Rugby league .28Australia.29 State of Origin

traditionally, basis selecting players in representative international sides (i.e. country of origin) did not extend interstate sides in australian rugby league. instead players represented state in played club football per residency rule , in played club represented district lived in. gave significant advantage new south wales movement of players south far greater movement north.

former queensland captain , australian vice-captain jack reardon, had later become journalist, first suggest sydney-based queenslanders should available selection represent state. not eventuate until decades later however, when new south wales , queensland played first state of origin match on 8 july 1980. australian rules experience echoed, queenslanders showing enormous interest in game @ lang park, brisbane, although nsw-based players , journalists described non-event of century . queensland defeated new south wales in match, , state of origin has grown australia s greatest sporting rivalry.

the popularity of state of origin matches since has not waned , remain 1 of australia s (and indeed region s) biggest sporting events. record crowd of 88,336 attended game @ stadium australia in 1999. record annual 3 game series set in 2004, when total of 203,309 people attended. 2005 series saw attendance record series 2 matches in queensland, 187,374. record television audience set during game 1 of 2009 series , stands @ 3.48 million. queensland has won 18 series 1982–2013, , nsw has won 13, 2 drawn. queensland have won series in row. (8 series 2006–2013).

australian international teams selected based on performance in state of origin series.

new south wales play in sky blue jerseys , known blues , term dating 1974 when journalist used name in article. blues won series, leading coach jack gibson comment thought went pretty bunch of cockroaches . queensland team plays in maroon jersey, , called maroons . both teams have unbecoming nicknames — new south wales: cockroaches ; queensland: cane toads .