NRL

NRL Teams

Twenty-three clubs have been involved in the NRL since its inception in 1998. There are currently 16 teams taking part in the 2013 Telstra Premiership Season, a combination of existing Super League/ARL Teams and New Clubs. Eleven foundation clubs remain in the current competition, these include: Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, Melbourne Storm, New Zealand Warriors, Newcastle Knights, North Queensland Cowboys, Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers and the Sydney Roosters.

South Sydney Rabbitohs were one of the unlucky ones in the aftermath of the NRLs creation. Cut from the fold following the 1999 season, Souths fought back and were back in the NRL line up for the 2002 season. The Rabbitohs joined St George Illawarra (1999) and Wests Tigers (2000) and were followed by Manly-Warrinagh Sea Eagles (2003) formerly the Northern Eagles from 2000-2002, and most recently Gold Coast Titans (2007).

NSW-based teams dominate the competition, with 10 in total – eight located within greater Sydney alone. Queensland has three sides and the Australian Capital Territory has one. Victoria is represented by Melbourne Storm in a state that is traditionally an AFL strong-hold. The remaining 16th spot belongs to the Auckland-based Vodafone Warriors.

Club	Colours	Location	Home Ground	Capacity	Debut	Titles
Brisbane Broncos		Brisbane, Queensland	Suncorp Stadium	52,500	1988	6
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs		Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales	ANZ Stadium	82,500	1935	8
Canberra Raiders		Canberra, ACT	Canberra Stadium	25,011	1982	3
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks		Cronulla, Sydney, NSW	Toyota Stadium	22,000	1967	0
Gold Coast Titans		Gold Coast, QLD	Skilled Park	27,400	2007	0
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles		Manly, Sydney, NSW	Brookvale Oval	23,000	1947	8
Melbourne Storm		Melbourne, Victoria	AAMI Park	30,050	1998	2
Newcastle Knights		Newcastle, NSW	Hunter Stadium	33,000	1988	2
New Zealand Warriors		Auckland, NZ	Mt Smart Stadium	30,000	1995	0
North Queensland Cowboys		Townsville, QLD	Dairy Farmers Stadium	26,500	1995	0
Parramatta Eels		Parramatta, Sydney, NSW	Parramatta Stadium	21,500	1947	4
Penrith Panthers		Penrith, Sydney, NSW	Centrebet Stadium	22,500	1967	2
St. George Illawarra Dragons		Kogarah, Sydney, NSW	WIN Stadium	51,515	1999	1
South Sydney Rabbitohs		Redfern, Sydney, NSW	ANZ Stadium	84,000	1908	20
Sydney Roosters		Bondi, Sydney, NSW	Sydney Football Stadium	45,500	1908	12
Wests Tigers		Balmain, Sydney, NSW	Campbelltown Stadium	20,000	2000	1

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NRL Venues

NRL matches are played at 26 venues throughout the season, but the ANZ Stadium hosts the Rugby League’s Holy Grail. Originally known as Stadium Australia, ANZ Stadium was built for the Sydney Olympics and is now NRL central. Opened in 1999, ANZ Stadium hosts the NRL Grand Final annually, in additional to State of Origin matches. With a crowd capacity of 83,500 – 73,000 for an oval field when used for cricket or AFL matches – the venue boasts 90% under cover seating.

Suncorp Stadium

Suncorp Stadium is the sanctum of Rugby in Queensland. Simply referred to as Lang Park to league fans, Suncorp Stadium has been the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) headquarters since 1957. The stadium features three grandstands: the Frank Burke Stand, the Ron McAuliffe Stand and the Western Grandstand.

Leichhardt Oval

Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval is one of the game’s original parks. Considered out-dated by some, – it has a capacity of just 22,000 – the home of Wests Tigers and long-time stomping ground of the former Balmain Tigers (1934-1994 and 1997-1999), Leichhardt has a special place in the hearts of league fans. As of July 2012, Leichhardt Oval is the most played-on professional Rugby League venue, hosting 794 games.

Mt. Smart Stadium

The New Zealand Warriors’ home turf is Mt. Smart Stadium. The only New Zealand side in the NRL, the Vodafone Warriors play at least 12 home games here each season, providing seating for 23,708 fans. The Warriors took advantage of New Zealand’s largest sports arena, Eden Park, in 2011. Located in Auckland, Eden Park underwent a $256million facelift in 2010, increasing its permanent capacity to 50,000 and has since been used as an alternate NRL site. The Warrior’s played their first home match of the 2012 season here.

AAMI Park

Melbourne Storm’s new home is AAMI Park. Built in 2010, this Melbourne venue can accommodate up to 30,050 spectators for NRL Telstra Premiership fixtures.

Other NRL Venues

Other premier NRL venues include: Hunter Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Centrebet Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium, Bluetongue Stadium, Skilled Park, Toyota Stadium, Allianz Stadium, WIN Jubilee Oval, NIB Stadium, Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Brookvale Oval, WIN Stadium, and Virgin Australia Stadium.

For the first time in the game’s history, the 2012 Telstra Premiership features NRL games in every mainland capital city. Promotional games at Patersons Stadium, in Perth, TIO Stadium, in Darwin (the first NRL game in Darwin for 17 years) and Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, as well as a trial match at North Hobart Oval, in southern Tasmania.

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