About Queensland Maroons

The Queensland rugby league team has represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, the team plays three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of Origin series. Captained by Cameron Smith and coached by Mal Meninga, Queensland, the team is administered by the Queensland Rugby League and plays all of its home matches at Brisbane's Lang Park.

Since 1908 a Queensland representative rugby league team had been assembled from players based in the state to compete annually against New South Wales. The team used to play matches against other high-profile foreign and domestic touring teams, but has not played anyone other than New South Wales in several decades. From 1980 onwards, when Queensland was first allowed to select players of local origin even if they were currently at clubs outside its borders, the team's success rate against New South Wales improved dramatically. Until 1987 clubs from both the Brisbane Rugby League and the NSWRL provided players for the side. Maroons players have been chosen exclusively from clubs in the National Rugby League since Game III 2001 when Allan Langer was selected from Europe's Super League. Recently the team achieved a record-breaking eight successive State of Origin victories from 2006 to 2013 in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in Australian sporting history.