Latest news with #RugbyLeagueLasVegas
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'We were disruptors then and we're disruptors now'
THE staging of a Super League match in Las Vegas is another example of the kind of principles upon which rugby league was born. That is the view of Warrington Wolves chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick and his Wigan Warriors counterpart Kris Radlinski, who between them were the driving forces behind the competition's first ever game to be played on American soil. Of course, there had to be a winner and a loser and from a Warrington perspective, Fitzpatrick admits to being 'very disappointed' at how his club's enjoyment stopped when the action started as Wigan ran out convincing 48-24 victors at Allegiant Stadium. However, he says the desire to be different which saw the sport founded back in the 19th century was in full view throughout the week. 'It's been an absolutely incredible, phenomenal week,' he told Sky Sports after the game. 'Ourselves and Wigan were among the founding fathers back in 1895 – we were disruptors then and we're disruptors now in 2025. 'We've broken new ground and we've put our fantastic sport on a global platform. 'Obviously, we're very disappointed in terms of the performance as we wanted to reward our loyal fans who had travelled over, but overall it's been an incredible experience.' The NRL – the organisers of the second Rugby League Las Vegas event that was successfully launched last year – invited Wigan and Warrington to face off as part of an expanded weekend having been impressed by the number of English fans that travelled to watch the action in 2024. And with more than 10,000 supporters heading over from the UK this time around, it was confirmed post-match that a Super League fixture would once again grace Allegiant Stadium in 2026. After some difficult times for the sport in recent years, Radlinski was delighted they could give the English game a moment in the sun while he also paid tribute to the thousands of fans who travelled. 'There will be a lot of headlines about the scoreline, but I wanted this for Super League. We want what we deserve,' he said. 'We've had some difficult times – I think back to the CEO meetings during Covid when we were fighting to try and keep the sport alive. 'This is for all of our clubs, even the volunteer clubs on a Sunday morning. 'This is achievable in our sport and I'm so proud – I'm so proud of all the Northerners who have travelled to the other side of the world.'
BBC News
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Las Vegas is 'trip of a lifetime' for rugby fans set to marry
A couple who were forced to cancel their Las Vegas wedding plans five years ago due to the coronavirus pandemic will finally tie the knot this weekend thanks to a Rugby Super League Wolves fans Ged Upton and his partner Jean, both 65, said they were three weeks away from their dream wedding in 2020 "when the world stopped"."We just didn't know what was going to happen, so we spent the money on a new kitchen instead," Ged couple, from Runcorn, said they put it out of their mind and had decided to marry in a registry office in the UK - until the Wigan v Warrington fixture in Las Vegas was announced. "That was the catalyst," Ged said."That was the thing that swung us to say 'let's resurrect the Vegas trip'."We aren't getting any younger, let's do it."The couple, who flew out on Friday will watch the game on Saturday before their big day on Sunday."It's very exciting," Jean said. "We've never been to Vegas before so we are really looking forward to it."The couple will be joined by Jean's daughter Katy, her sister Joanne, and her brother-in-law Matt. They will also be joined by fellow season ticket holders Steve and Julie who became friends after 15 years sitting together in the stands at The Halliwell Jones the wedding, the new Mr and Mrs Upton will embark on a ten day road trip along the California coast and take in sights of Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco."It will be the holiday of a lifetime," Ged said."It's all been a bit of whirlwind planning it all after we decided to just do it," Jean said. "We can't wait".Wigan Warriors will play their home Super League game against Warrington Wolves at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, as part of Rugby League Las Vegas, an event organised by Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) to showcase the is at 21:30 GMT and commentary will be live on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds from 21:15 GMT. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Why is rugby league holding an event in Las Vegas?
Rugby league history will be made on Saturday as the sport ventures stateside to try and crack the American Warriors' Super League fixture against Warrington Wolves, itself a hotly-anticipated game between two titans of the code, will open up a bumper weekend for the sport at Las Vegas' Allegiant is the first regular Super League fixture to take place in the United States and will be followed in the schedule by England's Women taking on Australia's Women in a huge night for the why is rugby league investing so much time and capital into a set of games that will take place thousands of miles from its heartlands?BBC Sport has taken a look at what is on the line-up and what is to be gained from putting the sport in front of a potentially lucrative audience. Why is Las Vegas playing host to rugby league? Saturday's festival of rugby league in Las Vegas is the continuation of an event Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) organised in titled "Rugby League Las Vegas", Manly Warringah Sea Eagles beat South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters defeated Brisbane Broncos in the first over 40,000 spectators were in attendance at the Allegiant Stadium, home of NFL side Las Vegas event triggered Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski to send a speculative email off to the NRL's organisers to see if his side could take part in expanded event in 2025 means that the usual season-opening World Club Challenge fixture between the reigning Super League champions and NRL Premiers will not take will open this year's proceedings against Warrington in a repeat of last season's Challenge Cup final, which was won by the Cherry and Whites. It is one of four games taking place:Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves (kick-off 21:30 GMT - Live on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds from 21:15 GMT)Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors (kick-off 00:00 GMT)Australian Jillaroos v England Lionesses (kick-off 02:15 - Live on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds from 0200)Penrith Panthers v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (kick-off 04:30 GMT) How much interest is there likely to be? At attendance of 40,746 at last year's event was heralded as a success and saw almost two thirds of the Allegiant Stadium filled, with a usual capacity of 65, is unclear how much of a dent it made, however that has not stopped the sport - and other sports - from trying to broaden their horizons away from their traditional nine years ago, rugby union's Premiership held a game in New Jersey as Saracens beat London Irish in the first match to be held fixture, played out with "plenty of empty seats" at the 25,000-capacity Red Bull Arena, was followed by just 6,000 attending Newcastle Falcons' game against Saracens in Philadelphia in in rugby league, Catalans Dragons faced off against Wigan in front of 31,555 at Barcelona's Nou Camp in 2019 as the Perpignan-based club tried to capitalise on the success of winning the Challenge Cup the previous year. On the face of it, it is an unusual move to try and break into the United States market when the predominantly working class sport of rugby league has tried - and arguably failed - to expand much in the UK outside of the M62 league will have a tough task to mimic that achievement, but if the move pays off, it could translate into increased brand recognition for the sport and its clubs in a lucrative part of the sport had planned to hold the Rugby League World Cup in the United States during the 2020s, but that move fell contrast, Formula 1 spent decades trying to gain a US audience and currently holds three races a season there - including Las Vegas - and recently opened a multi-million dollar purpose-built pit lane facility near to the Vegas strip, external which will open year-round.F1 benefitted from a pre-established global fanbase, eye watering levels of financial backing and American ownership of the commercial arm of the with the recent surge in US interest, however, Formula 1 still pales in comparison to the popularity of American football, basketball, baseball and ice rugby league can raise long term interest with this year's expanded event in Las Vegas remains to be seen - but an expanded event in 2025 shows that the sport is taking the task seriously. How is rugby league broadening its horizons in Vegas? Whilst in Las Vegas, all teams involved have used the UFC's Performance Institute as a training hub "The UFC is a huge brand in Las Vegas and this is home for us," senior vice president of performance at the UFC Dr Duncan French told the BBC."When these teams were looking for training spaces and how to prepare for gameweek - whether that's recovery, strength and conditioning sessions, film study, catering - we can do that all under one roof so it was a no brainer for lots of these teams."In addition to three domestic fixtures between the NRL and Super League taking place, England's Lionesses will face Australia's Jillaroos for the first time since the 2017 Rugby League World fixture is primed to help women's rugby league develop, however England will be hoping to do better than the 38-0 thrashing they were handed the last time they met of the charm of using the UFC facility is sharing knowledge across sports, something French says has been particularly always great to get other sporting codes to be around our athletes so they can see how others prepare," he added."There's a lot of synergy between rugby league and fighting, particularly with the demand on the body and there's a huge psychology component going into tackling or wrestling takedowns."The guys and girls have been sharing ideas and how they train. The brand of the UFC is strong in rugby and the teams coming in are all fans of the UFC so it's been a great week for everybody." 'Sports science is taking a back seat' Saturday's fixture presents a unique problem to both Wigan and game takes place eight days after Wigan's win against Hull FC and the Wire's win against Wigan will then face Huddersfield on 9 March and Warrington take on Wakefield on the same day.A 10,000-mile round trip for one fixture in a crowded schedule is not ideal, Wigan assistant coach Sean O'Loughlin admitted."Sport science is almost taking a backseat to what this can do for the game," he told BBC Sport."We'll try to do all the things by the book and what the sports scientists said but we know prep-wise it's it's not perfect or ideal."It'd be better if we were playing it at home but if you ask any of the lads what they wanted to do, they'll all be putting their hands up saying they'd love to play in Vegas."This sentiment is something echoed by fellow assistant coach Tommy Leuluai."It is gonna be hard, but it's the same for both teams. We decided to do it," Leuluai added."We're excited about it. It's never going to be perfect in terms of preparation and how the boys feel."
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fans to tie the knot as rugby league heads to Las Vegas
Rugby league fans from across north-west England have been flying out to the United States to see two local rival teams battle it out in Las Warriors are set to play their home Super League game against Warrington Wolves at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, as part of Rugby League Las Vegas, an event organised by Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) to showcase the fans Steve and Sue will have two reasons to celebrate if their team wins. The pair are planning to make the most of their trip by getting married."It's been a long time coming, we've been engaged for six years," Steve said. The couple originally got together when they were 17 but parted ways two years later. They went on to marry different people but ended up back together 14 years are travelling out with their friends Dave, Jane and Sue who, up until now, were the only ones who knew about the nuptials in Nevada. Super-fan Sue said the trip had been booked since the draw and the wedding was a last-minute addition."We were booked on within minutes of it being announced," she told BBC Radio Manchester."We thought we'd take the opportunity while we were going, we only booked [the wedding] three weeks ago." This will be the second year that Vegas hosts action from the NRL after Brisbane Broncos, Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters played there as part of the NRL's opening weekend in round-three fixture between Wigan and Warrington is part of the Super League calendar so there will be two competition points on offer. Warrington fan Mark Hughes is hoping the competition will be an opportunity to showcase the Super League, and rugby league as a whole, to the world."Everyone's talking about it, look at the press who have never been interested in rugby league, we've got them listening to us for once," he said."We've got to keep it going, we're a sport moving forward, we don't want to be a sport that's dying." Lindsay Yates, who has been a Wigan fan since she was eight years old, was given the trip to Vegas for her 50th birthday from her husband and family."As long as they play like they played last week we'll be fine," she said."It's going to be a good show. Vegas was on the bucket list so we're killing two birds with one stone." Sisters and lifelong Warrington fans Carolyn Perry and Jeanette Taylor are also making the trip to celebrate their "big birthdays"."It's that once-in-a-lifetime [opportunity]," they said."We want a really exciting good game, we want it to be a showcase for rugby league and, of course, we want Warrington to win." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Telegraph
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rugby league players evicted from Las Vegas hotel after inflatable baseball bat fight
A former Wigan Warriors rugby league star and his Canberra Raiders team-mate are facing disciplinary action after the pair were embroiled in a bizarre late-night altercation in Las Vegas that involved an inflatable baseball bat. Morgan Smithies, who is from Halifax and spent four years at Wigan, reportedly came to blows with Hudson Young after one of the players was left without a room at the Hilton Hotel in Resorts World following an error with the check-in system. Security at the hotel had actually temporarily evicted the pair from the hotel amid fears that one of the players was carrying a baseball bat. It later turned out to be an inflatable object. According to reports in Australia, one of the players did not have an allocated room after returning from a night out and had asked to share a bed with his team-mate. The request was rejected, prompting the disagreement and subsequent scuffle. Canberra are scheduled to play the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and have called a press conference for Tuesday, when the two players will both be forced to explain what happened. 'I have spoken to the players who are very embarrassed,' said Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. 'The behaviour was unacceptable. The club will deal with this strongly.' The players are not expected to be suspended from Sunday's match but are facing disciplinary sanction. Rugby League Las Vegas is an annual event designed to showcase the sport to an American audience. The first edition of the event was held last year and involved only teams from Australasia's National Rugby League. Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves from the Super League will play this year, as well as the England Lionesses against the Australia Jillaroos in the Women's Ashes.
