A big two days of announcements has put Wagga well and truly back on the sporting map.
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Mayor Greg Conkey OAM believes announcements from both the AFL and NRL on Tuesday 'reinforces' Wagga as the 'City of Good Sports'.
A sporting smorgasbord will kick off on Sunday when Sydney FC host Newcastle Jets in a W-League pre-season game at Equex Centre.
AFL will return to Wagga for the first time in four years next March when an AFL and AFL Women's (AFLW) double header is held in the city over March 7-8.
"Excuse the pun but we did have a bit of a drought there for a while. But now it's certainly come back in full force," Conkey said.
"To have the NRL, okay we had it this year, but to have to the Raiders and Newcastle Knights, that's great, it's going to be a little bit earlier this year in April but then to have this in March, the replay of the grand final between Richmond and the Giants, and the women the day before, it's just huge for this city.
"It reinforces the city as being the 'City of Good Sports' but also a regional centre as well and we'll attract a lot of people from throughout the region.
"This is a regional event and we expect the region to get behind it."
The AFL double header has been brought to Wagga through a two-year partnership struck between AFL NSW-ACT and Wagga City Council.
Conkey said it was a specific focus to bring elite sport back to Wagga.
"We've worked closely with the associations, the NRL and AFL, to get these games here and its worked. We've got close relationships with all of them and that's great," he said.
AFL Southern NSW game development manager Marc Geppert believes the double header will be arguably the biggest event the code has held in Wagga.
"It's a massive result for the region," Geppert said.
"We're really excited. I can't remember an announcement this big locally. Wagga's done a fantastic job securing these two games and we'll certainly make the most of them."
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