Sydney Football Stadium highlights benefits of a Civic stadium in Canberra

Wallabies supporters bubbling with excitement as they approached the new jewel in Sydney's crown, the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium.

Many had spent the afternoon at the pub in Surry Hills. Others had enjoyed dinner in the city before heading to the ground.

Together they left the tram and looked up in awe at the world-class facility standing in front of them.

Further north, Oxford Street was abuzz, the pubs of Paddington packed with spectators watching New Zealand take on Argentina, the entree before the main course just down the road.

It was a similar scene 24 hours earlier, Roosters and Rabbitohs fans spilling out of the carriages and piling into the Sydney Football Stadium for the grand opening.

The link to the city was a deliberate decision, officials incorporating the surrounding suburbs into the design.

"A lot of the major sporting infrastructure in Sydney is either out in Homebush and Parramatta or further out," SFS lead architect Russell Lee said. "The suburban stadiums are in poor condition and have a low capacity.

"The SFS and the SCG are the two major gems that are within easy reach of the city. There are pubs and restaurants for spectators pre and post-event. Culturally, it's a great fit for the city."

For the Canberrans who attended the new SFS this weekend, it served as a sobering reminder of what a stadium can do for a city.

The opportunity to stroll from the pub to the ground is something ACT residents have long dreamt of.

It's a vision Chief Minister Andrew Barr previously promised, the result of trips to Adelaide, Melbourne and New Zealand.

That was until this week, when he took it off the table due to the cost of moving Parkes Way.

Canberrans would have to make do with a revamped Bruce stadium precinct.

It's a move that has faced significant criticism from the Raiders, Brumbies and sporting fans.

The Civic site is one many consider the best option and the experience in Sydney this weekend highlights the benefits of building a stadium close to the city centre.

It's a model Lee feels can be replicated in Canberra.

A new venue in Civic, he believes, is a unique opportunity to reimagine the city and breathe new life into the nightlife districts.

"With Canberra Stadium, it's an opportunity to look at the location and work out a more appropriate location near the CBD that is easier for people to access," Lee said.

"In terms of the way a stadium engages with the cultural side of the city, the bars and restaurants pre and post-game, the stadium can bring life to the city."

Even the poor weather on Friday and Saturday night could not put a dampener on the atmosphere. Once inside the venue, all fans were sheltered from the rain.

Every seat in the stadium is covered by a roof. It's a far cry from Canberra Stadium, where only around 15 per cent of seats are covered.

The Raiders, Brumbies and their supporters have long called for a weatherproof stadium in the ACT. There are fears a roof is not part of Barr's latest vision.

Along with providing fans protection from the elements, Lee's team was able to design a venue that ensures every seat provides an excellent view of the ground.

The noise on Friday and Saturday night was deafening, the stadium erupting each time a team scored.

More than 80,000 fans crammed into the venue on the opening weekend, the outpouring of joy proving a stark contrast to the anger and frustration permeating through Canberra this week.

It's a feeling Sydneysiders know well, the path to building the new stadium a long and controversial one.

Ultimately, ex-premier Gladys Berejiklian decided Sydney needed a world-class stadium close to the city.

With the ground opening this weekend, all of the pain was forgotten. Finally Sydney has the state-of-the-art venue it had lacked.

It's a process many in Canberra could take some lessons out of.

Barr has made a number of comments in recent months that have many raising their eyebrows.

The latest was his declaration a new stadium would be a "dead space" that's only used 20-30 times a year.

It's a comment that ignores the experience from other cities around the country.

In the next six months, the new SFS will host rugby league, international rugby union, international soccer and A-Leagues contests.

Some of the biggest artists in the world will also perform at the venue. Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and even Elton John will hold concerts in front of thousands of screaming fans.

Down the track, it will host the FIFA Women's World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the British and Irish Lions.

They're events sporting officials fear Canberra will miss out on due to the current state of the stadium.

The NRL is one of many bodies hesitant to take showpiece matches to the capital due to the lack of facilities.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys believes Barr has miscalculated the flow-on effects of a new stadium.

"They need a world-class venue in Canberra," V'landys said. "It's a multi-use community asset that pays for itself. It will attract major events to Canberra.

"The economic stimulus it provides to local businesses and the revenue it generates goes back into the economy. It's a no-brainer, they should stop procrastinating and just build a new stadium."

Two mindsets seemed to emerge following Barr's comments this week.

The first was begrudging acceptance a Civic stadium is now off the table. With that in mind, the focus shifted to rebuilding the Bruce venue as quickly as possible.

The other was a combination of frustration and anger. For this group, Civic is not just the best option, but the only option.

Again, we can look to Sydney to learn a couple of important lessons.

The first is that the sooner work starts on a new stadium, the better.

The second is that location is paramount. Proximity to the city should trump all other concerns. The Brumbies and Raiders are confident a Civic stadium can be built.

They point to the government's own feasibility report as proof. Now, they feel, is the time to make it happen.