Three English teams will head for Las Vegas next March to add international flavour to the NRL’s return to the USA in 2025, live on Sky Sports.
Wigan Warriors, the reigning Betfred Super League champions, have agreed to switch their home league fixture against Warrington Wolves – a rematch of last month’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley – to the Allegiant Stadium.
And they will be joined in Nevada on Saturday March 1 by England Women, who will face the world champion Australia Jillaroos in a historic international fixture.
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The international theme will continue when New Zealand Warriors face Canberra Raiders in one of the two NRL fixtures being taken to Vegas, with three-times NRL champions Penrith Panthers taking on their Sydney rivals Cronulla Sharks in the other.
That means eight NRL clubs will have played in the first two years in Las Vegas, following matches involving Brisbane Broncos, Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters earlier this year.
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All four matches will be shown live on Sky Sports – with the Wigan-Warrington match kicking off the action at 9.30pm UK time.
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The matches will be staged at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders and venue for the 2024 NFL Superbowl – where more than 40,000 attended the NRL’s first Vegas promotion earlier this year.
Rhodri Jones, RL Commercial Managing Director, said: “To have Betfred Super League featuring when Rugby League returns to Las Vegas in 2025, as well as an historic international fixture for England Women, is a mouth-watering prospect and a huge opportunity for the sport.
“We are looking forward to working closely with Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, our commercial and broadcast partners and the NRL to ensure the weekend is another massive success.”
England captain Jodie Cunningham said: “Women’s Rugby League has been on an amazing journey for the last decade – and now we’re heading for Vegas!
“I think it’s fantastic that the NRL have recognised the importance of the women’s game in this way. We all watched the NRL games in Vegas at the start of this season and it was so exciting to see the impact they made.
“Now we’re going to be out there in 2025, taking on the Jillaroos. That’s a massive challenge for us – but when our coach Stu Barrow mentioned this to the girls at our training camp before we went to France last week, we were all blown away.”
Kris Radlinski, the chief executive of Wigan Warriors, said: “I think many of us in the UK watched the games in Las Vegas earlier in the year and wished they could be a part of it, either playing or supporting.
“I spoke to my board about the possibility and there was a unanimous desire to be part of the occasion. I wrote to Peter V’landys and explained that we were an ambitious club and to kindly consider us for future events.
“Peter responded positively and put me in contact with his NRL executive team and for the last few months, we have been working through ways to make this happen.”
Karl Fitzpatrick, the Warrington Wolves chief executive, said: “First of all credit must go to Kris Radlinski, Mike Danson and the board at Wigan for driving this project. When approached about this opportunity we were on board from the outset. This initiative is fully aligned with our club’s positioning and ambitions.
“Playing in one of the world’s best entertainment destinations at a stunning venue is going to be an exciting and memorable experience for our supporters, players and partners. It will also put Super League on the map in a sports market full of opportunity.
“The Vegas games earlier this year really captured the imagination and showed the Rugby League world what can be achieved by thinking and aiming big – next year it is going to be even bigger and to be part of this concept is going to be really special.”
With thousands of British Rugby League fans expected to seize the chance to be part of this historic occasion, a wide variety of ticket and travel packages will go on sale later this month.
Watch every match of the 2024 Super League season, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs, and men’s, women’s and wheelchair Grand Finals, plus the World Club Challenge, live on Sky Sports. Aslo stream rugby league and more sport contract-free with NOW.