State of Origin heads to New Zealand
Published: 16 February 2026
In a historic moment, New Zealand will host its first-ever State of Origin match next year at Eden Park - proudly supported by the Government’s Major Events Fund and Auckland Council Events.
On this page I tēnei whārangi
Hosting State of Origin is expected to attract over 10,000 international visitors from Australia, generate more than 50,000 international visitor nights, and inject an estimated $17.4 million into the economy.
The State of Origin series is 1 of the fiercest rivalries in global sport, pitting Queensland and New South Wales against each other in a high intensity 3 match contest. Next year, for the first time ever, 1 of the matches will be played on New Zealand soil.
More details about the game and tickets will be released by the NRL in due course.
Read the Beehive press release:
State of Origin heads to New Zealand(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz
MBIE media contact
Email: media@mbie.govt.nz
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/state-of-origin-heads-to-new-zealand
Please note: This content will change over time and can go out of date.