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In a first for South Australia, the Adelaide Oval is set to play host to rugby league’s showpiece State of Origin event.

South Australian Tourism Minister Leon Bignell confirmed today that the venue will host a match in the best-of-three series between Queensland Maroons and NSW Blues in 2020.

Announcing that the Adelaide Oval will host game one or two of the series as a stand-alone event on a Sunday, Minister Bignell said the event would generate $15 million for the South Australian economy and that 30% of the Oval’s 53,500 capacity will be filled by interstate fans.

A confident Minister Bignell advised “this will be a sell out.

“This is one of the biggest coups we’ve ever pulled off getting State of Origin to Adelaide in 2020.

“Everyone in Australia knows this is one of the biggest rivalries in sport, not just in Australia but around the world, when New South Wales and Queensland go head-to-head.

“Rugby league is moving the game around and we’re delighted to have got in there and won this race, not just for South Australia, but the people who will come here (from interstate).”

Minister Bignell said the South Australian Government would begin discussions about fitting the weekend match into the AFL fixture given the State of Origin is generally played in June-July.

He would not reveal how much the South Australian Government paid to attract the event, but said it would deliver a “very, very healthy return on investment”.

The agreement to host the 2020 State of Origin game has been secured through the State Government’s Major Events Bid Fund, which has secured 54 events with an estimated economic impact of $245 million.

The NRL has made regular visits to Adelaide since the demise of the Adelaide Rams Super League team in 1998. 

Adelaide Oval image courtesy of Hiro Ishino.

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