Back State of Origin (Rugby League) German State of Origin French State of Origin Galician Rugby League State of Origin ID Rugby League State of Origin Italian ステート・オブ・オリジン Japanese Rugby League State of Origin Portuguese State of Origin series SIMPLE Стејт оф ориџин Serbian 起源州系列赛 Chinese
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
Current series 2024 State of Origin series | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Inaugural season | 1982 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Country |  Australia |
| Holder |  New South Wales (2024 men) Queensland (2024 women) |
| Total wins | New South Wales mens (17 titles) Queensland mens (24 titles) New South Wales womens (5 titles) Queensland womens (19 titles) |
| Website | NRL website |
| Broadcast partner | Nine Network |
| Related competitions | |
The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.[1]
Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”,[2][3][4][5] the State of Origin series is one of Australia's premier sporting events, attracting huge television audiences and usually selling out the stadiums in which the games are played.[6] It is regularly described as the pinnacle of rugby league, inclusive of comparisons with international competitions.[7][8][9][10]
Players are selected to represent the Australian state in which they played their first senior rugby league game (either high school or local senior club). Before 1980 players were only selected for interstate matches based on where they were playing their club football at the time. Queensland was not generally competitive under these selection rules, with a total record of 54 wins, 8 draws, and 159 losses, as their smaller economy and ban on poker machines meant that leagues clubs could not compete and the vast majority of elite players ended up playing in the much richer Sydney Rugby League premiership.
In both 1980 and 1981, there were two interstate matches under the old selection rules and one experimental "State of Origin" match. From 1982 onwards a best-of-three match series has been played around the middle of the rugby league season for the State of Origin shield. During the early years the overall series results remained relatively even, but Queensland surged ahead between 2006 and 2017, winning 11 out of 12 series, including a record eight series in a row.
- ^ Melissa Jane Johnson Morgan & Jane Summers (2005). Sports Marketing. Thomson Learning Nelson. p. 8. ISBN 9780170128599.
- ^ "The countdown is on to sport's greatest rivalry!". melbournestorm.com. 9 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- ^ Tasker, Norman (2005). State of Origin: twenty-five years of sport's greatest rivalry. Caringbah, New South Wales: Playright Publishing. ISBN 0949853933.
- ^ "Rep season officially launched". sportsaustralia.com. 5 April 2006. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- ^ "Eye of the storm". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 June 2006. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- ^ Ashworth, Susie; Smitz, Paul; Bain, Carolyn; Bedford, Neal (2004). Australia. Lonely Planet. p. 132. ISBN 9781740594479.
- ^ Harms, John (2005). The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story. Australia: University of Queensland Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780702235368.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (April 2004). "A few drinks with Ray Warren". Inside Sport. Australia: insidesport.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
- ^ Vanessa Battersby; Paul Smitz; Barry Blake (2007). Australian language & culture. Lonely Planet. p. 83. ISBN 9781740590990.
- ^ Mackay, Jamie (17 July 2009). "State of Origin in league of its own". The Southland Times. Fairfax New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 9 October 2009.