LAS VEGAS — Scott Penn has had a vision for nearly a decade, and this week provides an important window into that vision.
Mr Penn is the owner and chairman of the National Rugby League’s Manly Sea Eagles, who will face the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the first of two games at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday.
This is the first of a five-year effort by the NRL to bring matches to the US.
Penn is originally from Sydney, his wife is a native New Yorker, and he lives with her in New York City. Dumbo to be exact.
Penn, who bought his home club Manly in 2004, had long dreamed of bringing rugby to America.
“We have always looked to the United States as a future opportunity,” Penn told the Post. “The game in Australia is doing incredibly well. We have the highest ratings of any Australian sport. We are currently a profitable league and we have more opportunities ahead of us. We can now look ahead to international investment and how to grow the game internationally, not necessarily in terms of participation, but in terms of viewership.
“We know we are in a perfect position in the U.S. because NFL fans in the U.S. won’t be able to watch content from March to September, so our season will be great for U.S. football fans, or even Gladiators. It’s a perfect time to provide content to fans, for example while they wait for the NFL season to resume.
“So I really think there’s a huge opportunity to not only gain interest and recognition, but also a loyal following.”
Penn said his wife, Nicole, is “a die-hard Giants fan and hasn’t been rooting for them much lately, but she’s eternally hopeful.”
He calls himself a lifelong 49ers fan dating back to the days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, and is close to current 49ers president Al Guido, and will be in the owner’s suite for Saturday’s game.
“I think it definitely gives you goosebumps,” Penn said of the moment he saw his team take the field at Allegiant Stadium, where the Super Bowl had just been played. “I’m going to be sitting there incredibly proud, but I’m definitely nervous because it’s the first game of the season and I’m very focused to make sure there are no injuries.
“This is something I’ve been pushing for with the league for about 10 years to encourage the league to invest more in this market,” Penn continued. “We know what a passionate sporting population America is and I’ve always felt the NRL would play well here.”
One of Manly’s top players, Daly Cherry-Evans, admits playing in the American league is an attractive idea, much like former European soccer stars finishing their careers in Major League Soccer in America. Ta.
“If Scott (Penn) wants to do it, I’m happy,” Cherry-Evans said when asked about reports that he was being asked to play for Penn’s American team. “I obviously don’t have much time left in my rugby league career, but I love what’s happening at Manly right now. But I’m not concerned about the contract or how my career will ultimately turn out. I have a very open mindset.
“I’m happy that the current owners of the club are pushing for opportunities in America and it’s an easy transition for me, right?”
Cherry Evans said the American League would be popular with Australian players.
“It depends on your family situation, right?” he said. “If you have a super young family, it can be a difficult decision, but for me now, with kids in elementary school, it’s not a bad time to go see the world, right? Single. I’m sure the boys won’t mind coming here.”
Tickets for NRL matches are available; Purchased through Ticketmaster, prices start as low as $19, a huge difference from last month’s lowest face value for Super Bowl tickets ($950). Lower tier seats start at $39 and go up to $189 for club seats. According to reports, Allegiant Stadium has a capacity of 65,000 people and about 35,000 seats are sold out.
This will be the first time in the NRL’s 116-year history that the opening match for premiership points will be held outside Australia or New Zealand. The first of the two games begins at 9:30 p.m. ET and begins with “Watch NRL” is a streaming app.
The doubleheader will be aired on FS1 in the United States.
