NRLW stars are determined to leave a lasting legacy on the Hunter when the competition descends on the region for the inaugural NRLW Magic Round next year.
Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium will host the first women's edition of the showpiece event on August 2-3.
All six games of Round 5 will be played at the venue, with officials confident of replicating the success of NRL Magic Round, which sold out Suncorp Stadium for three straight days last year.
The teams are eager for the event to be more than just a weekend of football, with players looking to interact with the Hunter community and leave a lasting legacy for the next generation of girls.
"This has been a player-led initiative," Harvey Norman Jillaroos coach Brad Donald told pan66.com. "The players have called for these big events like Magic Round and playing in regional and remote areas.
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"It's really great to see an NRLW Magic Round, there will be a lot of buy in from the players and teams. There's a real spirit of collaboration in the women's movement so at Magic Round fans will be able to do more than just watch the games.
"There will be a great opportunity for us to inspire female players, coaches, trainers and administrators. It will inspire people from right across the game so it's a great initiative."
The Titans and Bulldogs will kick off the weekend before the Wests Tigers face the Roosters and Broncos take on the Sharks to close out a Saturday triple-header.
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The Cowboys and Warriors will open Sunday's slate, with the Knights to play Canberra in the second match of the day before Parramatta and St George Illawarra look to finish the weekend on a high.
More than 40,000 fans are expected to attend the event, with Newcastle locals and fans travelling from across NSW and beyond to watch the game's biggest stars.
The Hunter fan base has rallied behind the Knights women, turning out in droves as the side developed into a major force on the field.
Newcastle won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 before their reign was ended by the Roosters last season.
McDonald Jones Stadium was sold out for Game Two of the 2024 Women's State of Origin series, with the stadium to host the decider next year.
While Brisbane has hosted the NRL Magic Round since its inception, the NRLW edition will be rotated around regional towns in NSW as part of a three-year deal with the NSW Government.
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The 2026 edition will likely be held in western NSW, with Queensland players hopeful towns such as Rockhampton will also get the opportunity to host the event in the future.
The Jillaroos travelled to Bathurst prior to last week's Pacific Championships final to connect with fans in the region and co-captain Ali Brigginshaw said it's important to take major events to the country to grow the women's game.
"We'd love to take our game regional, the girls are willing to travel," Brigginshaw told pan66.com. "Those smaller country towns don't really get NRL games so if we can take our NRLW games out there, get 20,000 fans there, then we're growing our game to new supporters.
"There's so many young country girls that are wanting to play and might think they're not going to get the opportunity because they're not in Brisbane or Sydney so if we can take the game out there, get some new supporters and players, the game will keep growing."
