Opening game of State of Origin series next year to be played at Adelaide Oval
The eyes of the nation will be fixed on Adelaide Oval when it hosts the opening fixture of next year’s State of Origin rugby league series. And Queensland coach Kevin Walters couldn’t be happier.
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Queensland State of Origin coach Kevin Walters can’t wait to get to the “iconic” Adelaide Oval for the first game of next year’s State of Origin series and open a new chapter in one of Australia’s most fierce rivalries.
Premier Steven Marshall and Australian Rugby League chairman Peter Beattie on Monday announced the historic first clash of the rugby league heavyweights New South Wales and Queensland in South Australia will be played as the opening game of the series on Wednesday, June 3.
The opening match is traditionally one of the highest-rating events of the year in terms of national television.
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“There will be more eyeballs on Adelaide Oval than there’s ever been in the history of this oval,” Mr Beattie said.
It is a massive coup for the state to be given the opening game and follows the NRL’s move to play the second contest in this year’s series in Perth when 59,721 fans packed into Optus Stadium in June.
Premier Steven Marshall called it “an exciting day” for South Australia, and estimated an injection of $15 million in to the economy via thousands of interstate visitors.
“State of Origin is about as big as it gets in Australia for sporting events,” Mr Marshall said.
“We couldn’t be more excited.”
Queensland coach Walters, who was also at the announcement, described the Oval as “iconic” and spoke of the opportunities the event brings to expand the game of rugby league in South Australia.
“I think it opens up avenues for lots of kids to see the game of rugby league at the highest level,” Walters said.
“It’s very important for the growth of our game.”
New South Wales coach Brad Fittler was unable to attend after a delayed flight left him stranded in Sydney, prompting Mr Marshall to suggest it might be an omen.
The decision to bring a showcase rugby league game to SA had the full support of the Melbourne Storm’s master coach Craig Bellamy.
After his side beat Sydney Roosters at Adelaide Oval in June, Bellamy said he was a fan of the venue, as were the players.
“Our players enjoy playing here and I was talking to a couple of Roosters coaches and they said their guys enjoy playing here,” Bellamy said.
“The (State of Origin) players will be excited too. They tell me it is a very noisy place when they pack it out.”
Mr Marshall was adamant there would be no interruption to the normal AFL fixture.
He wouldn’t be drawn into questions regarding South Australia's involvement in the 2023 Women’s World Cup bid, except to reiterate he was working with Football Federation Australia on a better deal for the state.
