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A 24-karat gold-plated World Cup trophy has arrived at Kayo Stadium, giving Redcliffe an early glimpse of the international softball tournament that will transform the Dolphins’ home ground next April.
The WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals will bring eight nations to Moreton Bay from 5 to 10 April 2027, with Australia’s Aussie Spirit facing Japan, the United States, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Puerto Rico, Mexico and China. The tournament will be the first Women’s Softball World Cup staged in Australia since the inaugural event in 1965.
The trophy was unveiled at Kayo Stadium on Tuesday, 7 October, in front of current and former Australian players, local junior softballers and government and sporting representatives. Made in Italy from gold-plated brass, it will return to the same venue in April to be presented to the 2027 world champions.
From Rugby League Turf To A World Cup Diamond
Kayo Stadium will undergo an unusual sporting conversion for the six-day tournament, with the NRL ground to be turned into an international softball diamond. The change puts a global event in a venue better known as the Dolphins’ home base, while nearby Talobilla Park will remain part of tournament operations as a warm-up facility. The park had originally been earmarked to host the World Cup before the event was shifted to Kayo Stadium.
Mr Peter Flannery has described the tournament as the biggest sporting event the city has hosted. Visiting teams, supporters and officials are expected to bring activity beyond the stadium, with organisers and government representatives forecasting more than $3.65 million flowing into the Queensland economy and benefits for tourism operators, businesses and local jobs.
Organisers are also chasing a benchmark inside the ground. Softball Australia hopes a crowd of 10,000 for a match could establish a new attendance record for the tournament. Australia will have more than a world title at stake. The Redcliffe finals are the first qualifying event for softball at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where five teams will join host nation the United States.
Redcliffe Hosts While 2032 Venue Hunt Continues
The tournament also arrives while softball and baseball pursue places on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic program, with the question of where the two sports could be staged still unresolved. Kayo Stadium can accommodate an international softball field but does not have enough playing space for baseball. The Gabba is expected to be used for cricket in 2032, while the Brisbane Showgrounds has been ruled out as an option because of security requirements around the adjacent athletes’ village.
Mr Tim Mander has said another potential site has been identified, but neither the government nor Baseball Australia has disclosed its location. Baseball Australia has indicated several venue solutions could be presented to Brisbane 2032 organisers.
A separate proposal has emerged in Logan for a privately funded, purpose-built ballpark at Griffith University, although Mander said it was not yet part of Brisbane 2032 planning. Redcliffe will get the first test much sooner. General public tickets for the 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals go on sale from 1pm AEST on Thursday, 8 October, ahead of Kayo Stadium’s switch from rugby league field to World Cup diamond next April.
Published 7-October-2026
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