World Club Challenge heading for Las Vegas in 2026 as Super League ‘invites’ sent

The World Club Challenge could be heading for Las Vegas in 2026, with Super League clubs also invited to express their interest in being part of the Stateside extravaganza next year, according to reports.

Having been won by St Helens over in Australia in 2023, and fellow Super League outfit Wigan Warriors on home soil in 2024, the World Club Challenge isn’t taking place this year.

That’s because the two sides that would be involved – NRL kings Penrith Panthers and Super League champions Wigan – are already involved in this weekend’s historic quadruple-header at the Allegiant Stadium in Sin City.

The Warriors take on Warrington Wolves in a Round 3 Super League clash, while Penrith open up their 2025 NRL campaign against Cronulla Sharks.

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Reports: World Club Challenge heading for Las Vegas in 2026

As a result of their involvement in the event this week, the two sides weren’t able to find a suitable date for the World Club Challenge to take place.

But, whoever comes out on top domestically this year, RL Commercial are hoping to ensure a World Club clash does take place in 2026 – and in Vegas, at that!

Speaking to PA Media, RL Commercial chief Rhodri Jones detailed: “In a perfect world, we’d have been able to play the World Club Challenge this week in Las Vegas.

“It will certainly be a topic of conversation this week, if we are able to manufacture that in terms of the calendar going forward, and also in terms of whether it fits into Las Vegas 2026.”

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Super League ‘invites’ for Vegas in 2026 distributed

PA’s report also suggests that RL Commercial are hoping to make Super League’s inclusion in Vegas a regular occurrence.

Saturday’s clash between Wigan and Warrington at the Allegiant Stadium will be the first-ever Super League game held in the US, with the hope that other clubs will follow suit and head Stateside in 2026.

PA state that all 12 current top-flight clubs have been invited to express their interest in being a part of the event next year.

Jones said: “It’s all about opportunity. It’s an opportunity to put Super League on new international territory, to put Super League alongside the NRL, and for players and coaches to experience something new and very different.

“It’s also about enabling the NRL to see how we conduct ourselves not just on the field but off it in business and promotion.

“The only way you can do that is by working together on certain projects, and this has definitely been a step-change in what is hopefully a growing relationship.”

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