By John Boston
The blood and thunder of professional rugby league met the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas when Australian National Rugby League (NRL), Super League, and the Australia and England women’s international teams showcased their talents at the Allegiant Stadium.
A crowd of over 45,000 attended four games at the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders as the 13-a-side code of rugby looked to expand its reach beyond its traditional antipodean and English strongholds.
The Vegas games were a continuation of 2024’s ‘Rugby League Las Vegas’ event which saw two NRL games held at the Allegiant Stadium.
Those games caught the eye of the CEO of reigning Super League champions Wigan, Kris Radlinski, who asked if his team could take part in 2025.
Wigan and Warrington make history
The opening fixture between Wigan and Warrington made history. It was the first time a Super League game had been played in the United States and it was Matt Peet’s Wigan side who came out on top, opening up a 42-0 lead before easing up somewhat in a 48-24 victory.
Reflecting on the win, Peet told reporters: “I certainly would have taken that on the coach ride over.
“I just said to the team that there were elements I wish we’d been a bit better – a bit more clinical – but the way they dealt with the week I’m really proud of them.”
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England suffer record defeat
The Canberra Raiders eased to a 30-8 win over the New Zealand Warriors in the second game but the one-sided nature of the third match – the showdown between England’s Lionesses and Australia’s Jillaroos – will have done little to entice the neutral fan.
England were outclassed 90-4 by Australia – a record defeat which saw the world champions run in 17 tries.
The result emphasised the gulf in investment between the women’s game in England and Australia, where the NRL Women’s Premiership is going from strength to strength.
England at least had the consolation of scoring the last try of the game, Georgia Roche’s score bringing the biggest cheer of the night, and captain Jodie Cunningham was proud of the way her team kept fighting.
She told the BBC: “I think Georgia Roche getting a try for us right at the end shows that we didn’t give up.
“The effort was there. It was just that they were too good for us.
“But I’m proud of the girls. I’m proud of how they kept going and sometimes that’s what you’ve got to take at international rugby.”
Format may change in 2026
The final game of the night was arguably the biggest of the four – a heavyweight clash between Cronulla and Perth – but by that stage, the crowd was noticeably thinner than it had been for the first NRL fixture of the day.
The Allegiant Stadium does not allow pass-outs, meaning that if a fan wanted to watch all four games, they’d have been in the stadium for a mammoth nine hours.
Speaking after Penrith’s 28-22 win, NRL chairman Peter V’landys admitted the format of the event may change in future years.
He told the Australian Associated Press: “We’re looking at three [games] next year. (Because of the) length of day and fans leaving after their teams played.”
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