Rugby League-NRL final to be staged outside Sydney for first time

The championship final of Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) will be played outside Sydney for the first time next month after Brisbane's Lang Park was confirmed as the venue on Wednesday.

The championship final of Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) will be played outside Sydney for the first time next month after Brisbane's Lang Park was confirmed as the venue on Wednesday. The NRL relocated wholesale to the state of Queensland three months ago when the third wave of COVID-19 infections sent New South Wales and Victoria into lockdowns.

The playoffs kick off on the Sunshine Coast this weekend with other regional cities around Queensland hosting matches before the Lang Park stages the final two rounds, including the "Grand Final" on Oct. 3. Melbourne Storm is favorites to retain the title after finishing top of the regular season standings ahead of last year's runners-up, the Penrith Panthers.

The inaugural final of the New South Wales Rugby League, the forerunner of the NRL, was held at Sydney Showground in 1908 with South Sydney beating Eastern Suburbs 14-12.