New Zealand will host its first State of Origin match next year at Eden Park, the Government confirmed this morning.
The widely-expected news was announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon alongside Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, and was expected to draw thousands of international visitors and deliver a significant economic boost for Auckland.
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upston said the Government and Auckland Council had worked in tandem, alongside the Australian Rugby League Commission, to bring the sporting spectacular to Auckland.
She said securing one of Australasia's biggest sporting events represented "a major win for fans, tourism and New Zealand sport".
"I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Blues and Maroons across the ditch for the very first time," she said.
“This is a milestone moment for rugby league in New Zealand, but it is so much more than a game."
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said securing Origin for the city reflects Auckland's strength as a major sporting centre.
“Auckland is a great sporting city, so it’s fantastic that an iconic event like State of Origin will be coming here next year.
“This city is the home of rugby league in New Zealand and thanks to the recent success of the Warriors, the sport here has never been bigger," he added.
Upston said hosting State of Origin was expected to attract over 10,000 people from across the Tasman, generate more than 50,000 international visitor nights, and inject an estimated $17.4 million into the economy.
The Government has increased the number of concerts that can be held each year, as well as allowing events to run later and sports matches to be held during the week. (Source: Breakfast)
“With a significant Australian audience, our biggest tourism market, this match will showcase Auckland on an international stage, and put New Zealand on the map as a world-class destination for major events.”
The State of Origin series sees Queensland and New South Wales play each other in a three‑match contest.
Hosting events has been made easier because of changes to planning restrictions at Eden Park, also announced by the Government today, which will unlock the opportunity for more major events to be hosted at the stadium.
“Under the new settings, Eden Park will be able to host up to 12 large concerts and 20 medium-sized concerts per year as permitted activities, without needing resource consent. That’s up from its current limit of 12 concerts, which were not permitted to be from more than six different artists or acts," RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said.
“The changes also enable a wider range of events, including exhibitions, displays, markets, fairs, trade fairs, and cultural and community events.”
Dates and ticket details for the State of Origin fixture will be confirmed by the NRL later in the year.
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