NRL to move season-opener to England with possible venue revealed
Will it be five in a row for Penrith? Our resident expert says.. no.
Could the NRL be about to launch its season in the United Kingdom in the years to come?
The competition has begun to spread its wings worldwide of late, with the high-profile clashes in Las Vegas and the introduction of a new franchise in Papua New Guinea looming large.
And now, England could be the next target on the horizon: with reports in Australia suggesting that Wembley Stadium is being eyed up as a possible host venue for the 2029 season-opener.
The reports from the Sydney Morning Herald state that the NRL have identified a goal to try and engage London in rugby league again, and they are willing to take two of their biggest teams to Wembley to try and revolutionise the sport’s fortunes in this country.
2029 would be the earliest the NRL could host a season-opener in the UK, due to the fact it currently has an arrangement with Las Vegas for the next three years after this to take games to Allegiant Stadium.
The London market is a huge point of interest for sporting organisations around the world – with the NFL making concerted efforts to try and crack it by frequently hosting high-profile fixtures at venues like Tottenham and Wembley.
And the NRL could now be next: though there is a school of thought that difficulties surrounding time difference may make any move to the UK an issue.
With an evening kick-off in England, that would be an early-morning start for fans in Australia, whereas other time zones – like America – would represent a much more logical step.
But it appears that the NRL are already thinking ahead beyond the end of its initial five-year deal with Las Vegas and are looking at the next market they can crack to try and spread the rugby league message.
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