovery building and its 80-room accommodation facility.
“Both the Falcons and Brothers credit their relationship with The Sports Hub as a genuine factor behind their outstanding results this year and the opportunity to build a permanent home base for both clubs is more important than ever, especially as we are currently in the 2032 Olympics window,” he said.
“Nearly $150 million will be spent over the next few years to improve the existing Kawana sports facilities, prior to the Olympics, including an upgrade to Sunshine Coast Stadium to take it to a 20,000 seat capacity.
“This is our opportunity to tap into this momentum and create a lasting legacy for future generations.”
Falcons CEO Chris Flannery said financial support from The Sports Hub has given the club greater capacity to invest in their programs, while access to its training and recovery facilities has shaped how players prepare and condition themselves for games throughout the season.
“We’ve been lucky enough to have support from The Sports Hub since it opened back in 2019 and that ongoing partnership is absolutely vital today, particularly after we became a standalone entity this year after our breakaway from the Melbourne Storm,” he said.
“Having access to The Sports Hub’s resources provided the club with a stable platform to build around during that transition and well into the future.”
Brothers Sunshine Coast president Mike Haines said being competitive in the local competition requires the support of the community as well as a number of local businesses and organisations like The Sports Hub.
“Winning our first senior reserves premiership after just four years would be a pipedream without the financial support and the training environment provided by The Sports Hub,” he said.
“We know we are on the right track with our junior and senior men’s and women’s programs and our junior and senior premiership success belongs to everyone who’s been part of building that.”
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Former Wallaby and Queensland Reds great Tony Shaw and long-term Sunshine Coast sports identity Ashley Robinson were instrumental in supporting the establishment of The Sports Hub in 2019.
Mr Robinson said when the Falcons were established, the vision was to create something sustainable for the club and the many generations of people who would come through it.
“Seeing the Falcons win the minor premiership this season and then play off in the grand final is a fantastic reflection of how far the club has come, particularly without the support of NRL juggernauts Melbourne Storm,” he said.
“It’s such a fantastic model and The Sports Hub’s support now extends well beyond the two foundation clubs by providing a base for a number of other local sporting groups.
“The Sports Hub currently sits at 99 per cent occupancy, with a number of tenants in place since its inception, which certainly reflects the depth of demand for training and recovery facilities.”
Mr Robinson said this year’s senior reserves premiership success for Brothers showed exactly what’s possible when clubs have the right support behind them, but sustaining it long term means giving both clubs a permanent and centrally located home.
“Regardless of what code you follow, sport has always played such an important role in the Sunshine Coast community, and ultimately the teams that thrive are those who have a strong support base along with a dedicated place to call home.
“Our goal is to build on this year’s results with plans for a long-term home which will ultimately create a stronger, more sustainable revenue base for both clubs.”
