NRL Las Vegas 2026 teams: Cowboys, Knights, Dragons and Bulldogs set to compete in season opener extravaganza

The Cowboys have staved off interest from other Queensland clubs to book a ticket to Vegas in 2026, while there’s a mouthwatering clash between two Sydney rivals on the cards. See the lineup.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 10: Jeremiah Nanai of the Cowboys celebrates after scoring a try during the round 10 NRL match between North Queensland Cowboys and Penrith Panthers at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on May 10, 2025, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Book your tickets, now.

The Bulldogs, Dragons, Knights and Cowboys are on their way to the NRL’s third instalment of the famous season launch party in Las Vegas on March 1 next year.

The four NRL teams boast a string of billboard stars — including Stephen Crichton, Valentine Holmes, Kalyn Ponga and Jason Taumalolo — who have the cut-through to promote the game to a legion of new fans with their athleticism and raw power.

The Eels, Storm and Dolphins have also been eager to head to Las Vegas, with the NRL hoping that all 17 clubs are eventually exposed to the experience of playing in front of a huge crowd at Allegiant Stadium. But it appears they will have to wait another year.

The Dolphins made a robust submission to the NRL and believed they could have been a huge promotional asset given the club shares the same nickname as NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

The Cowboys are heading to Vegas. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The official launch date of March 1 (February 28 in the US) will be the earliest the season has kicked off in the US, with this year’s season launch held on March 2.

In a sign of things to come, the NRL have been blown away by the excitement of the announcement of the four teams on Wednesday.

The NRL launched an official countdown to Wednesday’s announcement last Saturday with thousands of fans engaging with the social media strategy.

The hype around a Bulldogs Vegas trip has been building for months.

Just days after the Sharks, Warriors, Panthers and Raiders launched the season in Las Vegas, Canterbury asked their fans to register their interest in travelling to LV 2026.

More than 8000 fans indicated their interest in heading to the US next year.

The Knights will be the home team against the Cowboys. Picture: Scott Gardiner/Getty Images

Outside of those four NRL teams, the league is yet to finalise its schedule with the inclusion of two English Super League teams and a women’s match yet to be determined.

A Bulldogs against Dragons clash in Las Vegas would bring two of the biggest clubs in Sydney together on a stage that they would have never have dreamt of.

That fixture would result in the Knights tackling the Cowboys, with the NRL eager to include a Queensland team after they were absent earlier this season.

The Dragons and Bulldogs will take on each other in the remaining fixture. Picture: NRL Photos

The Cowboys have spoken internally about a number of travel options over the past few months.

North Queensland have discussed holding possible camp locations at Seattle or Denver after the Broncos spent a week training in Los Angeles before shifting to Vegas.

Another option is for the Cowboys to head straight to Vegas, as the Raiders, Panthers and Warriors did earlier this year.

It is understood Cowboys hierarchy will meet with other NRL teams to discuss the logistics of the trip and how to minimise the strain of travel on North Queensland players.

More than 2500 Cowboys members have expressed interest in travelling to America’s gaming Mecca.

Originally published as NRL Las Vegas 2026 teams: Cowboys, Knights, Dragons and Bulldogs set to compete in season opener extravaganza