Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) is reportedly eyeing the lucrative US sports betting market and hopes to start next year’s season in March with a double-header in Las Vegas.
NRL franchises Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and Melbourne Storm have all expressed their desire to play in Vegas. According to News Corp, Australian Rugby League Commission boss Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo have confirmed they’re jetting off to Vegas in May to meet with various stakeholders.
Although rugby isn’t anywhere near as popular as the NFL or the NBA, the Aussie rugby league body sees enough appealing opportunities via the US sports betting boom. Melbourne Storm majority owner Matt Tripp expressed his excitement at marketing the NRL in Vegas, saying he was sure Americans would “buy into the sport,” adding:
If the American public sees it, they will bet on it.”
News of the NRL’s plot to host its historic 2024 season opener at the Allegiant Stadium has blown up on Twitter. A common reaction among fans was bemusement over “what could go wrong” when a group of notoriously hard-tackling, hard partying NRL players, and their fans hit Sin City. One user named Captain Internationalist insisted that Vegas would learn “the meaning of debauchery.”