Latest news with #Radlinski
Telegraph
01-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
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 — 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.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 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 which will also see two NRL fixtures played 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 — 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.' 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. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
How Wigan and Warrington took Super League to Las Vegas: ‘It became a no-brainer'
From Wycombe to Wollongong, Super League has been played in some far-flung places since the competition's formation in 1996. On Saturday, here in Las Vegas, it will break new ground with its first game on American soil as Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves face off at the 65,000 capacity Allegiant Stadium. It feels remarkable. Certainly walking up Vegas' famous Strip these past few days, with thousands of rugby league fans from both sides of the world mixing happily, has been some sight. The launch event at the Red Tail Sports Bar at Resorts World on Wednesday got a little rowdy when Wigan fans booed their former favourite George Williams when he was introduced on stage. Why? Because he now plays for rivals Warrington, the team Wigan face in Saturday's historic clash and chose to sign for, rather than rejoin his hometown club, after a stint in the NRL. This might be Las Vegas, but parochial rivalries will not be forgotten; indeed, the Australian and Kiwi fans and media seemed rather taken aback by the strength of the English passion. Still, it was all in a good cause. On Thursday evening, huge crowds packed out Fremont Street for a fan festival where players from all eight teams arrived via a red carpet to a deafening reception. When the action gets underway at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, the fervour, the colour and carnival atmosphere that has been building all week here will reach a crescendo. Champions Wigan, owned by billionaire Mike Danson, decided to take their 'home' round-three fixture against the Wolves to Sin City and join an NRL-hosted party which began last year. In March 2024, an inaugural double-header saw Manly Sea Eagles take on South Sydney Rabbitohs and Brisbane Broncos face Sydney Roosters. Now it has doubled in size with fixtures between Canberra and New Zealand Warriors and Penrith and Cronulla opening the NRL season alongside the Wigan-Warrington clash and a women's Test match between England and Australia. Up to 50,000 fans are set to attend and Wigan chief executive Kris Radlinski believes the six-figure financial hit of losing a home game can be offset by ticket sales in Vegas and, more importantly, wider long-term growth. 'Like many of us, I watched last year's NRL games in Vegas on television,' says Radlinski, whose club won all four trophies last year and were crowned BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year. 'It felt like rugby league from a different planet so I dropped a note to my owner and asked 'is this something we should be a part of?' 'I wrote to Peter V'landys at the NRL, explained that we were an ambitious club and would like to be part of the conversation. I went to bed, woke up and had a response which said 'yes, we'd love to talk'.' Like Wigan, Warrington are backed by seriously wealthy owners in Simon Moran and Stuart Middleton. Radlinski adds: 'Once the NRL said 'yes', I met Karl Fitzpatrick, my Warrington counterpart, in Manchester and asked if they'd like to be a part of Vegas in 2025. 'Karl and Simon Moran came back and said 'let's do it' so it became a no-brainer. The last 10 months have been full on, but we're here now and it's exciting.' In 1989, Wigan and Warrington became the first two British professional rugby league teams to play each other in the USA, an exhibition match in Milwaukee that Wigan won 12-5. But this weekend league points are at stake and Sam Burgess' involvement adds a layer of intrigue to proceedings. The Warrington head coach is an NRL Hall of Fame member following his legendary exploits at South Sydney but was delayed in getting to Vegas after visa complications. Martin Gleeson, Warrington's assistant coach, says: 'Sam being here just adds to the drama doesn't it? It's huge for us and the event itself. Playing a Super League game at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, it doesn't get any better.' The bulk of the crowd will be made up of Australians and Kiwis with around 10,000 English fans attending. Two more Super League clubs, not necessarily Wigan or Warrington, are likely to be invited to play in Vegas in 2026 by the NRL. The cash-rich Australian competition, which recently announced record profits, has a five-year deal to stage the event at Allegiant Stadium. Links between Super League and the NRL are growing amid speculation the cash-strapped English competition could sell a stake to their Aussie counterparts. Premiership Rugby flopped when Saracens staged games in New Jersey and Philadelphia in 2016 and 2017, but this already feels much different. 'From a league perspective, success looks like two more Super League clubs going over there next year,' says Warrington CEO Fitzpatrick. 'We'd want nothing more than two other clubs to go out there and continue to promote the brand of Super League. Absolutely those conversations should be happening.' Fitzpatrick is keen to stress that this weekend is not about cracking the American market and converting thousands of Americans into ardent rugby league fans. 'One game is not going to make a huge difference, but if a bi-product is that we get a few more American fans then great,' he says, 'However, what this game has done without doubt is elevate the Super League and British game – the interest has been off the scale. 'When the NRL came out last year, they spoke about the 'halo effect' afterwards in Australia. Crowds were up, digital engagement is up and it's been the same in Super League in our opening two rounds. 'Why? Because there has been so much promotion and interest in us coming to Vegas.' Cash is tight in UK rugby league and, while Sky Sports have been Super League's principal broadcast partner since the competition's formation in 1996, the value of the TV deal has dipped dramatically in recent times. Significantly, however, Sky have ploughed huge resources into promoting and covering Saturday's event, with football pundits Roy Keane and Micah Richards talking it up after Liverpool's Super Sunday win at Manchester City. While a desire for change is stirring within the governance of British rugby league, Wigan and Warrington are preparing to showcase the game in the entertainment capital of the world. It could breathe new life into the code as it bids to secure a bigger TV deal and Radlinski adds: 'If we truly care about the future of our sport – about it thriving, not just surviving – then we have to embrace change. 'Sport is evolving at an electrifying pace, fuelled by advancements in infrastructure, technology, and innovation. If we stand still, we get left behind. And I won't accept that. Vegas gives us the chance to showcase what we're all about. 'But let's be clear. As much as I respect the NRL and everything they've built, we're not walking into Vegas as just another club. We're doing it as world champions.'
The Guardian
12-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Wigan, the people's club, keep their doors wide open in pursuit of perfection
It is Tuesday morning and there are just 48 hours to go until Wigan begin their Super League title defence against Leigh, not that you would know that when you walk into their Robin Park training complex. To suggest the mood is relaxed would be an understatement. Some players are taking part in a cricket match on the indoor athletics track, while others are chatting to members of the public and upstairs, their head coach, Matt Peet, is relaxing with a coffee. 'If someone said describe a high-performance environment, I don't think this would be the first place you'd think of,' their former captain and assistant coach, Sean O'Loughlin, smiles. But this is the culture and atmosphere that Peet has instilled during his three years in charge and is at the heart of Wigan's success. A little-known academy coach when he was appointed in late 2022, Peet has gone on to win seven major trophies in just 100 games, including the quadruple last year. It was only the fifth time in rugby league's 129-year history a team has won every trophy on offer. For the man who appointed Peet, it was further justification that his instinct during the Covid-19 lockdown that he had a future coaching great among his developmental staff was the right one. 'I was getting abused,' Wigan's chief executive, Kris Radlinski, says. 'We would go on walks in lockdown and I'd realise he could take this club forward in a way I'd never really seen before. We had a fans' forum and someone stood up and said if the rumours of Matt being appointed were true, he'd never watch Wigan again. He's missed some good times.' Peet has transformed Wigan, making them arguably the world's best club side, leading to recognition at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. Off the field he has been instrumental in making the Warriors feel different and has ensured enormous backing from the local community. That is evident from just one morning spent watching Wigan's final preparations for the new Super League season. Robin Park doubles up as a community hub as well as the club's unique spin on a high-performance training complex. There is a strict open-door policy, with anyone allowed in to interact with players. Of course, there are moments when it is strictly business, which comes later in the day. But when the doors are open, so too are Wigan's. The result, Radlinski and O'Loughlin – two proud Wiganers – believe, is an energy around the town they have never seen, underlined by a surge in attendances since Peet took charge. They have also been handed a remit from the owner, Mike Danson, about what success looks like in 2025 after such a historic campaign. 'Mike told us that winning trophies is great, but you'll be judged next year on the impact around the town and the things we can do in people's lives,' Radlinski says. 'To hear from your boss that winning trophies isn't as important as the impact you can have on people shows the emphasis we're putting on it. We want to really try to address some of the inequalities in the town. We're in this tricky position of trying to change the world by going to Las Vegas [for their home fixture against Warrington] but staying true to our roots. But we'll never forget that.' On any Tuesday, Wigan's afternoon schedule is blocked out. They sacrifice a training session to go into the community and give something back. 'Matt has had a huge push on us connecting with the community,' O'Loughlin says. 'We have started to notice the good feel around Wigan. People are just enjoying supporting Wigan; I think they're proud to be Wiganers.' Wigan, alongside Leigh, hope to raise £1m for local charities on Thursday in front of the biggest opening-night crowd in Super League history. But mid-morning here, the relaxed mood shifts when it's time to head over the road to the Brick Community Stadium for Wigan's last on-field hour before the game. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Peet breaks his training days down into three: learn, practice and sharpen. Learning days involve the players studying their own footage and reporting back to the coaching staff, such is the trust he has in his squad. Long gone are the days of being cramped into a room and watching an entire game back with screaming and shouting inside Robin Park. But this is categorically a sharpen day. 'It's a different experience to when I played,' Radlinski admits. 'I had a military existence of 'turn up at this time, do this, eat this'. But Matt trusts everyone and he lets the leadership group decide how our programme should be shaped. It's relaxed without doubt, but when it's time to work, we work.' And Wigan do work. There is an immediate shift in intensity as the final touches – not led by Peet, but by O'Loughlin and fellow assistant Tommy Leuluai in another sign of trust – are applied. Wigan's academy coach, Matty Smith, gives an approving nod from the touchline when they score a try as if to imply this group are ready to start their pursuit of history all over again. There is a lot to come over the next couple of months, including the historic trip to Las Vegas. Radlinski is acutely aware that showcase for the game in the US matters immensely for the whole sport, but he is also keen to ensure the local community, who perhaps cannot afford to make that trip, are part of the occasion. Thursday's opener will start to address that. The question will be asked a lot of Wigan this year: how do you improve on perfection? 'I think it's just the start,' offers Radlinski. 'They're ordinary, hard-working people so they're so humble, I think they can go on to achieve even greater things. And at the heart of it all, they know they're doing it for the town. The people of Wigan. That's what drives us.'
