State of Origin returned to the MCG for Game 2 of the 2024 series.
As the nation's largest-capacity stadium, organisers were hoping for a strong crowd for the match between New South Wales and Queensland.
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State of Origin crowd: Confirmed attendance for NSW vs. QLD at the MCG
A confirmed figure of 90,084 fans attended the game in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
It marks the second-largest crowd at the MCG for an Origin match, falling short of the 91,513-strong crowd in 2015.
Tonight's attendance is 90,084. #Origin pic.twitter.com/7uWkFwVfQd
— Melbourne Cricket Ground (@MCG) June 26, 2024
State of Origin: Crowd, attendance records in Melbourne
Since State of Origin's inception in 1982, Melbourne has hosted nine games prior to Wednesday, with the first one taking place in 1990 at the old Olympic Park.
It then held games in 1994, 1995 and 1997 at the MCG, with strong crowds in two of the three games helping convince the powers of the time to introduce a club side to the city.
The city hosted three games at Marvel Stadium between 2006 and 2012, with the 2006 game famous for Queensland's last-gasp try to seal a first series win of eight in a row in Game 3.
In 2015 the game once again returned to the MCG, with a record crowd of 91,513 watching NSW win Game 2.
| Year | Game | Result | Stadium | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Two | NSW 12-6 QLD | Olympic Park | 25,800 |
| 1994 | Two | NSW 14-0 QLD | MCG | 87,161 |
| 1995 | Two | QLD 20-12 NSW | MCG | 52,994 |
| 1997 | Two | NSW 15-14 QLD | MCG | 25,105 |
| 2006 | Three | NSW 14-16 QLD | Telstra Dome | 54,833 |
| 2009 | One | QLD 28-18 NSW | Etihad Stadium | 50,967 |
| 2012 | One | NSW 10-18 QLD | Etihad Stadium | 56,021 |
| 2015 | Two | QLD 18-26 NSW | MCG | 91,513 |
| 2018 | One | NSW 22-12 QLD | MCG | 87,122 |
