Ticket sales for the Santos Festival of Rugby, to be held at Dangar Park in February, are tracking ahead of previous years as the countdown to the Narrabri event starts.
In less than a month, the NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds will descend on Narrabri for the blockbuster event, which is expected to draw a crowd in the thousands.
Festival director Malcolm Watts, of the Queensland Reds, said patrons could expect this year’s event to be much more refined following last year’s festival in Roma and then Narrabri in 2021.
“We are really looking to take it up a notch,” Mr Watts said.
With sales tracking ahead of previous years, he is encouraging interested festival-goers to purchase tickets.
Mr Watts said a full schedule of events covering all aspects of rugby union would be on offer this year.
Featured artists will take to the big stage during the festival as part of the entertainment offering.
Mr Watts is excited about what will be on offer when the festival returns to the Narrabri Rugby Club next month.
“The festival itself is such a unique thing,” Mr Watts said.
“It will be great to have the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds return to Narrabri,” Mr Watts said.
Mr Watts said the festival was a great opportunity for both state sides to come together and go out to the regions.
The two-day festival will culminate in a clash between traditional rivals New South Wales and Queensland, with the Waratahs looking to win their third consecutive Santos Cup.
Held at Dangar Park, home of the Narrabri Rugby Club, in partnership with Santos and the Narrabri Shire Council, the event will also feature several country music stars, including Brad Cox and Casey Barnes, who will perform on Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
Mr Watts, who is also involved with the Queensland Reds, is excited about what’s on offer at this year’s festival.
“It is a feature event on our calendar,” he said of the festival.
“It isn’t just Narrabri … people travel four to five hours to come to the festival.”
The first Festival of Rugby was held in Narrabri in 2021, setting the stage for future events between Narrabri and Roma.
In its debut year, Narrabri businesses welcomed hundreds of festival visitors who booked out local accommodation, money spent at local stores and hospitality venues and enjoyed a weekend of rugby action.
Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher thanked Narrabri Shire Council, the Narrabri Rugby Union Club and the Santos team for the work put in to bring the inaugural festival to reality.
After its successful launch, the festival was then held in Roma last year, and hype is building for a bigger return again at the Blue Boars-hosted event in Narrabri.
Mr Gallagher said the company is proud to bring the Festival of Rugby back to Narrabri after a record-breaking launch event in 2021.
“This time, with the inclusion of the Super W event, we hope the two-day festival breaks the 2021 records where more than 3600 people flocked to the upgraded Dangar Park for the event,” Mr Gallagher said.
“Economic modelling showed in 2021, the festival contributed more than $375,000 in indirect spend to the town with another $375,000 spent on local suppliers for field works and festival-related products and services and an additional $200,000 on infrastructure upgrades.
“We look forward to bringing another fantastic weekend of rugby, along with the associated economic and tourism benefits, to Narrabri again next year.”
Tickets for this year’s Festival of Rugby in Narrabri are available through Ticketek.
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