The event was created by the NRL to expand the audience of the competition and develop rugby league in the United States. The event is contracted until 2028.[1][2] The later joining of Super League clubs was arranged on a club level with the NRL, and not organizing by Super League or the Rugby Football League.[3]
History
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,[4][5] with the remainder of round one being confirmed at a later date.[6] The two matches took place on March 2, 2024, and marked the first NRL regular season games held outside Australia and New Zealand.[7] The 2024 event saw Manly Warringah beat South Sydney[8] and Sydney beat Brisbane[9] in front of an audience of over 40,000, the largest attendance of any rugby league event at the time held in the United States.[10] Both games were aired on Fox Sports in the United States.[11] 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 state. Viewing figures in Australia surpassed 1.6 million across both games.[12] The day prior to the event, a Colonial Cup match between the national men's teams of the United States and Canada was held.[13] The game ended 16–16.[14]
^The NRL announced an attendance of 40,746 for the event, a figure later contradicted by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority whose report confirmed a reduced attendance of 31,927.[26][27]
^Di Stefano, Mark (4 June 2024). "Funny numbers mean success for the NRL". Australian Financial Review. Sydney, New South Wales: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
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