Rugby League Poised for Transformational Las Vegas Adventure
On Tuesday, Sky Sports presenter Brian Carney shared his insights on Super League’s groundbreaking decision to host a match in Las Vegas in 2025. The landmark event will see the Wigan Warriors take on the Warrington Wolves at the Allegiant Stadium, preceding an NRL clash and a women’s international test match.
Carney believes this venture could be a “transformational moment” for the sport, but stressed the need for a strategic long-term plan to maximize its potential.
“If this is part of a reset, this could be a transformational moment for the sport,” he said, emphasizing the importance of understanding the game’s identity and how it wants to be perceived globally.
The Las Vegas fixture follows previous Super League experiments in destinations like Barcelona, Wollongong, Millwall, and Leicester. Carney acknowledged the enthusiasm and support for the move, but cautioned that it should have been part of a more comprehensive strategic vision rather than a standalone decision.
“This is probably not the way it should be done, you’d feel far more confident if essentially the decision was made with a strategic plan,” Carney explained. “So while I’m hugely enthusiastic and supportive of it, it’s been done essentially the wrong way around and that’s something we have to address.”
The success of the venture will hinge on factors like attendance numbers, which are expected to exceed the 40,000 fans who attended the inaugural NRL double-header at the Allegiant Stadium this year. Carney emphasized the importance of maximizing the opportunity to showcase rugby league to a wider audience, aligning the sport’s identity and vision with global platforms like the UFC and boxing.
“We need a reset. I was promised a reimagining of rugby league, I haven’t seen that, so people need sit down and have a think about what we are as a sport, how we want to portray ourselves, how we want to sell ourselves to our existing fans, our latent fans and our new fans: be clear on that,” Carney said.
As the rugby league community eagerly anticipates the historic Las Vegas fixture in 2025, Carney’s call for a strategic plan underscores the need to seize this transformational moment and position the sport for long-term growth and success on the global stage.
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