52,106 were at Bramley-Moore Dock on Saturday afternoon to watch the first-ever rugby league clash at Everton FC’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Australia prevailing in the second Ashes Test of the series.
It was confirmed back in March that Everton’s new home ground, which at that stage still had to pass through a number of test events to be given the green light, would be the stage for one of this autumn’s three Rugby League Ashes Tests.
As soon as tickets went on sale, thousands jumped at the opportunity to get behind England on Merseyside, and a sell-out was confirmed within just a few days.
At absolute full capacity, the Hill Dickinson operates at 52,769. Everton themselves, for a number of reasons including segregation, have not – and likely will never – reached that figure at their new home.
The Toffees’ biggest attendance so far this season came in a 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend – with 52,501 in attendance.
And while Saturday afternoon’s Ashes clash between England and Australia wasn’t quite that high: a crowd of 51,106 was recorded.
The first-ever rugby league game at the Hill Dickinson ultimately went into the record books with a 14-4 Kangaroos victory, earned through ten unanswered second half points.
After a first half which saw two penalties apiece converted by Everton fan Harry Smith for England and Nathan Cleary for Australia, man-of-the-match Cameron Munster became the first player to score a try at the new ground.
Just four minutes later, team-mate Hudson Young followed suit, putting the game – and the series – beyond England.
Having won the opening Test 26-6 at Wembley last weekend, Australia are now 2-0 to the good this autumn and have clinched the series.
The two teams will meet again at Headingley next Saturday, November 8, when England must win to spare the blushes of suffering a 3-0 series whitewash on home soil.