Tuesday 13 October 2026
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Sydney

Rugby League World Cup opener draws biggest Sydney Test crowd in 50 years

Nearly 40,000 tickets sold for Australia-New Zealand clash at Allianz Stadium

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources3 outlets
The Rugby League World Cup opens in Sydney on Thursday night with the largest Test match attendance in the city in more than five decades, as officials confirmed just under 40,000 tickets have been sold for the Australia-New Zealand blockbuster at Allianz Stadium.

Officials confirmed on Tuesday that ticket sales are approaching the 42,500 capacity at Allianz Stadium. The crowd is expected to be the biggest for a rugby league international in Sydney since 1974, when 55,505 fans watched the third Test between Australia and Great Britain at the SCG. The previous highest attendance in the NRL era was 34,571 for the 2008 Centenary Test between the Kangaroos and New Zealand, also at the SCG.

The strong ticket sales reflect significant interest from across the Tasman, with thousands of New Zealand supporters expected to attend in hopes of an opening-match upset. The Kangaroos will not only have to contend with the crowd noise at Moore Park, but also the presence of New Zealand winger Ronnie Mulitalo, who is known for his on-field heckling. Mulitalo has a history with Australian hooker Harry Grant — the last time they faced each other in the NRL, Mulitalo slapped Grant and was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. Grant will again line up for Australia in Thursday's match.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • A near-sellout crowd signals renewed public interest in international rugby league in Sydney, a market where domestic club competition has long dominated.
  • The strong turnout from New Zealand supporters could create a hostile atmosphere for the Kangaroos, adding pressure in a World Cup opener.
  • The match is a test of whether international fixtures can draw crowds comparable to the 1970s golden era.

Background

International rugby league Tests in Sydney have struggled to attract large crowds in recent decades. The NRL era's previous best was the 2008 Centenary Test. The last sellout in the city for a Test was 1974, a match between Australia and Great Britain that drew 55,505. This week's match at Allianz Stadium represents a potential revival for the international game in Australia's largest city.

Key Perspectives

New Zealand supporters: Thousands of Kiwi fans have bought tickets, showing belief that Stacey Jones' squad can cause an opening-game boilover. The Kangaroos: The Australian team will need to focus through the crowd noise and the aggressive antics of players like Ronnie Mulitalo. Ronnie Mulitalo: The winger is one of the game's biggest nigglers and will look to unsettle Australian players, particularly hooker Harry Grant, with whom he has a recent history of confrontation.

What to Watch

  • The final attendance figure on Thursday night; a sellout would be the first Sydney Test crowd to fill a stadium since 1974.
  • The on-field duel between Mulitalo and Grant, given their previous incident.
  • Whether the New Zealand team can deliver the upset that their travelling fans are hoping for.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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