Brisbane’s two most beloved sporting teams, the Broncos and the Lions, are uniting in 2025 in an unprecedented partnership to celebrate the city’s sporting culture and foster collaboration between codes.
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This alliance will see the teams share resources, enhance fan engagement, and host a major corporate event, the inaugural Brisbane Lunch at The Star Brisbane in Brisbane City, on 16 May.
The partnership aims to strengthen ties between the clubs, offering benefits such as ticketing initiatives for members, knowledge-sharing opportunities between NRL, NRLW, AFL, and AFLW squads, and specialist coaching swaps. Additionally, the teams will work together on community appearances and game attendance moments, further solidifying their joint presence in Brisbane’s sporting scene.
With both clubs’ men’s teams set to play their first home games of the 2025 season this weekend— the Broncos facing the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium and the Lions taking on the West Coast Eagles at The Gabba— the announcement comes at an exciting time for Brisbane sports fans.
Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the opportunities it presents for both clubs and their supporters.
“This is a really exciting announcement for supporters of both clubs, code aside,” Donaghy said. “As Brissy’s teams, we know it’ll be a fan favourite, and there are many synergies and learnings that both squads and clubs can take from each other.”
The partnership has already seen early collaboration between the clubs, with Broncos players training at the Lions’ Brighton Homes Arena and specialist kicking coaches from the Lions assisting at Red Hill.
“It’s easy to get caught up in your own little bubble sometimes, but it’s safe to say that both Clubs have known success over the years, the Lions of course most recently – and we want to get better, together,” Donaghy said.
He also noted that the initiative would help introduce more fans to both sports. “There’s no doubt we may see some new fans to our great game and vice-versa, for the Lions. We can’t wait to get together in May for the Brisbane Lunch, which I’m sure will be the hottest ticket in town.”
Lions CEO Greg Swann echoed Donaghy’s sentiments, reinforcing the impact that both clubs have on the Brisbane community and economy.
“Queenslanders love their sport, and both the Lions and Broncos have an ever-growing fan base, but we’re also major economic drivers for the Brisbane economy,” Swann said. “More than 825,000 people attend our events across The Gabba and Suncorp Stadium, we have millions tune into our match broadcasts, home games employ thousands of people, and together we have over 115,000 members.”
He also highlighted the existing connection between the two clubs, stating, “The Broncos are very familiar to the Lions, and we’ve done a fair bit with them behind the scenes over the years, but this will be one of the first occasions we’ve joined forces so publicly to promote the city and share our stories across codes.”
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As part of the collaboration, the clubs will also announce a major joint charity partner in the coming months, reinforcing their commitment to giving back to the community.
With the Brisbane Lunch set to feature key players and head coaches Michael Maguire and Chris Fagan, fans can look forward to an unprecedented celebration of Brisbane sport. Tickets for the event are up for grabs via Eventbrite.
Published 18-March-2025
