State of Origin series

The State of Origin series is a best-of-three rugby league series held every year in Australia. It is between two teams: New South Wales (nicknamed the "Blues") and Queensland (nicknamed the "Maroons").

The State of Origin is widely regarded as Australia's greatest sporting rivalry of all time, and is one of the biggest sporting events in Australia. Even compared to international competitions, the series is considered one of the most important rugby league competitions in the world.

The State of Origin itself is a men's series, but there is also a Women's State of Origin. In both the men's and the women's series, Queensland is the most successful side, having won both series more times than New South Wales has.

Even though the State of Origin is between New South Wales and Queensland, in each series at least one game is played outside those states. In New South Wales, matches have been played in only one city (Sydney), while in Queensland they have been played in three (Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville). Outside those states, three other states have hosted matches: Victoria (Melbourne), Western Australia (Perth) and South Australia (Adelaide); plus one match has been played in the United States (in Long Beach, California). On television, the series is televised in 91 countries, but is most popular in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

References