Waugh reveals Wallabies fans facing wait for Test rugby's return to Canberra

The comments come amid heated debate over the future of the ageing venue, with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr recently outlining his vision to rebuild the current stadium in Bruce.

Under the plan, the $500 million, 30,000 seat stadium will be finished by 2033.

The idea of a new stadium was first discussed in 2009 and the delays have caused increasing frustration among the Raiders, Brumbies, NRL and Rugby Australia.

There were fears the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour may bypass the city due to the state of the stadium, before the ACT government contributed financially to ensure the Brumbies will host the Lions during the tour.

The Wallabies, however, have not played in Canberra since 2017 and the wait is likely to continue for another decade.

Waugh said RA is eager to play games in rugby heartlands but infrastructure and financial considerations play a key role in deciding which cities host Test matches.

"The great thing about the federated model is there's a lot of competition for internationals and the value that drives for the broader economy within the city," Waugh said.

"As we've seen with stadium infrastructure spend, a lot of the competition between states is evidenced by infrastructure spending. It's very much the political investment side that drives the outcome and goes into the decisions we make as to where we put our Tests."

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Waugh knows first-hand how controversial stadiums can be, having sat on the SCG Trust board when the reconstruction of the Sydney Football Stadium commenced.

The plan faced fierce criticism however the NSW government pushed on and built a new $800 million facility. Now open, the new stadium has been a hit with fans and crowds have packed into the venue to watch rugby union, rugby league, soccer and concerts.

The venue is close to the city centre and surrounded by a host of pubs and restaurants. Proponents of a Civic stadium point to the Moore Park venue as reflective of the value of having a stadium in a prime location.

While the NRL has clearly expressed their desire for a Civic stadium, Waugh refused to outline RA's location preference, but urged the ACT government to ensure the final plan is the best possible version.

"I don't have a strong preference [about location]," he said. "My view, having sat on the SCG Trust board, is you can't compromise.

"If there's a decision to be made, my counsel would be in a lot of areas in business, you need to make compromises, but when you're making an investment in a stadium for 30-40 years, then I wouldn't be compromising."

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