Just days out from the 2025 NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium, the NSW Government and Australian Rugby League Commission have confirmed an agreement to keep the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals in Sydney in 2026.
The deal secures the game's biggest event in its traditional home, where it has been played every year since Australian rugby league began in Sydney in 1908 - with the sole exception of 2021 due to COVID-19.
With the 2025 NRL season among the most competitive in recent history and the NRLW continuing its rapid rise in popularity, today's announcement gives fans from across Australia and New Zealand certainty to plan a long weekend in Sydney in October 2026 for the 'big dance'.
This weekend, more than 80,000 fans will fill Accor Stadium for one of the nation's sporting highlights, with the Sydney Roosters facing the Brisbane Broncos in the NRLW Grand Final followed by the NRL Grand Final clash between the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm. Fans will also enjoy a show-stopping performance by international superstar, Teddy Swims.
The event will be broadcast to millions of rugby league fans across 51 countries, reinforcing Sydney's position as Australia's home of major sporting events in a way few other codes can.
As the NRL expands its audience in the United States and Asia-Pacific, keeping the Grand Final in Sydney ensures the city remains the heart of rugby league and provides a powerful platform to showcase Sydney as an ideal destination for major sporting event experiences to the game's growing international fan base.
Today's announcement adds to Sydney's unrivalled calendar of major sporting events for 2026, including the United Cup, SCG Ashes Test, SailGP, AFC Women's Asian Cup, State of Origin, The Everest and the TCS Sydney Marathon Abbott World Marathon Major.
Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:
"NSW is the home of rugby league and Sydney is unquestionably the greatest rugby league city in the world, so there really is no better place to be hosting the NRL's showpiece event.
"The NRL Grand Final is one of our nation's greatest annual sporting events and with NSW representing more than half of the clubs across both the NRL and NRLW competitions, this is great news for the thousands of fans who will come together to celebrate the game in its home city."
Minister for Jobs and Tourism and Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:
"The NRL has done a fantastic job in promoting and expanding the game to new international markets. We need to make sure we cement Sydney's legacy as the nation's home of sport and the birthplace of rugby league.
"Regardless of who plays in the Grand Final, rugby league fans from across the nation will flock to Sydney. This a big win for sport fans and fantastic news for pubs, hotels, restaurants and retailers in Sydney, and gives them confidence to start to planning for this iconic event."
Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys AM said:
"As Australia and the Pacific's number one sport, we are pleased to confirm that Sydney will host the 2026 NRL and NRLW Telstra Grand Finals.
"The NRL Grand Final day is the most iconic event on our sporting calendar, drawing global attention and attracting tens of thousands of travelling fans into Sydney and NSW every year.
"This year alone over 40,000 tickets, which is more than half the stadium, have been sold to interstate and international fans, providing a huge economic stimulus to the local economy and a $50 million plus return on investment to the NSW Government."
"We want to thank the NSW Government for the ongoing support of Rugby League as well as Premier Chris Minns and Minister Steve Kamper who have worked with us to reach an early agreement for next year's Grand Final. Fans can now start making their plans for 2026."
