Angus Crichton of the Blues is tackled by Valentine Holmes of the Maroons during the State of Origin Game Two match between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 June, 2024. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
Sir Graham Lowe knows exactly how passionate Kiwis are about State of Origin.
A mountain of fan mail sent across the ditch to the then Queensland coach in 1991 was testament to that.
"I can still vividly remember the cards that I got delivered to me. It came in cartons, just cartons of the stuff just from people giving messages of support for myself and for Queensland."
Now Lowe wants to bring one of Australia's greatest sporting spectacles to his own backyard.
A group led by Lowe say they have "well advanced plans" to bring a State of Origin match to New Zealand.
Lowe said he has the support of Sports Minister Mark Mitchell, and intended to table a formal bid with the NRL early next month.
"We haven't had talks with the NRL itself yet, so that's the next stage. We just want to get the timing right."
With Christchurch's new stadium Te Kaha set to open in 2026, Lowe said it would be the ideal venue to introduce Origin in Aotearoa, and that the stadium also backed the bid.
Lowe, the only Kiwi to ever coach in the inter-state series, said it would be a game changer for the country.
"Origin is a really uniquely special sporting event, it gets watched really closely by many people here in New Zealand and I just know that if the game itself is here in this country, it will be a sporting event like few other we have ever seen in the history of sport in New Zealand."
With the NRL taking one game from each series to a neutral venue and contracts already in place with Melbourne and Perth, Lowe said the next available Origin would be in 2027.
"State of Origin brings along an excitement package really that can't be rivalled. I just think it's a unique thing and if we can get it across the line the country will be better off for it."
But would the Australian players be on board?
"They will play it on the beach if you want them to. They just love representing, it doesn't matter where it is, they'll just go out and still put on exactly the same show," Lowe said.
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