'Americans will love our game': Chosen clubs excited about Vegas venture

Americans will be captivated by the speed, physicality and skill of the NRL, while opening the 2024 season with a proposed double-header in Las Vegas will enable clubs to attract new fans and members.

That was the view of officials from the four clubs - Brisbane, Manly, South Sydney and Sydney Roosters - chosen for the historic venture to the United States after a competitive process and careful consideration of proposals.

The double-header will feature the first matches to be played for premiership points outside of Australia and New Zealand.

“The 2024 Las Vegas matches will form part of an exciting ‘Australia Week’ in Las Vegas where we will be showcasing rugby league and Australia to the US market,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.

“We are now working collaboratively with the four clubs to finalise arrangements for the proposed matches in Las Vegas and make this a blockbuster event for fans by maximising travel, attendance and enjoyment of a unique rugby league experience.

“Rugby league will be on a stage which the sport has simply never been on before and we look forward to giving all clubs the opportunity in coming years.”

Audiences in the United States will be able to identify with the Broncos and Roosters as they have Brisbane and Sydney in their names, while the Rabbitohs are co-owned by Russell Crowe and the Sea Eagles boast Hugh Jackman as a high profile supporter.

"To be able to showcase the Sea Eagles brand and the rich and proud history of our great club in a country as big as the United States is just brilliant,” Manly owner Scott Penn said.

"And to have the great support of proud Manly man in Hugh Jackman and the global reach he has is just incredible.

"We are forever in Hugh’s debt for his passionate support of the Sea Eagles. We will do him proud next March.”

The Rabbitohs have previously played in the United States when they met Leeds Rhinos in the 2008 Australia Day Challenge at Hodges Field in Jacksonville, Florida.

“The profile of our club in North America began developing through one of our investors in Russell Crowe back in 2008, and it will continue to climb through our most recent investor in Mike Cannon-Brookes and his connections with the Utah Jazz NBA franchise in 2024,” Souths CEO Blake Solly said.

“We see great support for our club wherever we play, including in the United States in 2008 and the UK in 2015 when we won the World Club Challenge over St Helens.

“We’re confident that we can develop a strong fan and member base off the back of this Las Vegas event in February and March next year and we look forward to growing our club and the sport internationally alongside the Sea Eagles, Roosters and the Broncos.”

Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov said the double-header and huge week of activities being planned in Las Vegas would capture the attention of a global audience.

"The Americans will love seeing what our brilliant game offers,” Mestrov said. “The NRL has always been the toughest contact sport in the world and now people in America will get the chance to witness two premiership matches live.

"This has been a long-time goal of our great owners, the Penn family, to bring the Sea Eagles to America and now that it is going to happen is just an amazing feeling.

"A lot of hard work and investment has gone into making this become a reality."

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said his club, which was named after the Denver Broncos, was excited to be playing an historic fixture in one of the world’s biggest sporting markets. 

“The NRL has never played a Premiership game for points outside of Australia and New Zealand, so this a huge honour for our club and we look forward to playing our role as ambassadors for rugby league in the USA,” Donaghy said.

“There will be two competition points up for grabs and that will be the absolute priority for our club when it comes to planning for the trip and we will turn our attention to that once the current season is done.”

Further announcements will be made by the NRL in the coming weeks in relation to the proposed opening matches in Las Vegas.