NRLW Magic Round unveiled for 2025 [Video]

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has hailed an inaugural NRLW Magic Round as the latest step towards an expanded women’s competition and full-time professionalism for elite players.

The governing body and NSW government on Tuesday announced a three-year partnership to stage a full round of NRLW fixtures in regional NSW, starting at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium in 2025.

The NRL Magic Round has been a genuine success story of Abdo’s tenure, selling out Suncorp Stadium in 2024 and generating predictions of a $120 million tourism windfall for Queensland over the next three years.

Abdo pointed to last year’s record 25,782-strong crowd for last year’s women’s Origin fixture in Newcastle– despite pouring rain and freezing conditions – as evidence of the potential for capacity attendances for the first …