Elvis Presley’s iconic Las Vegas performances earned him the notoriety of being “the Atomic Singer”. Warrington Wolves CEO Carl Fitzpatrick said: “We’re bringing nuclear sport to Las Vegas and our gladiators are ready to steal the show.”
Super League will make history next March when its two biggest clubs, Wigan Warriors and Warrington, will play both league and NRL matches at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in what has been described as “potentially groundbreaking for English rugby league”.
There have been previous attempts to break out of football’s traditional North of England bubble, but few have been as significant as this one. The NRL’s double-header in Las Vegas this year, which drew more than 45,000 fans, has already laid the platform for Super League to exploit – an opportunity to grow into new markets like never before.
Wigan and Warrington will open the four-match rugby league extravaganza with the first-ever Super League match being played in the US on Saturday, March 1, followed by an NRL double-header between Canberra v New Zealand Warriors and Penrith v Cronulla, as well as a women’s test match between England and Australia.
The two clubs previously played a friendly in Milwaukee in 1989, but this latest match, with points at stake in one of the world’s greatest cities, feels like a pivotal moment for the sport. “We have a fantastic opportunity to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible,” Wigan chief executive Chris Radlinski told The Guardian.
The reigning Super League champions and world champions abandoned their usual Super League home games to host the event and Radlinski admitted that despite the financial gamble it was an opportunity Wigan could not ignore.
“If everyone – players, management and fans – plays their part, it could be a really good outcome,” he acknowledges. “It’s a gamble – it’s a home game, there are two points on the line and fans would have to be refunded one game of their season ticket. There will be a loss of some matchday revenue and hospitality, but it’s a risk the owners are prepared to take.”
“I think it means a lot that it’s a meaningful game. There are competition points on the line in this game and the fact that it’s part of the NRL calendar and clubs will be competing for competition points means everything on the day. I can’t stress enough how big a moment this is for rugby league.”
Radlinski was instrumental in Super League joining the NRL next year following a speculative email he sent to Australian strongman Peter V’landys shortly after the historic first-ever double-header in Las Vegas earlier this year, and he insists it was a “no brainer” that Warrington would face Wigan in the match, a rematch of this year’s Challenge Cup final.
“Fitzy [Karl Fitzpatrick] “He’s an ideas man so we meet and calendar everything monthly and discuss challenges and ideas for the game,” Radlinski says. “Working with him was a big factor for me, and then there was the Sam Burgess effect, so it was a no-brainer that they would come on board, all things considered. Working with them at Wembley Stadium was fantastic.”
Fitzpatrick, Radlinski’s counterpart at Warrington, has always urged Super League to think bigger and look beyond its roots and, perhaps unsurprisingly, he was enthusiastic about the scale of the event that awaits both clubs. “I think this is the biggest moment in the history of Super League,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in professional rugby league since 1997, first as a player and now as an administrator. I’ve been to Twickenham and Camp Nou but this visit is far better than any of those. This is a unique opportunity. We’ve been talking about getting out of this bubble and this ticks all the boxes.”
“If you look at the attendance figures this year and the potential markets we will be in next year, it’s completely unprecedented. It shows what can happen when you think differently and think big. Today could be the start of a life-changing journey for rugby league.”
