NRL and clubs in talks to take matches to Hawaii
THE NRL could be about to go troppo. Officials from NRL clubs and rugby league HQ are in talks to bring the competition to Hawaii.
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THE NRL could be about to go troppo.
Officials from NRL clubs and rugby league HQ are in talks to bring the competition to Hawaii.
With a 190-strong contingent from the University of Hawaii’s gridiron team arriving in Sydney on Sunday ahead of the opening game of the college football season on Saturday, The Daily Telegraph can reveal America’s 50th state is champing at the bit to bring the NRL across the Pacific.
Former US national coach Kelly McGill runs Grand Pacific Events which this weekend hosted a rugby league festival in Hawaii featuring matches involving Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Canada and the NSW Police Service.
He said Hawaii was ‘ready to rock’ when it came to hosting the NRL and nothing was out of reach, including premiership fixtures, a nines tournament or even the game’s ultimate showpiece — State of Origin.
The artificial playing surface of Hawaii’s main football venue, the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, has just been ripped up and relaid with state-of-the-art Field Turf after consultation with officials from the NRL and the International Rugby Board who felt it more closely mirrored natural grass.
Mr McGill said Hawaii could host NRL teams, in an exhibition match at least, within the next year or two.
“We’re really serious about this,” he said.
Unlike mainland USA, which lives and breathes American football, Hawaii’s large Polynesian population has fostered a growth in the rugby codes.
Second-tier international rugby matches have been played in Hawaii since 1999 and the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers have previously considered playing a trial match there.
Tourism bosses want to use the sports to increase visitor numbers and talks are also underway in trying to bring the All Blacks to Hawaii for a union Test.
State of Origin would be just as big a prize, given the number of Qld and NSW footy fans who travel interstate each year.
“We’ve already done the science from a tourism point of view to establish whether we could handle extra capacity on air routes from Brisbane and Sydney,” said Mr McGill.
“We’re ready to rock.”
An NRL spokesman said Hawaii was a market well worth exploring.
“We would always explore new opportunities to grow the game in regions outside of the game’s traditional areas,” he said.
“There is clearly a growing interest in the game in the region and the Ohana Cup over the weekend has been well received by locals.”
UH will take on the University of California Golden Bears at ANZ Stadium on Saturday to kick off the American college football season.
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