Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Wollongong: Walk 15 Minutes From the Station, Parking and Accessible Travel for 8 Match Days (Wollongong, NSW)

The closest station to WIN Entertainment Centre for the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup is Wollongong on the South Coast Line, about a 15-minute walk via Burelli Street, and the free Gong Shuttle stops near the venue, according to Transport for NSW. Parking close to the venue is limited, and local roads around it may close on match days.

This is the second of two guides for the tournament’s 20 matches in Wollongong, which run over eight match days from Friday 30 October to Friday 13 November. Our schedule guide lists every match and start time, and this guide covers getting there, parking and accessible travel, as checked on Monday 26 October.

How do I get there by train?

Transport for NSW’s event page says trains run regularly to Wollongong on the South Coast Line, and that the venue is about a 15-minute walk from the station via Burelli Street. It also says planned trackwork is taking place during game days across the network and may affect how you travel, so plan ahead using the Trip Planner.

For Friday 30 October, the day of the first two matches, the Trip Planner showed these adult trips from Central to Wollongong. Ireland v USA starts at 1pm and England v Wales at 3:30pm.

Leaves Central	Trip time	Arrives Wollongong	Adult fare
10:10am	1h 27min	11:37am	$7.46
10:23am	1h 28min	11:51am	$7.46
11:23am	1h 28min	12:51pm	$7.46
12:23pm	1h 28min	1:51pm	$7.46
1:23pm	1h 28min	2:51pm	$7.46

These are South Coast Line trips via Wolli Creek, and the Trip Planner showed real-time information as unavailable for them. Check again on the day. Our Sydney to Wollongong train guide explains the fares, the peak times and the daily cap.

How do I pay?

You need an Opal card or a contactless card or device on public transport to and from the event, and Transport for NSW suggests registering your details online or in the Opal Travel app beforehand. Contactless payments work by tapping on and off with an American Express, Mastercard or Visa card or a linked device, and adult Opal fare pricing applies.

Does the free Gong Shuttle run on match days?

The free Gong Shuttle, routes 55A and 55C, runs a loop from Wollongong Station to the University of Wollongong via Wollongong Hospital, Burelli Street and the Innovation Campus, in both directions. Transport for NSW says you can catch it from Crown Street and that it stops near the venue. Seven of the eight match days are weekdays, and one, Saturday 31 October, is a Saturday.

Match days	Day type	Gong Shuttle hours
Fri 30 Oct, Tue 3 Nov, Fri 6 Nov, Mon 9 Nov, Tue 10 Nov, Thu 12 Nov, Fri 13 Nov	Weekday	7am to 6pm every 10 minutes; 6pm to 10pm every 20 minutes
Sat 31 Oct	Saturday	Every 20 minutes; 9am to 5.20pm (Transport for NSW) or 9:40am to 5:20pm (Premier Illawarra, the operator)

On Saturday 31 October the listed shuttle hours end at 5.20pm, which is before the 5:30pm start of Australia v New Zealand, so plan another way back after that match. On the weekdays the shuttle’s listed hours run to 10pm, and the latest match start is 7:30pm. Our Gong Shuttle guide explains where the sources differ.

Which regular buses stop nearby?

Transport for NSW says regular bus routes stop within walking distance of WIN Entertainment Centre, along Corrimal Street and Burelli Street. It lists routes 3, 8, 10, 11, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39, 90 and 92.

What if I drive, and where do I park?

Transport for NSW says traffic may be heavier than usual on roads approaching the Wollongong CBD and around the venue as fans travel to the matches, and that local roads around the venue may close to help crowds move safely. It advises arriving early to secure parking. No specific closures are listed yet, so check Live Traffic NSW on the day. On the freeway, it suggests the Masters Road exit to avoid congestion at Mount Ousley Road, both in and out of Wollongong.

The venue operator, WIN Sports and Entertainment Centres, says about 1,200 parking spaces are within a short walk. The nearby options listed by the venue and Transport for NSW are:

• WIN Stadium Car Park, opposite the Sage Hotel: pay and display, with special event parking rates
• Stewart Street Car Parks (Multi-Story and East): special event parking rates apply
• Salvation Army car park, Stewart Street
• St Francis Xavier Cathedral: limited on-site parking
• Woolworths car park, Burelli Street

City centre options include Market Street, the David Jones car park, Wollongong Central, Crown Central (North and South) and the Wollongong Station car park. City of Wollongong’s special events parking page names Stewart Street car park, Church Street on-street parking, MacCabe Park car park and George Street car park within a 5 to 15 minute walk. Our Wollongong CBD parking guide sets out the Council’s usual hours and rates. Event-day rates are not published in the sources we read, so check the signs and the machines.

Where is the drop-off zone and the taxi rank?

A drop-off zone operates on Burelli Street between Harbour and Corrimal Streets. A taxi rank is next to the venue on the corner of Crown and Harbour Streets, and secure taxi ranks are on Corrimal Street and on the corner of Crown and Kembla Streets.

What is available for accessible travel?

Transport for NSW says accessible trips are shown in the Trip Planner with the wheelchair icon. If you select “accessible services only” in the options, only trip plans with accessible train platforms, ferry wharves and buses are shown.

For parking, City of Wollongong says accessible parking spaces are marked with a wheelchair icon and can only be used by people with a valid Mobility Parking Scheme (MPS) card, which must be clearly displayed. Accessible spaces have no time limit and are free, and MPS holders can park at no charge in Council and on-street metered or ticket parking areas. The Council’s accessible parking page links a map of its spaces.

On buses, Premier Illawarra says services shown with a wheelchair symbol in its timetable are scheduled to use a low-floor accessible bus, but occasionally it cannot guarantee this, and asks passengers to call the office during business hours to confirm their needs. Its general enquiries number is (02) 4271 1322. The pages we read do not describe wheelchair spaces or seating inside the venue, so contact the organisers or the venue about those before you go.

What about Friday 30 October, when there are matches at WIN Stadium too?

On Friday 30 October the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup matches are on at WIN Stadium in the evening, and Transport for NSW lists the same nearby car parks for both venues. Our guide to the WIN Stadium matches covers the road closures and parking for that evening.

Sources

• Transport for NSW — Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup (travel, shuttle hours, buses, parking, accessibility; checked 26 October 2026)
• Transport for NSW — Trip Planner (Central to Wollongong trips for Friday 30 October; opened 26 October 2026)
• WIN Sports and Entertainment Centres — Traffic and transport information
• City of Wollongong — Parking for Wollongong CBD special events
• City of Wollongong — Accessible Parking
• Premier Illawarra — Public Transport and Free Gong Shuttle
• Live Traffic NSW

Featured image: WIN Entertainment Centre exterior, December 2025 (photo: DaHuzyBru / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Rugby League World Cup, WIN Sports and Entertainment Centres, Transport for NSW, Premier Illawarra or City of Wollongong. Times, closures and parking conditions can change; check the official pages above and the signs on the day.