Brisbane to lose a Lions rugby test would be a huge blow
An estimated 40,000 Lions fans will travel to the Australian coast – and they will bring big bucks for accommodation, tourism and hospitality.
It is estimated that the 2025 Tour will bring Australia between $250 million and $300 million in economic stimulus, most of it from the all-important friendly against the Wallabies.
Brisbane has been the scene of iconic moments in British and Irish Lions history.Credit:Craig Golding
With the famous touring team certain to take on the Reds in a warm-up or midweek game, Queensland could potentially get two bites of the cherry on the cake: hosting a friendly at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium; Bring the Reds game to Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
That would result in tens of thousands of traveling fans likely visiting both ends of the state for several days, pumping millions of dollars into local businesses and the still-recovering tourism sector.
With the Olympics to follow in the coming years, this would also be a perfect opportunity for the government to promote our state to a global audience.
Thousands of visiting fans gave reason to return for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and 2032 Olympic Games.
Millions more from around the world are watching what Queensland has to offer.
If the difference between the Queensland and WA/SA bids is more than a million dollars, as has been suggested, that is a significant sum of money for Rugby Australia. But, as one state official said, it’s not much for the Queensland government.
Brisbane times understands that sensitivities regarding the Olympic budget do not affect the government’s ability to bid for events.
So what’s stopping her?
They bent over backwards to land the NRL Grand Final and appropriately trumpeted their horns at the coup.
Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet walked down Caxton Street with Peter V’landys (centre) before Brisbane hosted the State of Origin decision.
However, rugby union has higher attendances than rugby league in Queensland.
Is the Queensland Government aware of this fact? Some officers at 1 William Street are not.
Rugby had 71,181 registered participants in 2022 compared to 64,566 in the league.
Growth is also higher — 8.6 percent up from 2021, compared to 4.75 percent for the league.
And up to this point, Rugby Australia isn’t entirely off the hook here either. While the game needs money, its administrators must not forget its core areas.
Queensland is the second largest state in the game after NSW and that should mean something when it comes to hosting the biggest rugby events.
However, the Sunshine State threatens to be entitled to the “golden shoulder” in the next few years.
The only two inbound tests in 2023 will take place in Sydney and Melbourne.
Queensland could get a single test in 2024.
Wallaby Nick Frost interacts with fans at Suncorp Stadium in 2022.Credit:Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Even if a rugby championship game lands in the Sunshine State after the Lions tour in 2025, it will likely only be one.
It’s entirely possible that Suncorp Stadium – where the Wallabies have an outstanding record – will host just one Test game in three years between July 2022 and August 2025.
The NRL buys about one home state game every year in an emerging country, while the other two are guaranteed to be in the two strongest rugby league markets: Queensland and NSW.
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With a Lions Test already suspended in Melbourne, shouldn’t that be enough to satisfy Rugby Australia’s need to grow the game?
No one should forget where the game has grown and gotten stronger.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/brisbane-losing-a-lions-rugby-test-would-come-as-a-mighty-blow-20230313-p5crn2.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_sport Brisbane to lose a Lions rugby test would be a huge blow
