The NRL has sensationally announced that a State of Origin game will be taken to the Adelaide Oval in 2020.
According to NRL.com, the 2020 game is expected to be either the first of the series on a Wednesday night or the second, which would be played on a Sunday afternoon under the new TV deal, to ensure the game isn’t a dead rubber.
State of Origin is widely regarded as the pinnacle of rugby league in Australia and the NRL have often talked about playing one game outside of New South Wales and Queensland each year.
Victoria has been the usual destination, with the opening game set to be played at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2018.
It will be the ninth time Melbourne has hosted a State of Origin game and it’s generally thought Origin has been a success in the Victorian capital, with a crowd of 91,513 watching the last match played at the Cricket Ground.
The first Origin game to be played away from the eastern seaboard will be played at the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium in 2019, followed by the 2020 game in Adelaide.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said it was a significant moment for rugby league in Australia.
“Melbourne embraced State of Origin in 2015 and we expect another special night at the MCG for Game One this year,” Mr Greenberg said.
“The fact that this contest will be embraced by Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in consecutive years is a significant coup for the game.
“Adelaide is a new market in terms of hosting this match but we know that Origin is a popular event in the city, as it is across the country.
“That will only be enhanced when Origin is played for the first time at such a historic venue like Adelaide Oval.”
Rugby league’s first attempt at expanding into Adelaide came with the failed Adelaide Rams, who played their first season during the Super League war of 1997 before falling over at the end of the 1998 season.
Since then, just five first grade games have been played in the South Australian capital. A generally positive response was seen last year though as the Sydney Roosters beat the Melbourne Storm in a nailbiter on the renovated 50,000-seat Oval.
The renovations have seen the Adelaide Oval become one of Australia’s premier sporting grounds with regularly big crowds packing the venue for cricket and AFL and it’s expected a State of Origin game would draw similar crowds.
Rob
Guest
Rugby league is played on a rectangular field yet NRL continues to take to games to be played on cricket and afl grounds which are oval, the fans have pay a small fortune to go the game and then can’t see a thing because you’re 100 meters away from the action, the reason Suncorp stadium is the best rugby league is because you’re right on top the action. NRL doesn’t get a rats about the fans it’s about filling there pockets. I have loved this game for over thirty years but the people who run it are deadset peanuts.
Memphis
Guest
Allianz is being rebuilt first and wont start in 2018 so your reasons are rubbish. ANZ will be available in 2018-2020 and in any case whats the problem in playing it at Allanz if ANZ was being rebuilt. You NRL Central wonks think all RL people are stupid.
Memphis
Guest
Complete rubbish - the rebuilding of ANZ wont start till after Allianz and that wont start in 2018 - another NRL Central pretence that the reason is not trying to take games away from NSW because they struggle to sell the tickets.
BrainsTrust
Guest
SCG and SFS are big venues, surely you should have been talking about the old Lang Park.
Your Kidding
Guest
The NRL seems to be desperate to make some quick money. The season opening double header being played in Perth this year is a prime example. This double header should be heavily promoted in a league heartland or Melbourne. Perth and Adelaide haven't got NRL teams and have little interest in the game. Why deny heartland areas with true supporters the chance to support their side in a big event.It is well documented that the game is under pressure in Sydney.
Mike
Guest
The major reason SOO is going on the road for a few years is because ANZ stadium is being rebuilt. I would assume that after the rebuild it will only go to 3rd cities occasionally, not year after year. All the negativity about the game being taken out of the heartlands is misplaced.
Guido
Roar Rookie
If NRL fans supported their game week in and week out at the grounds this would not need to happen and the game would grow organically. The way it is now, it has to be forced if it is to survive.
Queenslander
Guest
Well for mine if you reduce the engagement with the heartland you do so at your peril. I am yet to be convinced this attempt at spreading the game profits anyone. The product is very good but when you get 5000 to NRL games there is an arguement to work on this before spreading it further ( exception is the aforementioned return of the Bears as a matter of priority.)
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
A lot of negativity outside the roar on this issue. I don’t see the harm in taking one game away from either NSW or QLD so long as they get to host the one game each.
Big Daddy
Guest
Your exactly right. The NRL lobbied the government re these stadiums. This is the government that didn't want to put a cent in to promote RLWC. Now they are pushing candidates who are probably well qualified but it's old school mateship running this league. Let's face it the NRL is still run by the NSWRL powerbrokers.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
It's not about growing the game for growth's sake, it's about making sure the NRL has the support and the finance to continue to be an elite sport. If the NRL are happy to just settle on Brisbane and Sydney suburbs while every other professional sport in the world is growing, we'll need to accept that we won't be watching the best product because the best players will be playing Rugby in France for a lot more money.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
They have indeed successfully lobbied for new stadiums, meaning the current stadiums will need to be demolished, meaning the NRL need to find new grounds in which to play games...
jamesb
Guest
No, it's all about growing the game outside of NSW and Qld. If the NRL doesn't look towards growing and expanding, then eventually it will die a long painful death.
Nat
Roar Guru
I hear you mate but it'll be 40 years since (legitimate) inception of SoO - 120 games. Of those, only a handful of times have they taken it to Melbourne. This is the pinnacle of our sport and the nations highest rated TV show, not just sporting event. Plus, it's NSW giving up their game so us Qlders ddon't miss much at all!
Your Kidding
Guest
So, the NRL are lobbying for new stadiums but insist on taking the big events away from the heartland. Perth , now Adelaide. It's all about the money and not the true supporters.
Guido
Roar Rookie
True, not a failure at all. Scuppered by circumstance. Adelaide has a large population of Rugby of both codes fans, remember most of our forefathers were from England's northern towns.
Nat
Roar Guru
Your family sounds like good people!
TomCarter'ssprintcoach
Guest
Maybe the ref should have the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator? Could be used to regulate the ruck...
Queenslander
Guest
I think I am a lone voice but these games should be in Sydney and Brisbane and nowhere else. This insane worship of the need to grow the game idol chips away at the heartland of the game. Using a rugby analogy for years Brisbane missed out on All Black tests while mat here played in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo all of which did nothing for Oz rugby particularly in Brisbane. If you want growth then return the Bears to the competition so the 1 million plus people from the north shore to Gosford gave a team. Adelaide will be a novelty, screws the heartland and we will never see the real benefit to the game
The real SC
Roar Rookie
Here are some of the facts for the Origin games to be played at neutral venues. 2018 - Melbourne Cricket Ground has a maximum capacity of 100 024. I would expect a crowd somewhere between 97k to 98k. 2019 - Optus Stadium has a capacity of 60 000, although the Stadium is pushing hard to boost a maximum capacity of 65 000. I would expect a crowd around nearly 65 000. 2020 - Adelaide Oval has a capacity of 54 000. I think that the Adelaide oval should expand the stadium by constructing Northern Stand section to accommodate a larger crowd.