The NRL’s Las Vegas experiment needs a lot more work

The NRL has been left bloodied and bruised after a fierce reaction to its cross-promotion attempt with an NFL game in Las Vegas.

NRL players interviewed at halftime and (right), ex-NFL QB Mark Sanchez.

The NRL has a lot of work to do if it truly wants to sell rugby league to Americans, judging by Monday’s promotional attempt in Las Vegas.

They could start by at least trying to get the name of the sport right.

Many have applauded Peter V’landys’ ambitious - and expensive - attempt to gain a new audience in the United States by hosting a season-opening double-header in Vegas next year.

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The fact the NRL boss was at The White House in October rubbing shoulders with US President Joe Biden and Anthony Albanese was viewed as another promising, albeit bizarre, step ahead of the event.

But a combination of factors had detractors of the whole experiment sharpening their knives on Monday.

Campbell Graham and Aaron Woods are interviewed at halftime by Fox sideline commentator Laura Okmin. Photo: Grant Trouville/NRL Photos

During halftime of an NFL game between the Raiders and Minnesota at Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, host broadcaster Fox Sports happily took part in a cross-promotion for the NRL.

It did not start well as host Kevin Kugler tried to get in the spirit alongside fellow commentator and ex-NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez.

“Now you have a football in your hands,” Kugler began as Sanchez held an NFL ball.

“But you got the chance to toss around a ‘rugby’ with some of the guys on the field before the game.”

No, we don’t know how you throw a “rugby” either.

“I did, a little pre-game rugby scrum if you will,” Sanchez replied.

Then we cut to some taped footage, where there is no rugby nor scrum, but Sanchez throwing NRL and NFL-style passes with league players Billy Walters and Spencer Leniu using a Steeden adorned with Stars and Stripes.

Ex-NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez attempts an NRL pass with a Steeden.

Fox sideline reporter Laura Okmin then conducts a chat with Manly’s Aaron Woods and Rabbitoh Campbell Graham, who also made the trip over to the US.

“How are you going to get American fans to fall in love with rugby?” Okmin asks as that “R” word hurts the ears of many NRL fans once more.

“The Americans love collisions in sport and Vegas is the entertainment capital,” Woods soldiers on undeterred.

“We want to bring the main game for Australia that we love doing back home and there’s no helmets, there’s no pads, we’re just here to make collisions and make the fans pumped up like they are today.”

Then in probably the most bizarre moment of the promo, we cut to some NRL footage and it would be difficult to find any less physicality from any rugby league game.

We see Woods jogging the ball up and not get tackled, one of his Manly teammates crossing a tryline through non-existent defence and then Graham scoring a try from out wide also without being touched.

“We’re just going to try to get out here and bash each other really,” Graham says. “We want to come out here and entertain and I think we’ve got the product to do that.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back here in March and putting on a show.” 

Okmin then compares the Philadelphia Eagles’ famous “tush-push” touch down move, an unstoppable play that may be outlawed next season, to a “rugby scrum”.

Woods laughs off that comparison before Okmin signs off with: “I can’t wait to see how this place is going to be filled with rugby fans. I’m already fired up about that.”

Aaron Woods untouched in a hit-up during a promo for the Vegas tour.

We are pretty fired up about that too, Laura, but for different reasons.

It seems fans online felt the same way.

“Hey @NRL how about schooling the presenters in the fact it’s ‘Rugby League’, not ‘Rugby’,” wrote one fan on X. “If you want to promote the game there, get them to annunciate the terminology correctly. This just shows they don’t care … what a waste of time and money.”

“If league wants to truly expand globally it needs to knock the rugby out of its name,” wrote another.

“Get used to hearing “rugby” because the distinction between union and league will be totally lost in the US. The constant comparison to NFL will be annoying,” wrote a third.

I wish they had shown some better clips and spoken about the skill level. They should have shown GI’s try against the Broncos, some JT highlights or some Jorge Tafua tackles.

The clips they showed were nothing…

— Dark Schuey (@DarkSchuey) December 11, 2023

Many also jumped on the choice of highlights when the NRL’s entire selling point to date has been the big hits.

“I like the idea but wtf is with the 3 highlights they showed.. 0 collision 0 hype,” was one observation.

“OK scrums and rugby league shouldn’t be allowed in the same promo sentence ... ps coulda found better highlights than that to tease Americans surely?!?” wrote another.

“What’s with the highlights they showed, looked like Oztag,” asked a third.

“It’s all about the collision” was another comment borrowing Woods’ message before adding the line “shows two of the most FEEBLE tackle attempts ever”.

Touched down.. but there was no touchdown in that game smh lol

— Oceania 🇨🇳🇷🇺🇼🇸 (@BoxingOcea93477) December 11, 2023

It was an unfortunate reality that the promo also came during the main break of a terrible NFL game with the scoreline 0-0, which would have had viewers fleeing in their millions.

For the record, the Vikings ultimately kicked a late field goal to win 3-0 in a game described by many as one of the worst in memory.

Of course, among all the comments slamming the use of the word “rugby”, comparisons to scrums or why on Earth veteran Woods was among the players in attendance, there was the occasional moment of encouragement.

“Pearl clutching over “it’s rugby LEAGUE not rugby” is a massive waste of time,” came from the account NRL Physio. “Just embrace it, get the game out to new people & you can clarify down the track if absolutely necessary.”

“This is awesome,” wrote X user Stavros Greenopoulos. “Ignore the short sighted haters, the NRL deserves credit for making this happen.”

So there.

Originally published as The NRL’s Las Vegas experiment needs a lot more work