LAS VEGAS — Exactly 21 days after the Chiefs defeated the 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl, Australia’s wildly popular National Rugby League will share the same stage at Allegiant Stadium.
The NRL will host a season-opening double-header at the same stadium where the Super Bowl was played, with Manly Sea Eagles vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs in the first game, followed by Brisbane Broncos vs. Sydney in Saturday’s nightcap.・The Roosters will play against each other.
At the center of this in many ways is a woman named Yvonne Sampson. She is not a player, but a broadcaster who is as passionate about rugby league as many of its fans are.
That’s because Sampson, a Fox Sports presenter who will be broadcasting from Las Vegas all week, has been an unabashed fan since he was seven years old growing up in Queensland.
Sampson, who knew she would play a big role in introducing a sport that is unfamiliar to most Americans this week in Sin City, is very different from the rest. Using the lens, I watched last month’s Super Bowl with a keen eye.
That’s because she will be sitting on the same part of the Las Vegas television set where U.S. broadcasters were beating the Super Bowl drum last month.
“Watching the Super Bowl under the brightest lights sports can offer and seeing Allegiant Stadium really brought it into focus and made it a reality for us and our tiny little rugby league to be on the same turf.” Sampson told The Post by phone. Before leaving Australia for the United States, he said: “Our game, which started out as a small working-class offshoot of British rugby union, could bring rugby league to America and play for Premiership points.” Four of our box office team will be there with some of the biggest stars in the game…hopefully Americans will be as excited about this movie as we are. I hope. ”
Sampson is so passionate about this game that it’s important for him to promote it this week.
“I don’t know much about the NFL, but I was thrilled to be able to watch the Super Bowl,” she said. “I went to a Giants game at MetLife many years ago and loved the experience and entertainment.
“I watched the Super Bowl through a different lens and imagined a rugby league team running on the same field and thought, ‘Oh my god, the actual turf at Allegiant Stadium, we’re playing the same ball underneath. I’m going to be standing on the grass.’” It’s the same bright light. ”
“And thanks to our relationship with Fox Sports in the US, we will be able to use these Super Bowl sets to broadcast rugby league matches in a very sophisticated way that has never been done before.” Saw it before. It’s going to be very exciting for traveling fans. Every time I step out of my house, people stop me on the street and say, “I bought a ticket.” we’re going to vegas. ”
“They’re so excited to come to Allegiant Stadium and be a part of something that no one has ever done before. The Super Bowl gave us a completely different perspective on our game and , it will be something we will cherish forever.”
She believes people in Las Vegas are curious about rugby league and ask questions like: What are these Australians here for? What rugby stories do we often hear? ”
“If I could tap into that curiosity even a little bit, I think I could do a really great job,” she said.
Sampson joked that the last time she visited Las Vegas was for a “hen’s party.” It is well known here as a weekend party with bridesmaids and bachelorette parties.
Now she’s looking forward to a different kind of party.
“I’m looking forward to the growth,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the show and arriving. Never before have we welcomed the season with such a spectacular backdrop. I’m looking forward to the energy.”
“Walking into Allegiant Stadium is going to be a real pinch moment. Never in a million years did I think I would have the opportunity to play in such an amazing stadium and stage. .”
Tickets for NRL games can be purchased through Ticketmaster, with prices starting as low as $19, a far cry 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 will begin at 9:30pm ET and will be available to watch on the Watch NRL streaming app.
The first of two games begins at 6:30 PM ET, both with Streaming app “Watch NRL”.
The best place to find the “Watch NRL” app is to search in your favorite App Store. This is a great way for fans to find it to download/subscribe.
In the US, the game will also be aired on FS1.
Ticket purchase link is NRL.com/Vegas Tickets start at $19 + tax.
