More than 18,000 fans descended on Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon for the Harvey Norman Women in League Round match between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Canberra Raiders.

Footy fans were not deterred by the cold weather and came out in droves yesterday to experience the incredible atmosphere as the Bulldogs defeated the Raiders 22-18.

Back to Belmore President Luke Cevolani said he simply could not emphasize enough how big an impact hugely successful events like the NRL fixtures have on people and small business in the Canterbury-Bankstown district.

“From the shop owners on Burwood Road, the flow of economic benefits was fantastic. And the game saw so many people visit the Belmore precinct in a unique and wintery time of the year and really showcased what an amazing venue Belmore Sports Ground is to watch first-grade rugby league,” Mr Cevolani said.

“Our aim is to bring people to Belmore to boost our local economy, and to put Belmore on the map as a destination for major sporting events.”

Patron Luke Brailey said it was a massive win for the Canterbury-Bankstown region to hold major sporting events in the Belmore precinct.

“The real winner yesterday was Belmore. We are thrilled with the stunning success of the NRL Telstra Premiership game at Belmore Sports Ground and the tremendous economic and social benefits it has brought to the Canterbury-Bankstown district as Belmore celebrated the pivotal role played by women at every level in the rugby league community,” Mr Brailey said.

“It really highlights the power of these types of events in driving economic growth and fostering a sense of togetherness in Belmore. The overall economic impact on the local economy was impressive with an estimated spend of over half-a-million dollars over the weekend which includes direct visitor expenditure and additional benefits from supply chain and consumption effects, as well as wages for local workers. That is a massive boost for our local economy.”

Jobel's Cafe owner Josephine Nakhoul said she was delighted with the influx of visitors to Belmore over the weekend.

“We definitely had an increase in visitors coming to the café which was fabulous and that resulted in a 50 per cent increase in sales for us yesterday,” Ms Nakhoul said.

“Any events like the NRL games at Belmore Sports Ground that bring visitors to the region and help local businesses on Burwood Road like ours are amazing and we would love to see more of them.”

The NRL draw for the 2025 season is due to be released in November.