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For the first time in nearly 30 years, a State of Origin game will be played away from Australia’s east coast, with the NRL announcing Game 2 in 2019 will be hosted in Perth.
The last time an Origin match was moved away from the coast was in 1987, when one game was taken to Los Angeles.
In another move away from tradition, that fixture will not be played during the usual Wednesday night time slot, instead being held on a weekend in an attempt to draw fans to the game.
The host of the game is set to be the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium. The $1.2 billion venue is still under construction, but is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.
“We saw Melbourne embrace State of Origin in 2015 and we expect Perth to do the same in 2019,” NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said to The Australian.
91,513 packed out the MCG last time Origin moved out of its traditional heartlands, which was considered a great success by supporters of the code.
Greenberg went on to praise the new facility that would host the game.
“By then Perth will have a state-of-the-art facility which will be a fitting new venue for the biggest sporting event in the country. Taking Origin to new venues has huge benefits for the game. It grows the game in other markets and showcases our premium product to a new audience.”
The move is set to provide the NRL with a significant windfall, with West Australian premier and tourism minister, Colin Barnett, revealing his government had paid “several million dollars” to host the event, although he didn’t disclose specific details of the bid.
“It does not come cheap,” Barnett said.
“But I expect huge numbers of people to come over from other states and we will fill the stadium.”
The move outside rugby league’s tradition heartland isn’t a one-off. After the NRL reaped an estimated $12 million from playing a game in Melbourne last year, the city is set to host another Origin fixture in 2018. The Australian is also reporting that talks are in progress to take another future game across the ditch to Eden Park.
It is believed that this is part of an ongoing plan by the NRL to use Origin to take the game to new markets, with a game to be played outside of Queensland and NSW every year.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said Origin needed to be showcased to a new market.
“We saw Melbourne embrace State of Origin in 2015 and we expect Perth to do the same in 2019,” Mr Greenberg said.
“By then Perth will have a state-of-the-art facility which will be a fitting new venue for the biggest sporting event in the country.
“Taking Origin to new venues has huge benefits for the game.
“It grows the game in other markets and showcases our premium product to a new audience.
“I’d like to thank the Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett and the WA Government, as well as Tourism Western Australia for showing such enthusiasm for State of Origin.”
Perth will also host its first Rugby League Test match on October 15, when Australia play New Zealand at nib Stadium.
Barnett said holding a State of Origin at Perth Stadium was a huge coup for the state.
“Arguably Australia’s biggest sporting rivalry is that between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons during the State of Origin series,” he said.
“We are expecting thousands of fans to make the trip across the Nullarbor to be at the game and millions more will watch the live television broadcast which gives us the opportunity to show off our transforming city and world-class new stadium to the rest of Australia.”
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