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he National Rugby League (NRL) have announced their partnership with petrol giant, Ampol, previously known as Caltex.
The deal will see Ampol have the naming rights for the State of Origin, including the 2021 Women’s State of Origin, and will extend until the 2023 State of Origin series.
With the AFL Grand Final over, the State of Origin is up next as the major event of the year.
After expanding to Melbourne and Perth, the State of Origin will begin in Adelaide on November 4th as the first stand-alone series.
NRL chief executive, Andrew Abdo, said: “We’re delighted Ampol has joined us as naming rights partner for Australia’s biggest sporting rivalry, State of Origin.
This series always captures the interest and passion of sports fans and this year we will expand into Adelaide for the very first time.”
“Ampol is an iconic brand in Australia, so many Australians grew up with Ampol in their neighbourhoods and remember the long history Ampol has with our game.
“This partnership will benefit the entire rugby league ecosystem. From grassroots participation through to our elite competition.”
The State of Origin series opener for the previous year raked in viewership of 3.23 million and was the most viewed program in the country.
Ampol managing director and CEO, Matt Halliday, said: “Ampol is a proud Australian company with a long history of playing a positive role in economies and communities across the country, including through support for elite and grassroots sport’’
“As we transition our national retail network to Ampol over the next two years, this new partnership with the NRL will reignite old and new customer connections with our iconic brand.
State of Origin’s position as the pinnacle of rugby league and one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar also aligns with our own commitment to return Ampol as Australia’s number one fuel brand.”
The 2020 State of Origin series will take place across three days, with the first game on November 4th at the Adelaide Oval, the second on the 11th at ANZ Stadium, and the third on the 18th at Suncorp Stadium.
