2024 event
In August 2023, the National Rugby League (NRL) announced that two games in the opening round of the 2024 NRL season would be held in Las Vegas. The Brisbane Broncos, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Sydney Roosters were selected to play in the event, [5] [6] with the remainder of round one being confirmed at a later date. [7] The two matches took place on March 2, 2024, and marked the first NRL regular season games held outside Australia and New Zealand. [8] The 2024 event saw Manly Warringah beat South Sydney [9] and Sydney beat Brisbane. [10] The NRL initially declared that over 40,000 fans attended but the Las Vegas Stadium Authority revealed a figure of 31,927. Both games were aired on Fox Sports in the United States. [9] While stadium attendance was deemed a success, TV viewing fixtures were low in the United States at only 61,000, though it was 16,000 higher than the last NRL programme to be aired in the states. Viewing figures in Australia surpassed 1.6 million across both games. [11] The day prior to the event, a Colonial Cup match between the national men's teams of the United States and Canada was held. [12] The game ended 16–16. [13]
2025 event
In July 2024, the NRL announced that the 2025 event would feature the Canberra Raiders, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Auckland Warriors, and Penrith Panthers. [14] [15] [16] In addition, the 2025 event will also feature an matchweek three game of the United Kingdom's Super League with Wigan Warriors facing local rivals Warrington Wolves. Like the NRL in 2024, this game marks the first regular season Super League game to be held in the United States. [17] [18] Further, the event would also showcase an ashes test match between the Australia and England women's national sides, [19] which will be the first of three women's test matches of the 2025 England Lions and Lionesses tour of Australia. [20] Super League's involvement in the event came after a speculative email was sent to the organizers by Wigan's CEO Kris Radlinski after he watched the 2024 event on TV. [21] [22] Both United States men's and women's national teams will face Greece the day before the 2025 event. [23] In November 2024, Matty Ashton and Kruise Leeming ran promotions for the event at the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos NFL game and during the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, with both occurring on the same weekend. [24]
In the weeks ahead of the 2025 event, the Super League fixture was described as "the biggest game in British rugby league history" due to the potential investments, brand recognition, and fan markets it could make available to the British game across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. [25] [26] Over 45,000 were in attendance for the 2025 event, up from the previous year, whom saw Wigan defeat Warrington, Canberra defeat Auckland, Penrith defeat Cronulla-Sutherland, and a record defeat of the England Lionesses by Australia Jillaroos. [27] Analysis following the 2025 event showed that Rugby League Las Vegas is being a short term success with the event being profitable and providing a good showcase of the sport, however it was unclear if the event was having any impact on the long term goal of establishing rugby league in the United States as the vast majority of attendees were travelling Australians, New Zealanders, and Britons. [28] The four-game event proved to be too ambitious, especially with the Allegiant Stadium not allowing re-admittion. Crowed numbers had reduced by game four nor had everyone entered the stadium for game one, with Peter V'landys saying the nine-hour event was too long for most attending. [29] The involvement of Super League was deemed as success and a boost to the event by the NRL. [30]
United States 
National Rugby League 
