Premiership tried and failed in the US – league is taking a noisier approach in Las Vegas
In downtown Las Vegas, thousands of rugby league supporters from both sides of the world have been congregating on Fremont Street.
You will see all sorts in the bars and casinos of Vegas but nothing quite like this; a mass gathering of rugby fans to watch eight different teams take to the Allegiant Stadium.
Wiganers, Aussies, Kiwis – many resplendent in their club jerseys – mixed happily and there was some American interest, too, in this modern sporting curiosity.
Wigan are in Las Vegas to play Warrington in a Super League fixture on foreign soil. So far so interesting. But the match is just a part of a quadruple-header that will also feature two NRL fixtures and a women's Test match between England and Australia.
Wigan captain Liam Farrell has described the circus around the weekend's event as 'bonkers' and the Warriors and Warrington will be backed by around 10,000 English fans in a crowd expected to approach 50,000.
In truth, the bulk of the support here is for the NRL teams, the Australia-based competition which recently announced record profits for 2024. The cash-rich league took two games to the Allegiant Stadium to open its season last year and the event drew around 40,000 fans. That prompted Kris Radlinski, the Wigan chief executive, to contact the NRL to ask if Super League could join the party in 2025.
The Warriors, who last season won every trophy on offer and were crowned BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year, asked Warrington if they fancied it. The answer was a resounding 'yes'.
Both clubs are backed by wealthy owners and believe their daring and ambition can help elevate the profile of Super League outside its traditional enclaves in northern England.
Wigan and Warrington are, of course, helped massively by formidable support from the NRL, which showed last year that it can pull huge crowds in Vegas.
That suggests that taking a Super League fixture Stateside can succeed where Premiership Rugby failed.
Saracens played standalone Premiership games in New Jersey and Philadelphia in 2016 and 2017, but crowds were poor and they have not been back since.
Wigan have close links with Sarries but also an increasingly strong relationship with the NRL and it is the Australians they have turned to for advice.
'Coming to Vegas has never been about making money or 'let's crack America' – this is about raising Super League's profile and seeing where it can take us,' says Radlinski. 'It was a calculated decision and we're lucky to have an owner [Wigan-born billionaire Mike Danson] who says, 'I want eyeballs on rugby league'.
'I've been challenged on cost base, but ultimately this is bigger than that. This is about the future direction of the sport.'
With the broadcast deal with Sky Sports, which has covered Super League since its formation in 1996, having fallen sharply in recent times, the hope is that taking the competition to Vegas will give the British game a much-needed shot in the arm.
'I think it has to,' adds Radlinski. 'In the last month, since the season started, there has been a lot of interest created by us going to Vegas and Sky Sports have really pushed this game.
'On Super Sunday last week, after Manchester City beat Liverpool, they had Roy Keane and Micah Richards talking about it in front of probably at least 50 million viewers worldwide.
Super League in Las Vegas? 🙌 YES PLEASE 🥳 @WiganWarriorsRL and @WarringtonRLFC ready to put on a show this Saturday, live on @SkySportsRL 😍 #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/MUrB2LlYcg
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) February 26, 2025
'We're on the world stage this weekend and I didn't know what to expect coming here.
'But I walked up the Strip this week and have seen fans from every rugby league club in the UK. This is not going to solve all our problems, but it has captured the imagination.
'The NRL said there was a 'halo effect' on the game after Vegas last year and I think that's already happening within UK rugby league.
'In the opening two rounds of the season, crowds and digital engagement are up.'
Radlinksi says event points to brighter future
There is talk of the NRL buying a stake in Super League and Radlinski adds: 'It's [NRL] the premier competition in the world. During the past 10 months, preparing for this game, I've had meetings every fortnight and on the call have been 20 people from every single department of the NRL.
'I don't want to ram Las Vegas down everyone's throat – this isn't the answer – but I just hope it gives people some optimism for the future of the game and that we can be part of it.'
The NRL has a five-year deal to play in Vegas and it is expected that two more Super League teams will be part of the 2026 incarnation.
Radlinski says: 'There's a movement happening and it's up to us as a sport to grasp it.'
When professional English rugby was last played in the United States, Saracens beat Newcastle Falcons in front of 6,271 fans in Philadelphia.
Saturday's attendance in Vegas will dwarf that, but the real challenge for Super League could be to make this event a lasting fixture in the calendar and enjoy some serious growth on the back of it.
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