State of Origin is heading to New Zealand in 2027.
It has long been rumoured that New Zealand would place a bid for the Origin game that is played on neutral territory each year.
So far, that has seen the game’s showpiece played in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, but, with the exception of an exhibition game decades ago, none outside of Australia.
But with negotiations bubbling along in the background, News Corp are now reporting the 2027 version will be played in New Zealand after another round of talks this week.
Only a last-minute collapse of the deal will stop it from happening, with the report suggesting the New Zealand government will spend $5 million to take Origin across the Tasman.
It’s also believed Auckland’s Eden Park – which hosts New Zealand rugby union and cricket matches – could be the venue where Origin will land.
It’s understood an announcement to make it official is just weeks away, with the final details now being worked through, including kick-off time.
The match start time has long been a thorn in the side of any game being played in New Zealand, with the nation being two hours ahead of Australia.
It’s understood Channel 9s standard 8pm kick-off will need to be broken from to allow the game to be played, but that all parties are working towards a 9:30pm local time kick-off – that’s 7:30pm back on the east coast of Australia.
That would see the game run until around 11:30pm in Auckland, but it’s likely the only way all parties will be able to reach an agreement on an Origin match being played in Auckland.
State of Origin will be a talking point come the next TV rights deal which is already being negotiated, with the NRL likely looking for more control over start times, and theories suggesting Origin could be taken to other overseas locations as the ARL attempt to continue their growth of the sport.