The National Rugby League (NRL) State of Origin - one of the nation's greatest sporting rivalries and one of the State's biggest event success stories - will return to Perth next year.
The McGowan Government, through Tourism Western Australia, has secured Game II of the three-game series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons, to be held at Optus Stadium in June 2022.
The announcement is a major win for Western Australia, with the rugby league showcase rivalling the AFL Grand Final as the nation's biggest sporting spectacle - attracting record crowds and millions of television viewers.
Perth became the centre of a rugby league fan frenzy in June 2019, when Optus Stadium hosted its first ever State of Origin in front of a sold-out capacity crowd of more than 59,000 people.
Close to 11,700 people visited WA for that game, spending more than $19 million and staying nearly 69,500 combined nights - generating huge benefits for WA tourism businesses, hotels, bars, restaurants and other hospitality operators.
WA's key tourism attractions and the spectacular Optus Stadium were also showcased in a television broadcast of the match watched by about 1.96 million viewers around the country.
The success of WA's 2019 State of Origin sparked further commitments by the NRL and the State Government to bring more league games to the west. This included the NRL Nines tournament held in February last year which attracted 3,783 visitors to WA, who spent more than $5.7 million.
The date for the match and ticketing details will be announced later this year.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"On much of the east coast, the State of Origin is as big as it gets in terms of sporting events.
"My Government is delighted to partner with the NRL to bring State of Origin back to WA - for local fans and the multimillion dollar boost it will provide to the WA economy, tourism, hospitality and local jobs."
As stated by Tourism Minister David Templeman:
"State of Origin is one of those marquee events that are incredibly valuable to our tourism industry as they provide a reason for people to visit and discover more of what WA has to offer.
"Origin showdowns dominate television ratings on much of the east coast, meaning the beautiful Perth skyline and Western Australia's attractions will be promoted to millions of potential visitors."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Tony Buti:
"In 2019, we showed the NRL and the nation that State of Origin and our state-of-the-art stadium was a winning combination for visiting fans and players.
"Elite rugby league events such as State of Origin shine a light on the sport in our State, helping to inspire young Western Australian girls and boys to play the game they love on a local level through grassroots community clubs and competitions."
