This weekend marks the official launch of Solar Mad Stadium and a series of free activities have been planned to celebrate the occasion.

The ground – previously known as EW Moore Oval – will host two important sporting contests this weekend.

On Saturday the Riverina Rhinos will host Woden Weston in the NPL with games all day from 10am culminating in the first grade kick off at 5pm.

This is the last home game for the Rhinos team this season and they are well matched against Woden with both teams even on the ladder.

On Sunday in Group 20 rugby league, Black & Whites will host Yenda.

Yenda lost top spot on the ladder last Sunday and are keen to win it back with a big win while a win for the Black and Whites is also important as they look to consolidate their position in the top five.

Thanks to Solar Mad and the Griffith Leagues Club, entry to all games across the weekend is completely free. They’ve also provided free activities for the kids all weekend including a jumping castle, face painting and sumo suits.

Anyone who attends a match at Solar Mad Stadium over the weekend also goes into the draw to win a solar system worth $5000 plus there’ll also be other giveaways and pot prizes across the two days of festivities.

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In May this year the Griffith Leagues Club announced that Griffith-based solar power installation business Solar Mad would become the first major sponsor of EW Moore Oval.

The sporting complex will be known as Solar Mad Stadium through until at least 2023.

Solar Mad, the MIA’s largest provider of PV solar systems, is the first naming rights sponsor for the ground which was initially named after the local council’s shire clerk and, in more recent years, has been referred colloquially as the “Dog Ground” after greyhound racing was held on the site for over 30 years until the mid-90s.

Griffith Leagues Club expects this sponsorship agreement to help fund several improvements at the ground including a submission to the state government to co-fund a state-of-the-art building on the northern side of the ground opposite the existing grandstand which will house new change rooms and hospitality facilities.

“Both parties are very excited to be working together for the next five years to further improve the facilities and bring bigger and better events to the newly named venue,” Solar Mad co-owner and director Darren Maddison said.

“This sponsorship continues our commitment to local sport and major community events which we’ve supported since we first started trading in 2009.

“It also continues our great working relationship with Griffith Leagues Club, who have been a customer of Solar Mad for some time.”

The family of EW Moore, some of whom still live in Griffith, has been consulted about the sponsorship and Bob Moore, the son of EW Moore, is comfortable with the new arrangement.

The existing signs acknowledging EW Moore will remain in place and all parties are committed to moving forward in a manner respectful to the history of the ground.

The oval has supported Group 20 rugby league matches for more than 60 years and, more recently, has hosted the first grade soccer competition and representative squads of the Riverina Rhinos.

It has also played host to some significant events such as Nitro Circus in March 2017 when over 5500 people packed in to the stadium, as well as a pre-season NRL match between Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm in 2015, which boasted an attendance of 3696.