International interest surges as Origin goes global
- Author
- Timestamp
A record-breaking television audience across more than 100 countries is set to tune into Wednesday's State of Origin opener as Australian sport's biggest rivalry hits the world stage.
The clash between NSW and Queensland at Accor Stadium will be beamed into television screens in 101 nations, with fans around the globe expected to watch in their millions.
The global reach is a sign of the growing international expansion of rugby league, with former Blues five-eighth James Maloney receiving a taste of the increased interest in State of Origin during the final years of his career in France.
Origin Game Plan: The playmakers
"I had four years in France when I finished my career and I used to tune in," Maloney told NRL.com. "I didn't watch a lot of footy when I was over there but State of Origin was always something I made sure I watched.
"We used to all go to the house of a different player, one year I remember watching with Greg Bird."
Rugby league supporters scrambling to find a pub broadcasting State of Origin matches has become an annual tradition for Australian fans travelling abroad.
Just last year NSW and Parramatta legend Peter Sterling was in Basel, Switzerland, desperately searching for a venue to watch the series opener.
"There's been 135 Origins, I've been to them live 110 times, so there aren't that many I've missed," Sterling said. "A place I couldn't get to watch it, I was in Switzerland for Game One last year and I couldn't find a television anywhere in Basel to show Origin.
"I would have liked to have found a wonderful place over there but I couldn't, so that's one of the few that I've missed."
Sterling will be in Sydney for this week's game, but those in Switzerland will be able to tune into Sportdigital from midday, local time, to watch Wednesday's match.
The list of nations broadcasting Wednesday's clash extends well beyond Australia and the Pacific. Fans across Europe, the UK, USA, Canada, South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa will have the chance to tune into the series opener.
A growing number of pubs will also broadcast the game, making it easy for supporters around the world to watch the series opener.
CafeOz in Paris, Tokyo's Pig Whistle, the Highlander in Rome, Phattys Sports Bar in Ho Chi Minh, Oz Bar in Edinburgh and Chicago's Chapel Street Cafe are just some of the venues planning to show the Origin clash live.
Such is the surging global interest in rugby league, it's not just Australian tourists and expats who are desperate to watch the intense rivalry. Locals in cities around the world are also keen to get a taste of the action.
"When we went to Ireland at the end of last year, we had a couple of days in Leinster and the first thing the Irish rugby players wanted to talk about was Origin," Sharks coach and Blues great Craig Fitzgibbon said. "That shows the game has a huge reach.
"The year before we went to a few different rugby clubs and they were fascinated by Origin too. It's our showpiece event and they can see the intensity and brutality of the contest.
"The games are always hard fought, they're close, most years there's a decider. It's so reliable that every match is guaranteed to be entertaining and they find that so fascinating."
Closer to home, current Origin stars have their own fond memories of watching the game on TV.
NSW fullback James Tedesco would head straight to the Camden Valley Inn after training, while debutant Blayke Brailey preferred to watch at home with his brothers.
Origin Game Plan: The rookies
Reece Robson proudly wore blue on gameday while growing up on the NSW-Queensland border despite being surrounded by Maroons fans and would race home to turn on the TV.
"It was always a school night so I would sit at home in Murwillumbah on the lounge room floor just waiting for it to start," Robson said. "From five or six o'clock when I got home from footy training I was just waiting for the eight o'clock kick-off."
Others were desperate to get even closer to the action. Blues coach Laurie Daley was forced to miss Game Two of the 1990 series due to injury.
Not wanting to miss a moment, the playmaker travelled to Melbourne, bought a ticket and stood on the hill as NSW prevailed 12-6 at the old Olympic Park.
"I was out injured but I went down and that's the only ticket I could get, on the hill," Daley said. "That's my most unique experience, otherwise it's been in front of the TV or I've been at the ground."
Daley will watch the action live alongside 80,000 spectators at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night, while millions more will tune in around the world for what promises to be an enthralling contest.
Where will you be watching Game One of the State of Origin series? Let us know by tagging the NRL in your social posts.
Whether you're in the stands, watching from the living room or at the pub, in Australia or around the world, be sure to tune in for Game One of the State of Origin series. Coverage begins from 7pm AEST live on Channel 9, 9Now and WatchNRL.com.
