Crowds pack MCG for Origin game two
State of Origin returned to the MCG for the first time since 2018, with more than 90,000 spectators descending on the iconic Melbourne stadium Wednesday night.
New South Wales defeated Queensland 38-18 in front of 90,084 fans - the second biggest crowd in Origin history.
It’s the 10th time the showpiece rugby league event has been staged in the Victorian capital, with the previous nine matches attended by 529,151 fans, including a record Origin crowd of 91,513 in 2015.
The last contest in 2018 was played in front of an MCG crowd of almost 90,000 fans – generating an economic boost of more than $36.6 million for the Victorian economy.
Origin remains one of the country’s greatest sporting rivalries, and the 2024 series is level following game two of the 2024 series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the series-opened, Queensland defeated New South Wales 38-10 at Accor Stadium in front of a crowd of 77,214.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos joined New South Wales Blues’ Jake Trbojevic and Queensland Maroons’ Daly Cherry-Evans at Fed Square on Tuesday for the captain’s call ahead of Wednesday's clash.
Tens of thousands of rugby league fans from across Australia traveled to Victoria for the game.
ORIGIN CROWDS IN MELBOURNE
| DATE | STADIUM | CROWD |
| 1990 May 30 | Olympic Park | 25,800 |
| 1994 June 8 | MCG | 87,161 |
| 1995 May 31 | MCG | 52,994 |
| 1997 June 11 | MCG | 25,105 |
| 2006 July 5 | Marvel Stadium | 52,468 |
| 2009 June 3 | Marvel Stadium | 50,967 |
| 2012 May 23 | Marvel Stadium | 56,021 |
| 2015 June 17 | MCG | 91,513 |
| 2018 June 6 | MCG | 87,122 |
| 2024 June 26 | MCG | 90,084 |
| Total Attendance: 619,235 | ||
Tonight's attendance is 90,084. #Origin pic.twitter.com/7uWkFwVfQd
— Melbourne Cricket Ground (@MCG) June 26, 2024
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said, “The MCG is one of the biggest stages for Australia’s biggest sporting rivalry, State of Origin. Millions of people around the world will watch the match on Wednesday night and the atmosphere at the MCG will be electric. I thank the Victorian Government for their support of Rugby League and for supporting State of Origin in Melbourne.”
The game bolsters Victoria’s jam-packed calendar of sporting events that draw thousands of visitors to the State.
This year’s calendar features record-breaking years for the Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Rip Curl Pro, the Matildas Olympic qualifying match, Global Football Week Melbourne, and the upcoming Ballin’24 matches and Wallabies v Wales Test.
First contested in 1982, the State of Origin is one of the most iconic rivalries in Australian sport, regularly ranking as one of Australia’s most viewed television programs – showcasing Melbourne to audiences across the country.
View full State of Origin event details including the MCG Seating Map on the Austadiums website here.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said, “This iconic clash has brought tens of thousands of rugby league fans to Melbourne and will also broadcast to millions more watching from home – cementing our status at the major events and sporting capital.”
“Whether you back the Blues or Maroons, tomorrow’s night State of Origin clash is shaping up to be one for the history books, and we’re proud to have brought this match to the MCG.”
