The NRL is reportedly planning on starting the 2024 season with a Las Vegas blockbuster.
The Daily Telegraph reports the league is looking to kick the season off with a double-header in Sin City.
The report reveals NRL supremo Peter V’landys and chief executive Andrew Abdo are planning to travel to the fight capital of the world next month to begin planning the extravaganza.
The event would involve players from four NRL clubs taking up a role as rugby league evangelists selling the sport to an American audience in the week leading up to the game.
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Despite the impact the travel and taxing workload would have on players, clubs are reportedly lining up to be involved.
The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield posted on Twitter on Monday morning the blockbuster could be “the biggest event in rugby league history”.
Vegas has a state of the art rectangle venue — Allegiant Stadium — which has a capacity of 65,000. The stadium is used by the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL and was completed in 2020 at a cost of $2 billion. It was assessed to be the second most expensive stadium in the world at the time of completion.
Sam Boyd Stadium, which previously hosted the Rugby Sevens, also has a capacity of 40,000.
The NRL has been planning the United States move for some time and it was revealed last year that a plan to open the 2023 season with a game between South Sydney and Manly in Los Angeles had fallen over late in discussions.
The NRL also tried to make it work in 2019.
South Sydney boss Blake Solly said in August: “We had discussions a few years ago with the NRL about that potential game to open the season in the US.
“It didn’t come off then but we’ve always been interested in any opportunity to expand the game in the US provided its part of a long-term strategy from the NRL to continue playing in America. We also have the links to America with owners Russell Crowe and Mike Cannon-Brookes, who has sporting interests [as a part-owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz] in the US.
“We’ve also played a game there against Leeds in Jacksonville. We’ve always been supporters of an expanded World Club Series, so anything to grow the profile of rugby league and the Rabbitohs we are willing to entertain.”
The Rabbitohs, Melbourne Storm and Manly have been identified as clubs that may be involved.
The league’s hugely popular Magic Round was also previously thought of as a concept that could be successful overseas.
The game can only hope enough time has passed since the 1987 State of Origin exhibition game flopped in Los Angeles.
