Last year's minor premiers and grand final runners-up Penrith Panthers will play Manly Sea Eagles at Carrington Park in the eighth round of the 2021 NRL season.

It will be a 3pm game at Carrington Park on Saturday, May 1. The fixture was confirmed when the NRL released its 2021 draw at 11am on Thursday.

The last time two Sydney-based clubs played in Bathurst was in the inaugural NRL fixture back in 2014 between Penrith and the Cronulla Sharks.

Bathurst is one of six NSW regional venues that will host games in 2021, including Mudgee, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth.

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Penrith first played in Bathurst in 2014 and the club has brought a game to Carrington Park each season since, except for the coronavirus-affected 2020 campaign.

The club has signed an ongoing deal with Bathurst Regional Council to play an NRL match in Bathurst each season until at least 2028.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys said on Wednesday that rugby league was in the DNA of regional NSW and the commission would deliver on a promise to bring more elite rugby league to the regions.

"I made a promise to regional NSW that we would take games back to the bush as soon as the competition returned to normality. The infection rate is now zero so we will deliver on that promise and schedule NRL games in six different towns,'' he said.

"Nowhere is rugby league stronger than in our regions. This year COVID meant we were only able to take one game to regional NSW, so we will make good on that with six games next year.

"One of the Commission's major objectives in the next three years is to reinvigorate Country Rugby League. Accordingly there is no better way than to take the game's stars to Country heartland and inspire participation at all levels."