Bombshell Las Vegas axing confirmed as Jillaroos to be cut from footy extravaganza in 2026

The NRL has swung the axe after the four-game 10-hour Las Vegas extravaganza, and safe to say many fans won’t be happy about the result.

The NRL has reportedly decided to sensationally axe the women’s match from next year’s foray into Las Vegas.

Rugby league’s second venture into Las Vegas was an overwhelming success earlier this year but crowd numbers for the final fixture between the Panthers and Sharks made it abundantly clear to officials that a four-match 10-hour footy fest was simply just too long.

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While the feature match between Penrith and Cronulla was both high quality and intense, the crowd was as small as it had been all day leading to NRL chief Peter V’landys admitting that they likely would need to reduce the program to three games when they return in 2026.

That’s because the third game the Jillaroos trounced England 90-4 - a blowout that left little competition to enjoy for the fans who’d already been in the stadium for four hours by the time the game started.

News Corp’s Andrew Webster revealed on the Off the Record podcast, that NRL officials will announce in the next fortnight that it is the women’s game that has now become surplus to requirements moving forward.

However, which NRL teams will head over to the US next year is still up in the air but the program will feature two NRL matches and one Super League clash.

“There will be an announcement in the next week or two according to the NRL about who is heading to Las Vegas next year,” Webster said.

“There’s been quite a number of clubs that have made a submission but they’ve got no clue about whether they are in the frame or not. Bulldogs vs. Dragons seems like a lock. But the other matches are undecided. It’s either down to the Cowboys and Dolphins or Eels, Knights and Storm. I can say the Roosters cheekily said they’d be willing to go again.

“The other part of this is the NRL will scrap the women’s game after what happened with the Jillaroos and England, that blowout.”

The NRL is set to cut the women's match from next year's Las Vegas adventure. Image: Gety

The Jillaroos were done no favours by the NRL this year, scheduled against a weak English side who were battered 90-4 by an Aussie team who barely got out of first gear.

And many felt the women’s game was where the NRL missed the mark due to the one-sided nature of the affair.

So in the aftermath of this year’s Vegas extravaganza, there were suggestions that changing the game to Australia vs. New Zealand or even Game I of the women’s State of Origin series could be the way to go.

However, with the NRL deciding three games was enough, it is the women’s game that has been scrapped, much to the annoyance of News Corp’s Buzz Rothfield.

“It’s wrong. I know they got to bring it back to three games but we got a Jillaroos side that is so skilful, so good and we are penalising them for clearly being clearly head of everyone else and we’re abandoning women’s rugby league,” Rothfield said on the Off the Record podcast.

“They should have had the grand finalists or the Kiwi Ferns versus the Jillaroos.”

The Jillaroos battered a lowly England side in Las Vegas. Image: Getty

Peter V’landys hints at another opportunity to showcase the women’s game

But despite the women’s game reportedly being shunned for Las Vegas 2026, the NRL may have a different plan to show off the Jillaroos or NRLW.

V’landys previously said if the women’s game was cut from the Las Vegas extravaganza, he would find another way to showcase the NRLW stars to the world.

“I’m the biggest supporter of the women’s game, so I don’t want to discount them,” V’landys said after this year’s Vegas showcase.

“Australia were just too strong (against England in Vegas). It just shows that when you have a professionally run semi-professional rugby league competition, you’re gonna be that far ahead of anyone else in the world, and we have the best NRLW competition.

“They are so far advanced, they’re so good, so skilful, they’re so brilliant that the poor old English never had a chance. In saying that, I was proud to show them off, to show how good our women are, the entertainers they are. They didn’t let me down.

“Unfortunately the English competition isn’t NRLW and it will take some time to catch up to us. International football for the women’s game is important and we need to think about how we help other countries with their development and growth.

“We will have a review and think about what the right opportunities are to showcase the women’s game to an international audience.”

Listen to Off The Record with Buzz and Webby on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Youtube or wherever you listen to your podcasts

Originally published as Bombshell Las Vegas axing confirmed as Jillaroos to be cut from footy extravaganza in 2026