Panthers Stadium has been used by the
Penrith Panthers since their entry into the
New South Wales Rugby League competition in 1967. Initially, the stadium only had one main grandstand, the Western grandstand while the ground itself was oval in shape. In the 1980s, the stadium was redeveloped into a rectangle arena more suitable for rugby league and other sports such as association football (soccer) and rugby union. This redevelopment also saw the construction of the Eastern Grandstand. In 2006, a joint Federal and State Government funding project saw $30 million worth of investments come to the stadium. In the subsequent developments, the Western Grandstand was extended and revamped. Following the completion of the project, the stadium held 8,000 seats in the grandstand. Two of
Samoa's
2008 Rugby League World Cup matches were played at CUA Stadium: their
Group C game against
Tonga and their 9th place
play-off match against former twice
World Cup finalists France. It was briefly featured in a 2009
60 Minutes episode titled "Brute Force" showing
Public Order & Riot Squad officers across
Sydney. At the end of 2010, the Federal and State Governments provided funding to redevelop the scoreboard end of the stadium. Initial plans were to build a double-sided grandstand between Penrith Stadium and Howell Oval. However, it was found that a main sewer line ran between the stadium and Howell Oval. Relocation of the line would have cost nearly double what the initial funding would cover. Subsequently, a stand was built at Howell Oval, and the facilities at the scoreboard end of the stadium were redeveloped. A new video screen was purchased from
Subiaco Oval in
Perth in 2018 and was installed prior to the start of the 2019 NRL season at the Family Hill end. In 2021 the
Government of New South Wales considered funding a major redevelopment of the stadium. The proposal would have entailed the demolition of the facility and the construction of a 25,000 to 30,000-seat stadium on the site. The stadium was reported to cost $200 to $300 million and would be built with the funds originally allocated for the redevelopment of
Stadium Australia which was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Under the original plan, the stadium would have closed and been demolished at the end of the
2022 NRL season and reopened in 2025. The new plan would have allowed the Panthers to play at the existing site until the new stadium was built. In February 2023, the ground hosted the
2023 World Club Challenge clash between two-time reigning NRL premiers the
Penrith Panthers and four-time defending
Super League champions
St Helens R.F.C. Following a
change in government, in January 2024, the Government of New South Wales announced revised plans for a new
$309 million renovation to transform the Stadium precinct into a modern venue for sporting and entertainment. The redevelopment will include a new western grandstand and refurbished eastern grandstand increasing the ground capacity from 22,500 to 25,000. To facilitate the redevelopment, the stadium closed after the
2024 NRL season and is scheduled to reopen in
2026 with the Panthers to play out of
Western Sydney Stadium. ==Naming rights==