A world-record post COVID-19 crowd of 49,155 has packed into Suncorp Stadium for Wednesday’s State of Origin decider in Brisbane.
Just shy of the normal 52,000 capacity thanks to some lingering biosecurity measures, the crowd is believed to be the highest at any sporting event worldwide since the coronavirus brought world sport to a halt earlier this year.
The NRL was among the first sporting codes to recommence after an eight-week shutdown, first without any crowds before slowly increasing capacity.
The spectacle was the conclusion of 180 games of rugby league across women’s and men’s NRL and State of Origin competitions this season.