State of Origin

State of origin is the state or territory from which something originates. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league and, until more recently, Australian rules football matches. The selection criteria for Australian football has varied, but it is generally applied to players who played most of their juniors games in a particular state or territory, hence the name "State of Origin". In Rugby league the criteria is different, where players are selected for where they either first played senior Rugby league or where they played the majority of senior competition. The annual State of Origin series is now one of Australia's most popular sporting events. The name is also used in Australia for small sporting events which generally involve domestic representative teams.

It was devised to address the drift of most talented Australian rules players to the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the effect that this had on interstate matches. A similar situation existed in regard to the New South Wales Rugby League which attracted the best players from the Queensland Rugby League because of its far stronger and financially attractive competition. The latter was due to the increased funds of the New South Wales clubs, due to poker machines, which Queensland laws prohibited.

The first recorded call for 'state of origin' selection rules for interstate football was made in 1900. A journalist known as "The Cynic" writing for a rugby football periodical called The Referee, suggested that Stephen Spragg, who had moved to Queensland, should be able to play for his state of birth, New South Wales. The change did not eventuate, with residential selection rules prevailing both before and after the split into rugby league and rugby union until the concept was later resurrected for league. However, in rugby union the concept has never been used, as the Queensland and New South Wales teams ceased to be representative, instead becoming more like clubs.

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