The NRL’s viva Las Vegas mission has been launched into orbit with Aaron Woods and Campbell Graham featuring on the Fox Sports halftime coverage of an NFL match.
A contingent of NRL stars accompanied by NRL CEO Andrew Abdo attended the NFL match between the Raiders and Minnesota Vikings in Las Vegas to begin ramping up rugby league in the US.
The NRL contingent attended the game at Allegiant Stadium – the same venue where rugby league will launch season 2024 when South Sydney play Manly and the Sydney Roosters play Brisbane Broncos.
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The NRL has already sold 20,000 tickets to the game ahead of the official launch in Las Vegas this week and is committed to trying to introduce the sport to a new US audience.
One of the best elements of attending NFL games is the huge tail gate parties outside the stadium where thousands of fans set up trucks, utes and four wheel drives complete with barbecues, stereo speakers and fold out chairs prior to kickoff.
The party atmosphere is friendly and there’s thousands of Raiders fans as well as supporters of the visiting side Minnesota Vikings all lapping up the game day experience.
The NRL players who are in Las Vegas for the official launch are Aaron Woods, Campbell Graham, Spencer Leniu and Billy Walters and all were lapping up the major event that is attending an NFL game.
In a sign of how seriously the NRL is taking its foray into the US market Woods was interviewed at halftime on Fox Sports in the US by well-known NFL sideline reporter Laura Okmin.
The interview was beamed live to millions of National Football League viewers in the US.
NRL CEO Abdo will officially launch rugby league’s mission to the US on Wednesday this week with the players touring all more than happy to spread the word and talk the game up.
Raiders president Sandra Douglas Morgan spent time in the NRL’s corporate suite at the NFL game asking questions of the players about rugby league and explaining some of the intricacies of the National Football League.
The Raiders boss said there clearly some similarities between the games given the gladiatoral nature of rugby league and the ferocious contact in NFL.
The NRL is on the US all week to promote the opening of the code’s 2024 season in the country with a population of 331 million.
The NRL is set to unveil a new Steeden for the season launch complete with a US flag incorporated into the design.
South Sydney centre Graham is even on a giant LED mural on the side of the Las Vegas hotel where the NRL touring party is staying on the world famous strip.
Viva Las Vegas, rugby league is coming to the entertainment capital of the world.
