For the third time in history, Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Australia will once again stage its highly anticipated state versus state Origin tournament in 2022, with the first instalment of the three-part series of events set to kick off in Newcastle on March 26 at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
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Modelled after the State of Origin rugby event, this year's PBR Australia Origin series will see Team Queensland, who are the two-time reigning champions, go head-to-head against Team New South Wales to determine which state is the supreme bull riding powerhouse.
"Each PBR Origin team will comprise of 10 riders, including a Captain, which is set to be announced in the coming weeks," explains PBR Australia General Manager, Glen Young.
"While the Captain will ride at each of the three events, the remaining nine positions will be filled based on world and national standings at preselected dates throughout the season.
"There is up to $30,000 in prize money up for grabs at the first two events and $40,000 on the line in Brisbane. The best rider of the series gets a $7,500 bonus and this year's Australian Champion will receive a $50,000 year-end bonus."
Following the series launch in Newcastle, Origin II will take place in Tamworth on April 23 before concluding with Origin III in Brisbane on May 21, where crucial points will be up for grabs.
Since the series inception in 2019, Team Queensland have dominated the dirt, with two origin victories already under their belt. While team NSW are vying for revenge against their Queensland rivals, NSW PBR rider, Cody Heffernan, is hoping their home-state advantage for the first two events will give them the upper hand.
"Newcastle is always a great event and living half an hour away in Singleton, it's bit of a home field for me," says Heffernan.
"We're going to know the bulls a bit better, and we'll be more familiar with them, but even so, the job still remains the same.
"We've just got to show up and do the job and we're looking forward to beating Queensland."
Mr Young says the series will also play a crucial role in establishing individual rider standings ahead of the Monster Energy PBR Australia Grand Finals occurring in Townsville in late November.
"In addition to vying for the title of PBR Australia Origin Champion, riders will also be competing for points towards the Australian national standings and broader PBR World standing," says Mr Young.
"The PBR Origin Champion will be the team that wins two or more events in the series, and the overall event winner will be the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate.
"While Team Queensland are looking to defend their title, NSW are determined to take out their first championship, so we're eager to see who will win the first Origin event in Newcastle next month."
