Should a State of Origin match be played at Wembley?

[TIM !!!!!!]

Should Origin be taken to London? I think so.

Imagine 90,000 people packed into Wembley for an origin. It would just be electric.

Origin has only been taken outside NSW & QLD 8 times. 7 times it has been in Melbourne, 4 at the MCG and 3 at Docklands. The only time it has been taken outside Australia was in 1987 when an a match was played in Calafornia. This match only attracted 12,000 fans.

In July this year, the NRL announced that game 2 in 2019 will be played in Perth. There has been very strong interest to take a match to Auckland. So why not take a match to London. Not now but maybe by 2022. I rate Wembley one of the best rectangular stadiums on the planet so imagine Origin there. In 2013 a RLWC semi-final double header was played there and attracted 67,000 people.

Why not take one there??

 

[TIM !!!!!!]

.

 

[Perth Red]

Good money earner but the travel will have the coaches whinging like never before.

 

[Foreign Legion]

i dont think my bus goes past their...

 

[jim_57]

Personally I think 1 game every year should be a "neutral" venue if possible. What kind of 3 game series gives one team a 2-1 home game advantage that hasn't been earned somehow?

Every year, 1 game should be put out to tender, with the best bid/offer getting the game, factoring in several other criteria as well as money.

If the interest was there to go down the path of games outside of Australia/NZ maybe limit it to once every 4 years. The concept could be a massive one for RL and it's fans.

 

[millersnose]

No

Stop all this playing games on the moon stuff

Let's face it rugby league has about two or three decades left before the touchy feely lefties get it banned for scaring the kiddies

 

[myrrh ken]

They gave their own version a try in the England v exiles. No crowd support. Stuff em.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Nine would never allow it.

 

[NrlVader]

Wallabies plays the Pumas there in coming weeks.

Be interesting to see what size crowd they get.

 

[no name]

I'm sure a 10am start will have the fans packing in.

 

[NrlVader]

I'm sure a 10am start will have the fans packing in.

LA game worked?

Docking, McGaw and ET all scored!

 

[Lambretta]

We should play it in Vladivostok

 

[Captain Apollo]

The main reason I doubt it will happen, is the travel time. Imagine how thrilled the NRL would be having to suspend its competition for 2 weeks so the NSW and Qld players could fly to the UK, train to acclimatise to the conditions, play the game, and then fly back. Also how thrilled would the clubs be knowing that their star players would be missing for that time and when the came back from that game would be jet lagged? Those reasons alone say it is very unlikely to ever happen whilst it takes a 24 hour or more plane trip from Australia to he UK.

 

[carcharias]

As long as it's not in Perth

 

[Bronson]

Support for rugby league in London is very low. May aswell play it up north if anywhere... Even the Olympic stadium would be better, having hosted some league games over the past couple of years.

Wallabies plays the Pumas there in coming weeks.

Be interesting to see what size crowd they get.

That match is at twickernam, the home of rugby in this country.

 

[moffla]

Would be amazing. With plenty of Australian's living on that side of the world the interest would sky rocket. I'd even look at making a trip out of it. Logistically, however, the travel in the middle of the season would not be favourable. Not only that, the time difference would mean it just wouldn't happen.

 

[jim_57]

Would be amazing. With plenty of Australian's living on that side of the world the interest would sky rocket. I'd even look at making a trip out of it. Logistically, however, the travel in the middle of the season would not be favourable. Not only that, the time difference would mean it just wouldn't happen.

As it stands London may be a step too far logistically, as a one off though it's not totally impossible if a good enough offer is put forward, very unlikely though.

But more neutral games should definitely be looked at, not just in Australia or NZ, put it out to tender and see who puts forward a bid.

 

[Canard]

If it was going to be the UK, then Old Trafford would be a better bet. The best quality stadium located closest to the geographical heart of Rugby League.

Personally I'm not sure the game would draw enough interest to generate big ticket sales however.

Besides the actual English League fans and northerners, most English people have sparing knowledge of League and even the geography of Australia.

 

[Twizzle]

Only Spurs can pack out Wembley

 

[Valheru]

Personally I think 1 game every year should be a "neutral" venue if possible. What kind of 3 game series gives one team a 2-1 home game advantage that hasn't been earned somehow?

Agreed

Personally I think a 4 year rotation model would be great. Melbourne to host 2 games every 4 years with the other 2 going to Adelaide and Perth. People would travel for them and it gives a yearly sell out in AFL states.

The only problem I see is stadium availability. Adelaide/Perth shouldn't be an issue as their AFL game can be on Friday or Sunday for that week but I can see some issues getting the MCG for a Saturday during AFL season.