THE Wests Tigers will pocket $25,000 from Destination NSW to bring its home game against the Gold Coast Titans to Tamworth in 2019.
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Last year the Tigers brought the first ever NRL premiership game to Tamworth, when the Sydney-based club hosted the Newcastle Knights at Scully Park.
The Tigers’ top brass had since expressed some desire to make Tamworth a home away from home and it was confirmed, last month, the club would return to town in 2019.
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The NRL club will receive a $25,000 sweetener for taking the game to the country.
Destination NSW will chip-in $25,000 for the game which council will offload to the club.
“The first ever NRL regular season match was held in Tamworth in April 2018, between Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights with the event being considered a huge success,” governance and corporate director Chris Weber said in his report to council.
“The match was sold out with over 10,000 spectators attending the match at Scully Park and numerous other activities outside of the game attracting strong interest and participation.
“In supporting this event, Destination NSW have allocated $25,000 towards the placement of this match in Tamworth.”
Mr Weber said the funding was “mutually exclusive” of the deal between the Tigers and Wests Entertainment Group.
Tamworth Regional Council sponsored the fixture itself in 2018 after it voted in favour of putting $20,000 to the cause.
The sponsorship entitled council to sideline advertising rights and 30 double passes to the game which were given away.
Mayor Col Murray said it would be unlikely council would provide any further assistance if a request was made closer to the April 27 fixture.
“The Inland Forum has tried to rationalise the cost to something more reasonable,” he said.
“It’s up to the NRL and the clubs to promote the game, it’s not the responsibility of regional councils.”