'Duft's face was on the stadium': English stars get taste of Vegas

As he walked out of a packed Allegiant Stadium after last weekend's Raiders NFL match, Matty Ashton was confronted by a giant billboard featuring Warrington team-mate Matt Dufty.

“There is a big advertising board on the side of the stadium, and I sent a picture to Duft because his face is on it with all the NRL players,” Ashton said.

“It is good to see how much they are trying to promote rugby league.”

Ashton and Wigan’s Kruise Leeming are in Vegas to promote the historic March 1 event featuring matches between the Super League giants, Australia and England women, and the NRL’s season opening Raiders-Warriors and Panthers-Sharks fixtures.

With the Las Vegas Grand Prix attracting 300,000 fans last weekend, the NRL had strategically placed advertising at the Formula One race, Allegiant Stadium and Resorts World.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable, and it just shows how Vegas can pull off big events,” said Ashton, who has played five Tests for England. “There were a lot of people here for the races and the whole of Vegas virtually shut down.

“On Sunday we were guests at the NFL for the Raiders v Broncos, and it was a packed stadium. The build up to the game with all the fans was a great experience, there were a lot of things going on and the stadium is state of the art.

“All of the players are just buzzing to play at such a world class and famous stadium. A lot of them were messaging me asking what it was like and wanting me to put the video on.

“They were saying the stadium looks unreal and I think the excitement is really starting to build now for the team, as well as the fans of Warrington and Wigan, and the other teams playing here next year.”

The pair also visited the UFC Performance Institute, where the NRL Combine will be held, and spent time with bantamweight world champion Merab Dvalisvili and Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin.

“They were the two showing us around and we threw the ball around with them, but they were all asking about rugby league and saying they hoped to make the game,” Ashton said.

“We are trying to spread the word here and promote the occasion so hopefully we can get them on board.”

The inaugural NRL double-header at Allegiant Stadium in March drew 40,000 fans for the season Sea Eagles-Rabbitohs and Roosters-Broncos matches and officials are hoping to get close to capacity crowd next year.

Ashton said interest in England was high and there would be an international flavour to the event, with fans from Australia, New Zealand and Britain travelling to support their teams.

“I know the UK fans are going to travel in numbers, and no-one brings better atmosphere than the UK fans, so it is going to fantastic when they all get over here,” the Warrington winger said.

“I think it is going to be exciting with such a mixture of fans from the different teams and different countries.

“Rugby league is like a big family so it will be great to see everyone getting on and taking in the sights of Vegas together and watching some great rugby league.

“I think it is just good for the whole sport to have the Super League and NRL working together on one big occasion because we all have the same goal of growing the game.”