NRLW 2025: Newcastle wins race to host NRLW’s first ever Magic Round

In another historic step for the women’s game, the NRLW will get its first ever Magic Round with Newcastle winning the race to host the festival of footy that is set to tour NSW regional towns.

In another historic step for the women’s game, the NRLW will get its first ever Magic Round in 2025 with Newcastle winning the race to host the two-day festival of footy.

The NRL and NSW government struck a three-year deal on Tuesday to take the NRLW Magic Round to regional towns across the state, starting at McDonald Jones Stadium in July.

While the locations for 2026 and 2027 are yet to be determined, it is understood the preference is to take the round to country NSW in 2026.

McDonald Jones Stadium has the capability to host the two-day event, including enough change facilities to cater for the 12 teams and a crowd capacity of 33,000.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said Newcastle was a “natural fit” to kick off the game’s three-year deal with the government.

“Wherever we go, it’s important that we have great facilities for the players but also for the fans to travel so accommodation is critical and that’s why Newcastle was selected for next year because it provides us with the infrastructure to support the teams but the fans that will travel to see their favourite NRL stars,” Abdo said.

NRLW stars and fans at the launch for the announcement of the inaugural NRLW Magic Round in Newcastle. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The minister for regional NSW Tara Moriarty said inland NSW towns would get strong consideration in 2026, putting towns like Dubbo, Tamworth and Bathurst in the frame. Coffs Harbour and Wollongong could be options in 2027.

“We’ll be looking at communities that have the sporting infrastructure but we also want people to travel to see what regional NSW has to offer as part of this agreement,” Moriarty said.

Novocastrians have thrown their support behind women’s rugby league with more than 25,000 at McDonald Jones Stadium for Game II of this year’s State of Origin series.

Former Dally M winner and Sharks star Emma Verran (nee Tonegato) is confident the NRLW Magic Round will evolve into one of the biggest event on the women’s calendar in a similar fashion to the success of the men’s version.

“It’s something the players have been talking about for such a long time,” Verran said.

“We didn’t think it would happen so soon but it’s an incredible milestone.

“We see how successful the men’s version is and how many people are willing to travel to Suncorp Stadium to watch it and we want to replicate that same atmosphere at Newcastle but that same success wherever we might play the round.”

This year’s first ever three-match State of Origin series delivered record crowd numbers, with each game averaging about 1 million viewers.

Abdo said the introduction of a Magic Round was a crucial step in growing the women’s game, which will expand to a 12-team competition in 2025 to include Canterbury and New Zealand.

“NRLW Magic Round is symbolic of the incredible growth of the game and the way that fans have responded to the women’s game,” Abdo said.

“We saw the success of the three-game Origin series and now we are excited about a 12-team competition, which will take place with an extra week of finals too.

“Adding Magic Round add to that experience and every is excited for what this even can become.”

Originally published as NRLW 2025: Newcastle wins race to host NRLW’s first ever Magic Round