Women’s Origin opener on track for record crowd amid calls to keep game in Brisbane

The women’s State of Origin series opener is on track for a record crowd, with talks under way to make the game a regular on the Brisbane sporting calendar.

• Editor’s view: Cheer them on

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium could become the permanent home of the women’s State of Origin series opener, with a record crowd set to watch the rugby league showdown.

A day before NRL Magic Round takes over “The Cauldron”, the code’s best women players will square off in the first match of a historic three-game series before a crowd set to shatter the previous record of 18,275 for a women’s Origin match, set during last year’s series in Townsville.

The interest in women’s rugby league has exploded in recent years, with the Origin series rapidly expanding from a one-off game to a two-match series and now to a best-of-three, but this is the first time a game has been played at a stadium as big as Suncorp and officials are expecting a crowd in the vicinity of 25,000.

Already more than 20,000 tickets have been sold, with a late rush on last-minute tickets and walk-up spectators set to further boost crowd numbers.

With the three days of Magic Round already sold out, the four-day footy feast could attract a crowd of almost 180,000, with the Queensland government keen to make a women’s Origin match a regular kick-off for the Magic Round weekend.

Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Michael Healy said sports fans were embracing the women’s edition of one of Australian sport’s fiercest rivalries.

We love women’s State of Origin (and) we’d also love to keep a game at Suncorp Stadium as a key fixture in the festival of rugby league that is Magic Round,” he said.

Ali Brigginshaw of Queensland and Kezie Apps of New South Wales with the women’s Ampol State of Origin shield at Suncorp Stadium. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“We’re in talks with the NRL, but I think the women’s game is the perfect platform to kick off Magic Round.

“I believe the record number of ticket sales for the Women’s Origin shows fans are voting with their feet and embracing women’s sport.

“Hopefully, it’ll also inspire more women and girls to get involved in sport in Queensland.”

Queensland captain Ali Brigginshaw said the players were pumped to perform on one of Australian sport’s biggest stages.

“Every time we come off the field we just hope our game is getting the recognition it deserves,” she said.

“We always get our friends and family come to watch, but to know that Queensland is supporting us in this game is going to be huge.

“Every time we play we want to make sure we are ticking that box of “Yep, that’s a new record” and we’ve done that every single year and we plan on doing that for the rest of the series.”

After earlier pessimistic weather forecasts, conditions are expected to be mostly fine across the four days, with the chance of the odd shower on Thursday and Friday.

The Raiders and Bulldogs open Magic Round at 6pm on Friday night before the Broncos meet the Sea Eagles two hours later.

The Gold Coast Titans (vs Newcastle) and North Queensland Cowboys (vs South Sydney) are among a Saturday triple header while the Dolphins wrap up the weekend with a Sunday night clash against Wests Tigers.