World turns its eyes to Townsville for 2021 Rugby Championship

Townsville is ready to stand centre stage as one billion eyes around the globe set sight on the city for the 2021 Rugby Championship.

Townsville City Council is welcoming the blockbuster event to the city for its first-ever test matches when the current World Cup holders South Africa’s Spingboks going head to head with New Zealand’s All Blacks for their 100th test at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday September 25.

The highly contested test match will be followed by the Wallabies kicking off their clash with Argentina’s Los Pumas.

Both games will be broadcast across Australia, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and the USA.

Flinders Street and Central Park will come alive with action, celebrating the four highest ranked national teams in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mayor Jenny Hill said Townsville was ready to host the teams and supporters from across the world.

“The countdown is on for the 2021 Rugby Championship here in Townsville, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Cr Hill said.

“Queensland Country Bank Stadium was built as part of a vision to activate our city and reinforce Townsville’s reputation as the events capital of Northern Australia, and time and time again we are able to prove that we’ve earned that title.

“Having the resources and the infrastructure available to host major events like this is not only a benefit to our city, but also to these sports who want somewhere safe and vibrant to play and to bring their supporters to.”

Cr Hill said Council was ready to transform the city centre with food trucks, music, entertainment and more to celebrate having the Championship in Townsville.

“This is another opportunity to deliver an outstanding activation for our city to complement this world-class event, just like we did for State of Origin, and we’ll be pulling out all the stops to give these highly-watched teams and their supporters a taste of what we have to offer here in Townsville,” she said.

“Council is working closely with Rugby Australia to pull off a stellar day out for locals and sports fans who are flying or driving into the city.

“This event is going to be a welcome boost for local businesses, from hotels to restaurants to retail shops. The economic benefits of events like this are felt right across the city and even out to other towns across North Queensland, which is fantastic for traders right across the region.”

The 2021 Rugby Championship will be held at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday September 25.

Visit the event information page on What's On Townsville for more information