Dear Stakeholder,

This afternoon in Melbourne, your Gold Coast SUNS were joined by our counterparts at the Port Adelaide Football Club and special guests from the AFL to confirm that the two teams will play the first ever match for premiership points in China in Season 2017.

We are extremely proud to be involved in this match in what will be a historical moment for our game. We see this match as an opportunity to showcase both our club and our city on the global stage.

China is the number one international tourism market for the city of the Gold Coast, and we are thrilled to help play a part in deepening that connection.

As a club we have strong links to the region through our long-term partner, Huawei, and with the direct exposure this match will generate for the city, we look forward to enhancing the tourism and trade opportunities for the broader Gold Coast.

The match will be played at Jiangwan Stadium, Shanghai and will be broadcast live back into Australia on the Seven Network and on CCTV throughout China.

In the AFL world it’s very common for teams to fixture home games away from the team’s traditional home, in our case Metricon Stadium. Hawthorn, North Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and the GWS Giants all played matches away from their traditional home in 2016.

We have worked hard to ensure our members will also benefit from this game.

Pleasingly, all members wishing to travel to China for the game will have access to the match and travel packages to the game, available now through Tee Lee Travel.

For those not in a position to travel to China, we are also pleased to confirm that in 2017, full season members will also hold entry entitlements to our QClash game against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba. Further details of these arrangements will be advised shortly.

The opportunity to play a game in China is one we plan to capitalise on, benefiting both the football club and the City of the Gold Coast well into the future.

We’ve said in recent times that we are really going to be an aspirational club therefore we’re going to try and do new things.

As part of that mantra, we look forward to bringing success to this historical event.

Go the SUNS. 

 

Andrew Travis
Chief Executive
Gold Coast SUNS