Tourism bosses hope revived Adelaide Oval State of Origin blockbuster will lure thousands to SA
Fears South Australia would miss out on hosting the NRL State of Origin this year have finally been dispelled, with a new date set for a half-capacity blockbuster after the regular season ends.
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Interstate sports fans are tipped to invade Adelaide Oval for the historic State of Origin clash in November after the NRL was granted permission for a capacity crowd of 26,750.
The opening battle in the three-game series between rugby league heavyweights New South Wales and Queensland has been confirmed for November 4, quashing fears South Australia would miss out on the popular contest this year.
Events South Australia Executive Director Hitaf Rasheed is confident the event will be a financial boon for the state despite the stadium being only half full.
She noted the ACT border had been opened on Tuesday and the Queensland border was already open, and she is hopeful supporters from NSW will soon be allowed to travel into SA without restrictions.
“The NRL State of Origin is one of the great events on the Australian sporting calendar, one of the most popular with its broadcast power and we are excited to deliver this to the state,” Ms Rasheed said.
“It has been a long process. With everything, nothing has been certain and there has been lots to work through. But the NRL and ourselves have had an intent to make this happen.”
The first NRL State of Origin game to be allocated to SA was to have been held at Adelaide Oval on June 3, before COVID-19 struck.
Ms Rasheed said Events SA had budgeted for a $10 million windfall for the state when the original date had been locked in.
A significant number of tickets had been sold for the June 3 game, according to Ms Rasheed, and there will be a two-week window for people to get a refund.
“We are still hopeful thousands of people will travel to SA for the game,” Ms Rasheed said. “We always look for value for money for the people of SA, that is our charter and we are comfortable with the position we have landed at.
“The NRL is a great partner to work with and we feel comfortable there will be a positive impact for the state.
The NRL and ourselves are committed to promoting SA with this great opportunity.
“We know millions of people watch State of Origin and this will be the first time a game has been held after the season.”
The Adelaide game is only 10 days after the NRL grand final, with the other two games of the series to be held in Sydney and Brisbane.