League bosses lay out radical plan to bring code to Brisbane Olympics

First it was NRL in Las Vegas, and now rugby league bosses have their sights set on an Olympic berth in Brisvegas. Secret high-level approaches have already taken place.

Rugby league bosses have dropped an Olympic bombshell, revealing radical plans to be part of the Brisbane Games in 2032.

On the day the code conquered Las Vegas, Brisvegas emerged as the next new frontier.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal secret high-level approaches from a coalition of the NRL and Touch Football Australia to the 2032 Brisbane Organising Committee have taken place.

A formal proposal will follow to call for support from the organising committee to have touch football included as an Olympic sport.

“For the normal person in Australia, the hardworking people of Australia, there’s got to be some form of rugby league there,” Australian Rugby League Chairman Peter V’landys said.

“Australia is rugby league … the two most popular sports in this country are rugby league and AFL. It’s the one opportunity you get to promote Australia worldwide and you should use it to promote your sport worldwide.”

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo added: “We are going to lobby hard for Brisbane. Those discussions are happening. It’s a long formal process and we’re going to give it a crack.”

ARLC chairman Peter V'landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ARL Commissioner Kate Jones, a former Queensland Tourism Minister, was recently appointed by V’landys to take a seat on the Touch Football Australia board.

The NRL and Touch are currently connected through a formal partnership. Ms Jones said the relationship will soon mushroom into a full-blown collaboration.

Touch football boasts 700,000 players across Australia and, according to sources, is played in more than 40 countries – bringing it close to the accepted 50-country entry point for Olympic consideration.

“It’s a great sport with one of the highest participation rates in the country,” Ms Jones said. “You’ve got men and women, boys and girls playing. Importantly, the Olympics want sports with an equal number of women playing and our gender split is more females than males.

“Touch is also played in rectangular stadiums and what do we have right across Queensland? Great stadiums in places like Townsville, Cairns and Toowoomba.

“What a great opportunity to take the Olympics on the road and give the people of Queensland and regional communities a great Games experience.”

The catalyst for the touch push was the approval for flag football to be part of the Olympic program at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

ARL Commissioner Kate Jones recently took on a seat on the Touch Football Australia board Picture: Tara Croser.

For the non-contact version of American football to be retained as an Olympic sport it needs, as a new sport, to reapply to the Brisbane Organising Committee for readmission.

Additional sports can also pitch for inclusion, opening the door for touch to edge out LA’s new kid on the block.

After formal submissions are received, the Brisbane Organising Committee recommends to the International Olympic Committee which sports should be added to those that have a permanent place on the Games roster.

A final decision on which sports will feature in Brisbane is likely to be made in 2027.

“Why should we import flag to the 2032 Games when we have this great sport people already play and love?” Ms Jones added.

“We’re finalising a new partnership agreement between NRL and Touch Australia where we are going to work a lot more collaboratively on the ground across grassroots, the pathways and also in the commercial space.

“More and more NRL clubs are also looking at touch pathways so how do we build that cohesion?

“Looking ahead why couldn’t we have a Broncos touch team and a Roosters touch side … have that happening right across the NRL … so what better way to galvanise everyone for that kind of future than to showcase the sport in Brisbane.”

The NRL suggested last year the code was keen to become an Olympic sport through nine-a-side full contact rugby league. But those plans were shelved with Rugby Sevens already on the Olympic program.

A 100-day review into the infrastructure plan for the Games will also be released by the Queensland Government in early March.

When Queensland initially won the bid – under the former Palasczuk Labor government – there were promises about the Games being delivered on a broad Queensland-based platform, and not restricted to Brisbane.

If that holds true under the Crisafuli government, Touch and rugby league are likely to be the winners and in the running for gold medals.

*The NRL has helped fund our team’s travel expenses to Las Vegas

Originally published as League bosses lay out radical plan to bring code to Brisbane Olympics