With Origin folklore traditionally set in Brisbane and Sydney at Suncorp Stadium and ANZ Stadium respectively – the Gold Coast Government are keen to make an audacious bid to host an Origin game of their own, ahead of their hosting of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Ahead of their monumental event in the Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says he has plans to hopefully ensure that the city can host a marquee rugby league game, in the lead-up to the world event.
With some reports suggesting that the Australian Rugby League Commission will open up the stage for the highest bidder to stake their claims for an Origin game in the future, Tate says he is keen to make a push for the Gold Coast to be that area.
The Queensland Government, however, have approached the bid from Tate with some animosity and contempt, but Major Events and Commonwealth Games Minister Jann Stuckey, says that she plans to talk with Tate in the coming week.
“In Tom Tate, you have a very bold and progressive mayor who has his heart very firmly attached to the Gold Coast and I’m very pleased to hear he has some big ideas and big dreams,” Stuckey said.
“We’re a government committed to major events and the most important thing is we work towards that.
“I’ll be discussing that (Origin) with Tom early next week.”
If successful, Tate believes that hosting the game at Carrara Stadium, a 25,000-capacity venue (extended to 40,000 with temporary grandstands for the Commonwealth games, however) – would be the way to go. “We just had a Wallabies Test and I am going to go after State of Origin,” Tate said.
“We have had the Aboriginal All Stars game, we host the International Rugby Sevens. Bringing State of Origin here to the Gold Coast makes a lot of sense.
“If we snag it here, I think it would be bigger than Suncorp (Brisbane).”