NRL poised to take Australia Test against Tonga to New York this autumn

The NRL is considering taking a one-off Test between Australia and Tonga to New York at the end of the season.

According to NRL.com, the National Rugby League has been in talks with promoters to take the Test to the New York metropolitan area in October.

The NRL’s intention is to expand the game into relatively unknown rugby league territory and it is believed that one of the promoters involved is the group behind the bid for a New York team to play in Super League in 2020.

One venue that has been discussed is Red Bull Arena, the 25-000 capacity home ground of Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls.

The Kangaroos have a one-off Test against New Zealand pencilled in on October 13, with their Test against Tonga being the week later.

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf isn’t fussed about the location of where the Test is played though.

He said: “We don’t care where the match is played, we just want to play it.

“It’s important, from our point of view, that we build on the momentum of what has been built in the past 12 months.”

The reports from NRL.com insist the governing body are keen to grow its footprint in the United States in the build-up to the 2025 Rugby League World Cup in North America.

The NRL staged an Origin game in Los Angeles in 1987 but it didn’t take off. However, there are rumours that the NRL will open the season with a game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm in LA or San Francisco next year.