Suncorp Stadium's State of Origin crowd gains global acclaim

Sports fans around the world have acclaimed the near capacity crowd at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium for last night's State of Origin decider.

More than 49,000 fans packed into the venue, the largest crowd for a sporting event anywhere in the world since the Coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March.

Commenting on last night's game, Alan Graham, ASM Global’s General Manager of Suncorp Stadium, told Australasian Leisure Management "overall, the event was very successful. More than 49,000 people attended and the event went very smoothly which was an achievement for all involved.

"It’s a tribute to Queensland Health for their handling of the pandemic and to the NRL for how they have adapted this season. And we worked very hard to ensure that the event was as safe as possible.

"The fact that the crowd was more than 49,000 people showed the confidence that people had in turning out to an event like that.

"From an operational perspective, everything went smoothly. We had a late rush as some people arrived just before the start of the match but that was worked through well. People were very cooperative with the COVID measures.

"The departure was very smooth and the use of public transport ensured that spectators left easily.

"From a catering viewpoint, everything worked well with all outlets open and some additional satellite outlets available for a crowd of that size."

A range of other comments on social media praised the game.

Fans at the venue, including regular Australasian Leisure Management contributors Blair Hughes and Ross Gage - praised the atmosphere for the clash, with Gage stating on social media it was the "greatest victory ever in the history of world sport".

Having staged last night's game and a Bledisloe Cup clash in recent weeks, the ASM Global-managed Suncorp Stadium is now set for a quiet few months.

However, its 2021 calendar will see it host Super Rugby from Febraury and rock giants Guns N' Roses in November next year.

It has been announced today that Guns N' Roses visit the venue on 14th November 2021 as part of six date Australian tour.

Looking forward to 2021, Graham added "our next event is not until mid February when Super Rugby resumes. That gives us a very good chance for the summer grass to come through.

"That break is a luxury that we don’t often get but it will be beneficial because we’re preparing for a very busy year with football, the World Nitro Games in October and Guns ‘N’ Roses to play here in November."

Images: Suncorp Stadium confirms the crowd numbers for last night's State of Origin decider (top, credit: Blair Hughes/Facebook) and Guns N'Roses on tour (below, credit: ANZ Stadium).

Different world to us in the UK, 50k fans and this seems a long way down the line for us ffs! #origin https://t.co/ASZ8m0f1HS

— J (@MonsieurGrind) November 18, 2020