Suncorp Stadium will host the NRL grand final for the first time, after the NRL reached an agreement with the Queensland government.
It comes after the New South Wales government, which has a long-term contract to host the match, confirmed Sydney wouldn’t be in a position to host this year’s grand final.
With NSW in lockdown, and no signs of restrictions easing in time for the match in four weeks, it would have been impossible for the game to go ahead with a crowd at Stadium Australia.
It will be the first time the match has been held outside of Sydney.
“It’s fantastic news,” said Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“Never in my lifetime did I think that we would have an NRL grand final here in Queensland, and finally that’s happened.”
READ MORE: UFC Octagon girls hit back at Khabib for ‘useless’ comment
READ MORE: Canadian teenager continues US Open surge with another big scalp
READ MORE: Crunch time looms for Ronaldo nostalgia play
New South Wales sports minister Stuart Ayres said it was obvious Sydney couldn’t host the match.
“Due to the current COVID-19 situation in Greater Sydney and across the state, the NSW Government has informed the NRL that unfortunately New South Wales is unable to host the 2021 NRL Premiership Grand Final on Sunday 3 October,” he said in a statement.
“While it is very disappointing to miss out on this marquee event, it reinforces the importance of our community getting vaccinated so that events like the NRL Grand Final with crowds can safely return to our stadiums as soon as possible.
“I would like to thank the NRL for its understanding in this challenging situation and its ongoing support of the NSW visitor economy.
“The NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, looks forward to working with the Australian Rugby League Commission to welcome the NRL Grand Final back to Sydney in 2022 bigger and brighter than ever before.”
As part of the deal, Queensland has secured Magic Round for an additional year, meaning it will host the event for another three years.
MORE TO COME.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!