British invasion: Super League fans urged to take over Vegas

Coach Matty Peet says he’s prepared to defend Wigan’s World Club title and cross the Atlantic to take on Sam Burgess's Warrington at Allegiant Stadium just seven days later.

It was Peet who issued a public call for British fans to “take over” Las Vegas when the first Super League game to be played in the US - as part of the NRL’s second venture to Sin City on March 1 - was launched at a Manchester event where a half bottle of Malbec and two bucks parties were the unlikely storylines.

Wigan fans were able to watch their team beat Penrith 16-12 at DW Stadium February 24 this year and then hop on a flight to Nevada to join Australian fans at one of rugby league’s greatest adventures, where they joined 5000 fellow Brits.

But if the Cherry and Whites retain the Super League title in October, Peet and his team could be with them - making it one of the most demanding and high-profile weeks any club has faced in the professional era.

“That would be perfect - that would be absolutely perfect,” Peet, whose side currently holds all available trophies: Super League, the Challenge Cup, the League Leaders’ Shield and the WCC, told NRL.com

“That has to be the plan. I won’t worry too much about that yet but things like that when people suggest ‘oh that might be a challenge’ or ‘that might be a problem’, they are exactly the kind of problems you want.

“I’d hate not to be involved in the World Club Challenge. I’d hate not to be going to Las Vegas. It will have its challenges but those are the challenges that inspire you.”

But Peet indicated he would not be looking for schedulers to cut his famous club any slack. Asked if he believed both games would have to be played within a week or eight days, he said: “I think so, yeah.”

Television host and former Knights winger Brian Carney dressed up as Uncle Sam - robbing Warrington coach Burgess of the sobriquet perhaps - at a lively launch held at Manchester’s Hard Rock Cafe on Tuesday morning.

The UK launch, timed to coincide with the NRL’s announcements. was also attended by several dozen fans to whom small American flags were distributed.

Peet suggested they and their compatriots from all English clubs should aim to hijack the event from Aussie and Kiwi supporters.

“We’re representing not just Super League but British rugby league - the Championship, the community game and schools rugby league,” he said from the podium.

“I’d encourage any British rugby league fan who wants to build a holiday around rugby league to get on board.

“Let’s make this the start of something, let’s take over that weekend - never mind what the NRL teams serve up. Let’s go and take over.”

Aside from the coaches, players George Williams (Warrington) and Bevan French (Wigan) were in attendance, as was Wigan icon and inaugural New Zealand Warriors captain Dean Bell.

Just as the World Club Challenge was revived (after a one-off in 1976) after a night of drinking by Wigan’s Maurice Lindsay and Graham Lowe in 1987 - they called ARL chief Ken Arthurson late at night asking to take on Manly - the origin story of Super League in America is also destined to involve a tipple.

“I sat there on the Sunday morning watching the games last year, like many people, and witnessed something that was pretty special,” said Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski.

“It looked like rugby league from a different planet. I just thought, you know, we need to be part of that. 

“Later that evening, probably after half a bottle of Malbec, I dropped an email to the supremo of the NRL, Peter V’landys, and I said we were an ambitious club, and we’d love to be part of Vegas moving forward.

“Twenty-four hours later I got a really favourable response and it’s been three or four months we’ve been working on this to pull it off.”