While there is no community infection in Newcastle, the worsening COVID situation in Sydney over the past couple of days caused the NSW Government to believe hosting a major event in a regional community with a crowd could create additional risk to the community.
Given that there will be no live crowd permitted for the event, the Australian Rugby League Commission held an emergency meeting on Saturday night and decided to move the match interstate to ensure a viable event and live match atmosphere for the final match in the series between NSW and Queensland.
The Government’s concerns echo those of the Newcastle community. An online petition lodged on Change.org by Christoph Gremm had gained 19,768 signatures by the time the decision to move the game was made.
The decision means the Gold Coast will host a State of Origin match for the first time in the city’s history. A capacity crowd of over 27,000 will be allowed to attend Wednesday night’s game.
NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo said the game wanted to reward Newcastle’s support of rugby league but needed to respect the NSW Government’s decision.
“We are disappointed not to be able to give Newcastle the city’s first State of Origin, but we must operate within all State Public Health Orders and not having a crowd in Newcastle negates the opportunity for our fans from the region,’’ he said.
Mr Abdo said relocating to the Gold Coast presented a low-risk option and would not impact either camp.
“The Gold Coast has a very low infection rate, and both Origin camps are currently located within driving distance of Cbus Stadium. It means neither team will be disadvantaged by travel,’’ he said.
“It does mean all three games are played in Queensland, but our priority is ensuring the safety of the community and the continuity of the competition.”
NSW had already won the series and will try to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of games in Queensland.
Information source: Media release, July 10, NRL