When the United States is passionate about the Super Bowl, on the other side of the globe, Australians have several counterparts to this unique sports celebration. Such an event, in women's rugby league in the Antipodes is the Ampol Women's State of Origin, which for the first time will be decided by a double-header.

What does women's rugby look like in Australia?

It's been only five years since the NRL Women's Premiership was established, and it's already fair to say that women's rugby in Australia is growing rapidly every year. The ever-increasing interest in the sport has led the league's authorities to try harder and harder to make the show more attractive, giving fans what they like best – as much game as possible and even more excitement. And, if you’re one to place wagers on this much-viewed sport, why not sign up with a casino offering sportsbook services – there are plenty of minimum deposit casino operators out there, so you certainly won’t be expected to dish out too much dosh!

Since the league's inception, the season has been inaugurated with the Ampol Women's State of Origin Series. A meeting between teams representing the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland is played in an Australian stadium. It is compared to the Super Bowl for good reason, as it generates a lot of interest in the antipodes indeed. Interestingly, they are older than the NRLW, as the teams taking part in the State of Origin Series first met in 1999 in the Women's Interstate Challenge. Until 2014, the Queensland team had triumphed 16 times in a row. The series was broken a year later with the only tie in history. The balance is still in Queensland's favor with 18 matches won, five losses and one draw.

CommBank Stadium in Sydney, © CommBank Stadium 

Which stadiums will host the Ampol Women's State of Origin Series in 2023?

The leadership of the NRL Women's Premiership, which at its inception took over the reins of the Women's Interstate Challenge changing it to the State of Origin Series, has announced that it wants to reintroduce the format tested in 2004 and 2008, which means abandoning one match in favor of two games. The first clash this year will be played on 1st June at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, which can hold 30,000 spectators. A rematch awaits the teams three weeks later, on 22nd June to be exact. This duel will be played at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. A maximum of 25,000 fans can sit in the stands of this venue.

As Andrew Abdo, CEO of the NRLW, points out, this is a new beginning for the Ampol Women's State of Origin Series, as this is the first time since the rebranding of the event that the winning team will be determined in the form of a double header. The day and time of day of the matches will also change. The two teams will face each other on Thursday evenings in the peak of television viewing in Australia. Queensland State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pleased that a compromise has been found and neither region will suffer from the absence of the clash for the year. The women's rugby match should generate annual profits of AUD 2.5 million for the local administration.

Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, © David Spencer Photography, Stadiums Queensland