NRL Grand Final week begins

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A full week of celebration has begun ahead of the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final Day next Sunday (October 1) at Accor Stadium.

The Grand Final teams were confirmed this weekend with Penrith Panthers taking on Brisbane Broncos in the men's decider, while Newcastle Knights will play Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW Grand Final.

The NRL has announced a week of activity highlighted by a three-day (Wednesday to Friday) Fan Fest crammed full of colour and fan experiences at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay.

"We have had one of the most memorable seasons in recent history. This will be a massive Grand Final Week, filled with opportunities for fans, culminating in an exciting set of Grand Final matches on Sunday," NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.

Grand Final Week will be officially launched on Tuesday evening on the shores of Sydney Harbour with representatives of competing Clubs.

The NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final teams will be presented to Fan Fest on Thursday, September 28, while the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership teams will appear at Fan Fest on Friday, September 29.

Representatives from NRL and NRLW Teams will appear at Fan Fest over the course of the three days. KFC's food truck will be on site on Wednesday with free food for fans, while other free activities include Harvey Norman Kids' Corner, the Solo Virtual Kick, skills and drills including the Steeden Magic Pass, face painting, live music and numerous giveaways.

NRL Fan Fest will be launched by representatives from the Grand Final Clubs climbing the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Wednesday morning.

Further information about NRL Fan Fest will be available at https://www.nrl.com/fanfest.

The week will also include the 2023 Dally M Awards, at Winx Stand, Royal Randwick Racecourse, on Wednesday, September 27, with a fully integrated NRL and NRLW presence throughout the awards.

The NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour's final leg will also take place at Penrith on Friday (September 29) between 10am and 2pm. The clinic is free for kids (aged 5-12 years of age), with supporters able to get a picture with the Men's and Women's Premiership trophy and a meet NRL ambassadors. Supporters can register via https://www.nrl.com/competitions/telstra-footy-country/.

The official Grand Final Lunch will take place on Friday, featuring the Retiring Players Class of 2023 as well as acknowledgement of new entrants to the 300 Club. Tickets to the lunch are still available via www.nrl.com/hospitality.

Once again the NRL and Touch Football Australia will be on show at one of Australia's most iconic locations - Bondi Beach - on Saturday, September 30. There will be Beach Touch Footy matches, League Stars clinics, pumping music and a fun festival atmosphere on the famous sands.

Grand Final Week will also feature the Kangaroos Reunion event at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The NRL's Major Partner Telstra will once again be bringing back the Telstra Junior Club Grants initiative - a total of $216,000 worth of grants to 72 country clubs across Australia, $3,000 per club.

All players, across NRL and NRLW, playing at the Grand Final will play for a selected Australian rugby league country club. The Junior Rugby League clubs will be selected by the NRL, NRL Clubs and the players, with a focus on clubs that need it most, and the funds will go towards player development, including new sporting equipment and registration fees.

"It's been an incredible season and we're excited to celebrate finals week with our leading teams in beautiful Sydney," Genelle Sharples, Telstra's Principal of Media, Sponsorship, Awards & Experiential said.

"Footy means so much to people across the country and we've seen this firsthand with the NRL Telstra Footy Country Tour along the east coast this month, which has received phenomenal participation levels, supporting pathway development. Events like this are a reminder of what this game is all about - community, camaraderie, and purpose, qualities which will be on show this weekend as we gather to watch the Grand Final matches." 

The final allocation of tickets for the Grand Final will go on sale tomorrow (Monday, September 25). The competing clubs' Ticketed Members (NRL and NRLW) will have access to tickets from 10am tomorrow, while competing clubs' non-ticketed members (NRL and NRLW) can purchase tickets from 1pm tomorrow. NRL account holder can access tickets from 4pm tomorrow.

The final allocation of General Public tickets will be available at 10am on Tuesday (September 26) via nrl.com/tickets. Additional hospitality options are on sale via www.nrl.com/hospitality.

The Grand Final Week, NRL and NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Finals are proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination New South Wales.