Government to announce State of Origin match at Eden Park

Saturday, 14 February 2026

Warriors player Kurt Capewell, playing for Queensland, scores during game two of the 2025 Origin series in Perth, beating the tackle of New South Wales’ Nathan Cleary.

The Post understands that the Government will make an announcement early next week confirming that a State of Origin rugby league match will be played at Auckland’s Eden Park in 2027.

Rumours emerged out of Australia last week that advanced negotiations were taking place between the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Government.

It will be the first State of Origin match to have been hosted on Kiwi shores, with all previous bids to host the game having failed.

The historic match next year, likely to be the second in the three-game series between New South Wales and Queensland, has reportedly cost the Government a $5 million hosting fee.

Discussions around the possibility of hosting State of Origin has been a political football in recent months.

In September Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a $70 million fund to lure major events to New Zealand.

However, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has been pressuring the Government to legislate for a regional hotel bed-night levy to allow the city itself to compete for events.

He said the 2.5% charge would specifically target events like State of Origin matches.

“Yet the Government seems averse to handing this responsibility to local government, which is just ridiculous,” said Brown in a Sunday Star-Times column.

Next year’s historic match will reportedly kick off in New Zealand between 9.30pm and 10pm to suit Aussie viewers.

Speaking to media this week, Warriors head coach Andrew Webster said a locally hosted match would be “unbelievable”.

Andrew Webster, right, says it will be “amazing” to able to watch a State of Origin on NZ soil.

“Is Eden Park going to let them? Like the neighbours? Because it will be a late finish, after midnight.”

He remarked that the Warriors-owned Full Time bar in nearby Kingsland will be “cranking”.

“I think Australians will finally realise just how much Kiwis love Origin. I feel like that spectacle here would be unbelievable for growth in the country of rugby league.

“The players themselves who get travel over will love it. Kurt Capewell and Mitchell Barnett [Warriors players who play for Queensland and NSW respectively] get a home game, which is pretty exciting.

“From my point of view, I would get to go an watch Origin, and that’s my favourite thing outside coaching the Warriors. To get to be a fan will be amazing.”