Townsville will host the 2024 NRL All-Stars games between the Indigenous and Māori men’s and women’s teams, with kick-off marked down for Friday, February 16.
The annual series returns to the North Queensland city for the first time in three years and follows Rotorua’s successful hosting of this year’s games.
“The full week of community engagement, education and cultural activities is unique and unrivalled in sport. There is no better way to celebrate the start of our season,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said in Friday’s announcement.
Series sponsor Harvey Norman, through CEO Katie Page, said it is the “ultimate tribute” to the contribution of the Indigenous and Māori communities that the series heralds the start of each new season.
The honours were shared equally in Rotorua earlier this year, with the Māori women narrowly defeating their Indigenous counterparts 16-12 in February, while the Māori men were pipped 24-28 by the Indigenous men.
The All-Stars showcase will coincide with the start of the NRL’s 2024 Pre-Season Challenge - involving 16 games featuring three double-headers and including a game in Christchurch between the NZ Warriors and new head coach Benji Marshall’s West Tigers on Sunday, February, 18.
The men’s NRL season is set to officially kick off on Saturday, March 2 for the first time ever in the United States, with an opening double-header in Las Vegas between the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs, and Roosters and Broncos.