English rugby league’s top-flight Super League will stage a fixture in the United States for the first time with reigning champions Wigan Warriors set to face Warrington Wolves in Las Vegas next year.
The match, which will be officially designated as a Warriors home fixture, will take place on March 1, 2025, at the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders and venue for the 2024 NFL Superbowl.
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Wigan and Warrington played a friendly at Milwaukee’s County Stadium 35 years ago in front of 17,000 supporters.
Next year’s fixture will form part of the NRL’s Las Vegas event and is the second year that rugby league has been played in the city following on from last year’s inaugural event which included a double-header of NRL action featuring South Sydney, Brisbane, Manly, and the Sydney Roosters and which drew in a crowd of over 40,000.
Australian NRL sides Penrith Panthers, New Zealand Warriors, Canberra Raiders, and Cronulla Sharks will also compete in the 2025 event along with England and Australia Women who will feature in a test match between the two nations as part of a four-game slate on the day.
The Super League’s involvement was driven by the Warriors with chief executive Kris Radlinski working closely with Warrington counterpart Karl Fitzpatrick.
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By GlobalDataRadlinski commented: “I think many of us in the UK watched the games in Las Vegas earlier in the year and wished they could be a part of it, either playing or supporting. I spoke to my board about the possibility and there was a unanimous desire to be part of the occasion.
“I wrote to [chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission] Peter V’landys and explained that we were an ambitious club and to kindly consider us for future events. Peter responded positively and put me in contact with his NRL executive team and for the last few months, we have been working through ways to make this happen.”
Radlinski added: “Through my long-lasting relationships with Simon Moran and Karl Fitzpatrick at Warrington, I knew that they had similar ambitions and when I spoke to them about it, they jumped at the chance to take part.”
Rhodri Jones, RL Commercial managing director, added: “To have the Super League featuring when rugby league returns to Las Vegas in 2025, as well as an historic international fixture for England Women, is a mouthwatering prospect and a huge opportunity for the sport.
“We are looking forward to working closely with Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, our commercial and broadcast partners, and the NRL to ensure the weekend is another massive success.”
The Warriors-Wolves clash will be played at 1:30pm locally in Las Vegas and 9:30pm in the UK and will be shown live domestically by pay-TV giant Sky Sports, the primary Super League rightsholder.
The encounter is a rematch of last month's Challenge Cup Final at Wembley which was won by the Warriors.
