Wagga City Council has struck a deal with NRL powerhouse the Canberra Raiders to extend their tenure in the city.
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Raiders chief executive Don Furner made the announcement in Wagga on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the team's clash with Newcastle Knights on May 8.
The Green Machine first brought an NRL premiership game to Wagga in 2019, taking out the Penrith Panthers in front of more than 10,000 people at Equex.
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The announcement comes in the shadow of Wagga's 2020 premiership, which was cancelled because of coronavirus to the disappointment of thousands of fans.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner said it had been a blow for the club, but that they would make up for it in 2021 and 2022.
"It was a sad phone call I received from [Wagga City mayor Greg Conkey] last year when it had to be cancelled. It was a weird feeling, but we always made a commitment we'd come back," Mr Furner said.
"We feel we're the country club, we've always felt we represent people in the country and this is our region."
Councillor Conkey said the deal would mean thousands of visitors and millions of dollars for the Wagga economy after missing out last year.
"It's a great event that brings in a lot of people throughout southern NSW. All the accommodation's booked out, the restaurants do a roaring trade, the cafes, the business community have a number of people coming in," Cr Conkey said.
"We missed out on a lot of money, but hopefully we'll make it up over the next couple of years."
Over 10,000 football fans attended the 2019 game, however this year's match will be capped at 6945 due to social distancing measures.
However, Cr Conkey said he remained hopeful that the restrictions will lift in time for 2022, allowing them to run at full capacity of 12,000.
This year's premiership will see the Raiders clash with the Newcastle Knights, who are due to kick off at McDonald's Park on May 8.
Tickets for the game will be available for Raiders and Knights members from 9am Friday on Ticketek and will be available for the general public on Saturday from 9am.
Normal coronavirus restrictions apply and tickets will remain capped at 6495, pending further announcements from the state government.
Kick-off for the NRL match is 3pm, with a NSW Cup curtain raiser between the Raiders and Knights starting at 12.40pm.
Plans for 2023 are still up in the air, however Mr Furner hinted that he would "have a beer" with the mayor after the 2022 match and discuss the possibility for further games down the track.
"The facilities in Wagga are fantastic and keep getting better with the help of a very committed rugby league community in the city," Mr Furner said.
"We value a very strong supporter base in the Riverina and it's not a hard decision for us to commit to the Wagga game because everyone there wants to make it happen and can't do enough for our club, which is very much appreciated."
It will be a busy few days for Wagga, which is also holding the Gold Cup over that same weekend.
Thousands of cup-goers are expected to show up at this year's carnival, after it was forced to race in front of an empty stadium last year.