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Confirmed: Eden Park to host State of Origin's neutral venue game in 2027
Sport Nation • February 16th, 2026 7:00 am
Warriors second rower Kurt Capewell representing Queensland in State of Origin 2025 | Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP
Eden Park is set to transform into a sea of blue and maroon next year with confirmation that the neutral venue game of the 2027 State of Origin series will be played in Auckland.
The 50,000-seat stadium will host the first ever Origin match to be played in New Zealand. The last time the iconic New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons rivalry came together overseas was for an 1987 exhibition match in Long Beach, California.
The New Zealand Government and Auckland Council have come together in a co-funding partnership via the Major Events Fund to bring Origin to Auckland.
"From the outset, Auckland made it clear we wanted to bring State of Origin to our city, and we've worked hard to secure it," Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement.
“This city is the home of rugby league in New Zealand and thanks to the recent success of the Warriors, the sport here has never been bigger.
"We know how to host major events, and we know the value they bring. This match will mean full hotels, busy restaurants and bars, and thousands of visitors experiencing everything our region has to offer."
Eden Park came alive for the 2025 Pacific Championships | Photo: Brett Phibbs/Photosport
The event is estimated to bring with it an economic boost of $17.4 million with over 10,000 visitors from Australia expected to travel.
With reports circulating in Australia in early February that negotiations were taking place and that the confirmation was imminent, New Zealand rugby league great Gary Freeman publicly backed the initiative.
"It will be a sell-out. I just wish we had a stadium that held 70,000 people because that's what we could get," the 46 Test-veteran told AAP.
"I don't know that the Aussies will be able to get a ticket. Quote me on that."
With the Warriors and Kiwis already doing their part to push rugby league further in New Zealand, Freeman believes bringing Origin to Aotearoa will increase the trickle down effect for the grassroots level of the game.
"Origin is a key to get more kids to play footy over there and they get to see it live and don't have to stay up until midnight to watch it," Freeman said.
Aside from the COVID-affected series of 2021, State of Origin has included one match outside of New South Wales or Queensland since 2018. Melbourne Cricket Ground will be the neutral venue for this year's three-match series, with Auckland's Eden Park filling the 2027 vacancy, before heading to Perth Stadium in 2028.
Patrick Carrigan on his career so far and State of Origin in NZ | Millsy & Guy
