New Zealand to host State of Origin in 2027 after NRL agrees to earlier kick-off time
Rugby league's $100m State of Origin showpiece will head overseas for the first time, with Auckland's Eden Park to host a historic clash in 2027. But there’s a catch.
Rugby league’s $100 million showpiece - State of Origin - is going to New Zealand.
In a landmark moment for the sport, this masthead can reveal the ARL Commission has reached an agreement-in-principle with New Zealand authorities for a historic State of Origin clash on Kiwi soil in 2027.
It will be the first fully-fledged overseas game in Origin’s 47-year history. It will come 40 years after Origin’s last offshore experiment, an exhibition match in America in 1987 when NSW beat Queensland 30-18 in Long Beach, California.
Well-placed sources with knowledge of negotiations say the New Zealand government, armed with a $70 million war chest to invest in major sporting events, has paid in the vicinity of $5 million to secure an ‘Anzac Origin’.
And in a potential double-header bonanza for the code in New Zealand, the NRL is considering staging a women’s Origin fixture in Christchurch as early as next year.
But the one certainty is Queensland and NSW’s male stars will be crossing the ditch for the inaugural Origin game in Auckland.
It can be revealed the ARL Commission has authorised State of Origin’s trans-Tasman debut, with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo a pivotal figure in brokering the historic agreement.
The parties are satisfied with the terms and are finalising contracts with a view to a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
Auckland Council Events were a key player in pulling off the deal. The organisation helped broker the revised 9.30pm kick-off time and have agreed to a 50-50 funding deal with the New Zealand government.
The ARL Commission has taken the gala event to new domestic markets in recent years, with Perth hosting State of Origin in 2019, while Adelaide celebrated their first Queensland-NSW fixture the following season.
Now the NRL will unveil a ‘Kiwi Origin’ in another coup for the code following the expansion of the Telstra Premiership to Papua New Guinea in 2028.
Millions of Kiwi fans will be rewarded with an Origin blockbuster following months of delicate negotiations between the ARL Commission, Auckland tourism chiefs and the New Zealand government.
Auckland’s Eden Park, which boasts a capacity of 50,000, has been agreed upon as the neutral venue for Game Two of the 2027 Origin series.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host Origin II in 2026. The neutral venue for 2027 was left vacant in the hope a maiden Origin game in New Zealand could be delivered and the ARL Commission has voted in favour of the overseas strategy.
The two final negotiating hurdles to overcome - money and the kick-off time - have been resolved.
The New Zealand government has backed major investment in State of Origin, with the Blues and Maroons to kick-off in Auckland at 9.30pm local time, which is 7.30pm in Sydney and Brisbane.
Exclusive TV rights holders Channel 9 prefer an 8pm kick-off to maximise commercial revenue, but have agreed to bring forward the start time by 30 minutes to clear the final impediment for Origin’s birth in New Zealand.
The development is another massive shot in the arm for the growth of the sport. Australia’s first Ashes tour in 22 years starts this weekend and as revealed by this masthead last week, the NRL is celebrating record revenues, north of $750 million, for the fifth consecutive year.
The Broncos-Storm grand-final attracted a record 4.46 million viewers, outrating the AFL decider, and ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys believes State of Origin will be a revelation with Kiwi league fans.
“Origin in New Zealand would rate the house down,” V’landys said.
“It’s close to happening, yes.
“We will keep trying new things to grow our audience and the one thing we have the AFL doesn’t is international appeal.
“We will keep growing. If New Zealand is the growth area, we will attack.
“It will mean more revenue for the game.”
The move is a shot across the bow of New Zealand Rugby, which is under siege from rugby league as the NRL considers expanding to 20 teams with a second Kiwi franchise in Christchurch by the 2032 Olympics.
Eden Park is no stranger to big events. One of New Zealand’s most iconic venues, the stadium staged the 2011 Rugby World Cup final and hosted the NRL Nines for four consecutive years between 2014-17.
The NRL and Auckland tourism chiefs first held preliminary talks two years ago.
One initial sticking point was a noise restriction policy at Eden Park for events taking place after 10.30pm, but the proposed 11pm finish time is similar to that witnessed with international cricket fixtures at the ground.
The NRL needed the imprimatur of Channel 9 chiefs for the deal to fall into place and the free-to-air broadcaster has come to the party to support one of the most significant events in the code’s 118-year history.
The 2025 Origin series attracted 11.4 million viewers across the three games and that figure could be surpassed with the additional strand of a Kiwi audience.
“If you have a will, you have a way and the New Zealand fans would love to see State of Origin,” V’landys said.
BIGGER THAN LAS VEGAS
State of Origin in New Zealand will be bigger than NRL in Las Vegas.
That’s the view of former Queensland lock Scott Sattler, who dismissed concerns about the 9.30pm kick-off time when the Maroons and Blues play a historic Origin game at Auckland’s Eden Park in 2027.
With New Zealand being two hours ahead of the Brisbane and Sydney markets, the kick-off time was a major discussion point for authorities, with Channel 9 agreeing to shift from its preferred 8pm timeslot.
NSW and Queensland stars will finish the landmark fixture on Kiwi soil about an hour before midnight in New Zealand, but Sattler believes ‘Anzac Origin’ will be a raging success.
“This is great news, Origin in New Zealand will be bigger than NRL in Vegas,” Sattler said.
“Once upon a time I was opposed to taking Origin elsewhere, I felt it should be in Queensland or NSW only, but Origin in New Zealand will be sensational.
“I am a believer now in taking Origin to other markets, especially with the number of NSW and Queensland players now who have Polynesian blood.
“Taking an Origin game to New Zealand every three or four years would be amazing for the game to recognise the Pacific contingent that play in the NRL.
“I’d love to see a women’s game go over there, too – an Origin double header in New Zealand would be incredible.”
Asked about the 9.30pm kick-off time, Sattler said: “Look, it’s a late finish, but ask any player and they would play State of Origin at midnight in a carpark outside Kmart.”
Broncos and Kiwi Test star Jordan Riki is adamant State of Origin’s offshore venture will be a smash hit with the New Zealand public.
It will be the first bona fide State of Origin game staged overseas after NSW and Queensland played a fourth match – an exhibition contest – in America during the 1987 series.
Premiership-winning Broncos back-rower Riki, who hails from Raglan near Waikato, said a New Zealand debut will take the $100 million showpiece event to another level.
“I promise you, it would go nuts over there,” Riki said.
“It would be an instant sellout.
“I know for a fact that a lot of my friends and family members over there absolutely love Origin.
“I get some people would say why are we taking an Australian concept to New Zealand but there’s a lot of Kiwis over there that are diehard NSW or Queensland supporters and they will get behind as much as people here.
“My mum loves Queensland. It would be a full house for sure.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to take the game over there and grow the game of rugby league in New Zealand.
“The Warriors have been so good for the game over there and we’re a real threat to rugby union now.”
In July, ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys returned from a fact-finding mission to the United States and the success of the NRL’s Las Vegas venture has opened League Central’s eyes to the power of offshore opportunities.
The Papua New Guinea Chiefs will enter the NRL in 2028 with the backing of the Federal Government in a $600 million coup for the NRL.
New Zealand is another attractive market, with the ARL Commission also exploring hosting a women’s Origin game at Christchurch’s new $680 million, 30,000-capacity Te Kaha Stadium, due to open in 2026.
The ARLC is considering Christchurch, Townsville and the Gold Coast as neutral venue locations for a women’s Origin clash next year.
The Warriors averaged 25,382 fans to their home games this season and the NRL is confident Origin’s debut at Eden Park will be a 50,000-sellout within hours.
“We are ecstatic at the success of rugby league in New Zealand,” V’landys said.
“The Warriors have been outstanding this season and naturally we want to keep that momentum going.”
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Originally published as New Zealand to host State of Origin in 2027 after NRL agrees to earlier kick-off time
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