11 things you need to know about Tamworth, the Warriors new NRL home

Not that the quarantined Warriors will get to enjoy the sights. But here's a quick look at their temporary home in Tamworth New South Wales, a place with a few quirky New Zealand connections.

And if a few prominent locals have their way, that connection will include an enduring friendship with the Warriors.

1) Tamworth is the biggest place in north-west New South Wales, population nearly 50,000. It was the first place in Australia to get street lights, in 1888.

2) Notable sports people from Tamworth include former Kiwi league hooker Richard Swain, and Aussie fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Swain, who made his name at the Melbourne Storm, qualified for New Zealand because his mother is a Kiwi.

3) Tamworth also produced a far more controversial figure than Swain who had dual status. Former deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was rule ineligible for the Australian parliament a couple of years ago because he was a New Zealand citizen.

4) MP Kevin Anderson is the man who got the Warriors to Tamworth. As the Covid-19 crisis hit sport and threatened the Warriors ability to play in the NRL, he texted the club and NRL offering the city as a base. Anderson believes it will boost Tamworth's image as a "can-do" city, and hopes the Warriors will return to actually play a game there one day. Tamworth already has a close association with the Wests Tigers, who were due to play Canberra at Scully Park this week.

5) Revamped Scully Park - the Warriors training ground during a two-week quarantine period - is a boutique ground, with an 11,000 capacity, and small 700 set covered grandstand.

Action during the Tamworth country music festival. Photo / Getty Images

6) Tamworth is synonymous with country music, its 10-day festival in January second only to the famous Nashville event. Forbes has rated it at number eight in the 'World's Coolest Music Festivals'. An appearance there is said to have helped launch Kiwi-Aussie Keith Urban's rise to world stardom.

7) Tamworth was declared a disaster zone in 2004 when flash floods caused the Peel River to break its bank and cut the city in half as one report put it…during the music festival. About 3000 people camping on the river banks and hundreds of residents were evacuated.

As much of Tamworth's big guitar that we could fit in. Photo / Getty Images

8) The city boasts a 12m high Golden Guitar, which was unveiled by Aussie country music star Slim Dusty over three decades ago. But wait, there's more. Controversy erupted when a 300kg Big Mac temporary sculpture was unveiled on Australia Day in 2017. Mayor Col Murray - one of the men who brought the Warriors to town - defended the Really Big Big Mac by saying "it recognises Tamworth is a serious part of the McDonald's supply chain".

9) Tamworth gets a fair deal of rain and can experience a bit of a spike in May. The temperatures start dipping noticeably and were expected to get down to 2 degrees C early this week although it has been nice and warm during the day.

10) Sister cities include Tamworth in England, and - keeping up the country music theme - Gore in New Zealand and Nashville, USA.

11) It is a major equine region while a top attraction is the Tamworth Marsupial Park. "The park is entirely free and has a lovely bird aviary," said one visitor. Free gas barbecues are also available. The tourist centre is The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre, in case you hadn't already guessed.