Racing and rugby league to combine when Canberra Raiders play NRL match in Wagga Wagga on 4 May

The NRL has today confirmed the regional locations and dates which will appear in the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership draw, with support from the NSW Government.

The Canberra Raiders will host a game in Wagga Wagga, in Round 8 on Saturday 4 May, with NRL kick-off at 3pm. One curtain raiser will also be held on this day.

The scheduled fixtures follow the Murrumbidgee Turf Club annual two-day race meeting which will be held in the City of Good Sports on 2nd-3rd May 2019.

Raiders CEO Don Furner was delighted with the placement of the game, meaning a ‘Festival of Sport’ will be rolled out in Wagga Wagga on the first weekend in May “We are excited about this premiership fixture, the Riverina is a great rugby league region and we are looking forward to finalising plans now that we have a date confirmed”.

Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Greg Conkey OAM is delighted with the scheduled date of the match.

“This marks the start of the partnership between Wagga Wagga City Council and the Raiders, which will continue to grow and benefit both our community and the club in the coming years,” he said.

“The Gold Cup Carnival is already one of Wagga Wagga’s premier events, which will only be strengthened by the NRL game on Saturday 4 May. Not only will it encourage people to stay longer in the city after the races, it will attract more visitors to the carnival.

As well as boosting rugby league at a grass roots level, hosting an NRL game in Wagga Wagga is estimated to inject $2M into the local economy and will add to the 1.3 million people who visit our city each year.”

Tickets for the game in Wagga Wagga will go on sale at the end of November with further details about the game being released through the Raiders official website  as they evolve.