Water, Beer Provided for Final
With the soaring forecast predicted for Sunday – potentially 36 degrees celcius at its hottest – the NRL and NRWL are preparing for the hottest grand final day ever. The doubleheader will take place at 1:20 P.M beginning with the State Championship game between the South’s NSW and Brisbane’s Easts Tigers. The NRLW will have its grand final between Gold Coast and Newcastle at 3:55 PM, and the men’s decider will conclude the day at 7:30 PM.
In an effort to combat potential dehydration on the hottest grand final day ever, supplies have been ordered. More than 6,000 bottles of water, as well as 20,000 cups of beer, have been ordered in order to keep what is expected to be a capacity crowd in attendance.
As mentioned, the forecast is currently calling for a temperature of 36C, which would be the new record. As of now, the current record for hottest grand final day came back in 2014. The temperature was 34.7C when South Sydney defeated the Bulldogs for the crown.
Comments From the NRL, Accor Stadium, and More
Graham Annesley, the head of elite football for the NRL, said that “without being dismissive of the weather bureau, things can change.” He did say that there were certain “levers” that could be pulled should the heat be deemed too dangerous to play in.
Some of those “levers” include possibly changing kick-off times. “We are ready for circumstances, as we are throughout the whole season,” Graham said. It is not expected at this time that anything will change but the league is prepared.
“We’re telling people to prepare for the hot weather. So wear a hat, wear sunscreen, sunscreen will be available at all the foot outlets, and just stay hydrated,” said a spokesperson for Accor Stadium, showing that the venue is being mindful of the prediction and taking the necessary precautions.
A Major Increase
The venue, which has food outlets stationed throughout, has increased its stock substantially. The normal amount of water on hand was increased from 24,000 to 30,000 bottles. Beer consumption is also expected to go up, from 100,000 cups up to 120,000 cups. Patrons are also encouraged to bring their own non-glass water bottles that can be refilled at any of the food outlets.
Matt Church, coach of the Easts Tigers, stated that his team has been used to playing in humid, hot conditions. He even added that a pair of matches earlier in the year were above 35C, but he is taking precautions and encouraging his team to be hydrated even before game day arrives.
The game, initially a winter sport, has now officially moved into summer sport status. It joins a market that had previously been dominated by elite football, tennis, and cricket. The Bureau of Meteorology expects that temperatures will be at least three times as likely to be “unusually warm” throughout much of Australia from October through December.
