By Billie Eder
The NRL is in Las Vegas for the second year, where four teams will battle it out for two competition points at Allegiant Stadium.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, with late night fisticuffs and visa complications among what’s made news this week, but the eight teams are just about ready to run out.
So before the turf slides into the stadium (yes, really, the turf slides in), here’s everything you need to know about the opening round in Las Vegas.
Captains of the teams competing in Las Vegas are presented to attendees at a fan day at Resorts World on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
What teams are playing?
The Sharks and the Panthers headline the NRL’s quadruple header on Sunday (AEDT), but there are three other matches beforehand.
It’s the Super League clash between the Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves that gets things under way, before the Warriors and Raiders battle it out in the first NRL match of the day.
Australia’s women’s team, the Jillaroos, follow with a Test match against England, before Penrith and Cronulla close out the night.
Last year, the Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs were the first team’s to bring the NRL to Las Vegas, and the Bulldogs and Dragons have already expressed interest in heading to Sin City to kick off their 2026 campaign.
What time are the games?
Games begin at 8:30am Australian Eastern Daylight Time, but if you’re on the ground in Las Vegas, then the first match between Wigan and Warrington will get under way at 1:30pm.
There is a fan zone precinct at Allegiant Stadium on game day, which is included with tickets, and begins at 12:30pm.
If you’re in Vegas, the NRL also has an official after party with rapper T-Pain at Zouk nightclub from 10:30pm PST.
Why are there games being played in Las Vegas?
The NRL’s Las Vegas opener is a bold attempt to break into the American market.
The sport’s governing body is in its second year of a five-year plan to bring rugby league to one of the world’s biggest and brightest stages, but it’s not easy leaving your mark in a country that is so heavily dominated by sports such as American football, basketball and soccer.
The famous Las Vegas strip.Credit: LVCVA Collection, LVCVA Archive
But even capturing a small portion of the American market could reap big benefits for the NRL.
Plenty of people are sceptical of the experiment, but the more optimistic believe there are three things that could make the venture; the booming US betting market, the entry of global streamers into the broadcast market and the boost from the Las Vegas week’s razzle-dazzle to the perception of the sport back home.
How many tickets have been sold?
The NRL is still hopeful that ticket sales will break through the magical 50,000 mark. At the time of writing, about 45,000 tickets have been sold, many of them taken up by fans travelling from New Zealand and England. If organisers can shift another 5000 or so, the NRL will go very close to breaking even for Vegas 2.0.
Jamal Foagrty, Scott Sorensen, Billy Burns and Jackson Ford at the Grand Canyon ahead of the NRL’s Las Vegas season opener in 2025.Credit: NRL Images
How to watch?
If you’re in the States, then there’s no better place to watch than on the ground at Allegiant Stadium.
But yes, most fans will be back home in Australia, New Zealand or the UK.
In Australia, you can watch the games on Nine or 9Now, Fox Sports or Kayo, while Kiwi viewers can watch on Sky NZ.
In the UK, you can watch the matches on Sky Sports, and if you’re watching in the States, then the action will be on Fox’s free-to-air network.
And, if you’re a bit more old school, radio stations ABC, 2GB, SCA and SEN will be live commentating the matches.
The Herald’s travel expenses to Las Vegas have been partly funded by the NRL.
With Adrian Proszenko, Jordan Baker