More than 17,000 fans descended on Belmore Sports Ground yesterday to watch the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs defeat the Gold Coast Titans 40-24 in a perfect display of the local community's passion for rugby league, again proving its worth as the best suburban ground in Western Sydney.

As an added bonus, Belmore's cafes, eateries and restaurants were filled with happy fans eager to keep the celebrations going. Sunday marked the fifteenth time Belmore has hosted an NRL premiership match at the historic venue in the 21st century.

Back to Belmore President Luke Cevolani reflected on the success of the games since the Bulldogs returned to their spiritual home in 2015.

“Since the first game between Canterbury and the Melbourne Storm almost ten years ago, Belmore Sports Ground has gone from strength to strength. It is testament to the exceptional quality of the venue along with the passionate support of the local community,” Mr Cevolani said.

“Belmore Sports Ground is really like no other facility and fans can get up close and personal with the players and by all accounts the majority had a fantastic Sunday out.”

Vice President Steven Cataldi said the event was a major success, injecting over half a million dollars into the local economy, adding to the millions already brought to the Canterbury-Bankstown area via previous NRL fixtures.

“The economic benefits of the game are significant for the Canterbury-Bankstown area. That's visitors hitting up Burwood Road, eating out, shopping and enjoying all that our district has to offer,” Mr Cataldi said.

“Small business is the lifeblood of the Canterbury-Bankstown economy. Major sporting events are designed to provide residents the opportunity to celebrate, an economic stimulus for local businesses, and to showcase the Canterbury-Bankstown region to visitors.”

Patron Luke Brailey praised the economic benefits to the district, which are estimated to be in the millions, following the successful weekend in Belmore.

“Since 2015, over 200,000 footy fans have walked through the turnstiles at Belmore Sports Ground to watch NRL competition games. The total cumulative impact of the fifteen matches over the past decade is close to $6 million. This is a fantastic outcome for our local community and a primary reason why Back to Belmore continues to advocate for major sporting events at the historic facility,” Mr Brailey said.

“The packed cafes and increased foot traffic to local businesses on Burwood Road are tangible visuals that solidify the NRL game's positive economic influence in the Canterbury-Bankstown district. This is our moment to show off what our local area does best to national audiences, and it is that kind of platform that drives increased commercial opportunities in Belmore long after Sunday.”

Big-time rugby league will return to Belmore later this year when the Bulldogs NRLW team hosts the Canberra Raiders for the first time at the historic venue on Saturday, 23 August.