‘It’s a hard one’: NRL boss talks Magic Round future, could it be on the move?

This weekend Suncorp Stadium will host the seventh edition of NRL Magic Round which was first held in 2019.

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With the current Magic Round deal set to end in 2027, there’s been speculation as to what the future holds for the annual rugby league festival and whether it could even be on the move from Brisbane to another city such as Auckland, Christchurch or Perth.

Appearing on the latest UNSCRIPTED podcast with Josh Mansour, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo confirmed a new Magic Round deal is yet to be struck but added the Queensland Government was keen to see it continue. 

“We’re in negotiations, the Queensland Government really loves Magic Round—and why wouldn’t they?” Abdo said, describing the annual weekend as a ‘phenomenal success’.

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“They’re very keen for us to continue and we’re in dialogue around what that might look like,” he added.

Asked if Magic Round could potentially move away from Brisbane if a new deal can’t be made, Abdo replied with an emphatic ‘yes’.

“From 2027 we’ll have an 18-team competition… which means you’ll have nine fixtures… and that concept of everyone coming together,” he said, before re-iterating the NRL remains very open to exploring other concepts even if Magic Round stays in Brisbane. 

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“Whether it’s Magic Round… or a Global Round in addition to Las Vegas, could we play games in the UK, in Asia?” Abdo said. 

“The answer is ‘yes’, absolutely we want to continue to showcase the game in new markets—our fans love to travel but we want to win new fans in those markets as well.”

Perhaps sensing his comments may have the Queensland Government feeling a little unloved, Abdo then switched the conversation back to Magic Round.

“I do want to just acknowledge the Queensland Government because they did back us in the beginning (with Magic Round),” he reflected.

“It’s a hard one for us because Magic Round has really worked and the Queensland Government have been fantastic partners, so maybe the opportunity is for us to think of other events that we can take to other markets.”

Barring a massive change of heart then, it feels like Magic Round is here to stay and it’s unlikely to be going anywhere else any time soon.

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