‘Bigger Than Everything’: the Religion that is State of Origin in Queensland
Story by The Guardian • Australia Edition
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NO OTHER sporting event will ever be able to galvanise and reflect the state quite like Origin, an annual event that even non-rugby league followers pay heed to.
By midday a crowd of thousands had formed at Southbank, on the edge of the Brisbane River, for the inaugural Maroon Festival.
Fierce young men with neck tattoos and wraparound sunglasses. Blonde women in white skirts or shorts. Murris in loud football jerseys sponsored by Deadly Choices. Elderly couples with lanyards and Sunday Mail show-bags. One man dressed in North Queensland Cowboys shorts, a Queensland jumper and a broad bushman’s hat.
A Kiwi woman sported a maroon t-shirt with a gold rather than silver fern, emblazoned with the slogan MarooNZ.
As proud parents snapped photos, three young children stood in front of an inflatable State of Origin gladiator and yelled, “Go Queensland!”
When the players arrived by CityCat in the afternoon, a large congregation gathered eagerly to welcome them on to the main stage.
Throughout the day the fans had listened to Gene Miles, Queensland’s chairman of selectors, explain why Billy Slater was left out of the squad for Game I; and to the King, Wally Lewis, lead the “Queens-lan-der!” cry.
“The great thing about you wonderful people who have given us such sensational support was if we got beat in the game, you’d go home disappointed but you wouldn’t abuse us,” Lewis told the rapturous audience.
“You wouldn’t feel embarrassed about us, and you’d turn up the next game. You’d show that loyalty, and loyalty is the backbone of what has created success for Queensland State of Origin.”
State of Origin in Queensland has risen to a new level in 2017, breaking the confines of rugby league and cementing its position as the defining image of the state. This year there is a dedicated television show on Fox Sports called Queenslanders Only, complete with slogans to “Make League Great Again” and for a “QUEXIT”.
Until it was postponed in May, tickets were selling for a Queensland-themed musical titled Home Ground, produced by one of Queensland’s best-known writers, Hugh Lunn.
In Brisbane, football matches and boxing bouts have recently been promoted with the symbolism and the colours of Origin.
The federal member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, even issued a press release about who should play fullback in Origin I.