DEREK BEAUMONT has insisted that the game is “bigger” than him and Leigh Leopards after he decided to take his club to Las Vegas, a year after refuting the idea of doing so.
Last March, Beaumont said: “We won’t be making a bid to play there. I think we can go a bit closer to home with Dublin, Amsterdam, Spain and Portugal.”
The Leigh owner had raised issues with the viability of the Sin City extravaganza, claiming that it suited the NRL more than Super League.
However, the Leopards will now be playing Bradford Bulls at the event in 2027.
“The game is bigger than Derek Beaumont and bigger than Leigh Leopards,” Beaumont said on Sky Sports.
“Super League is the winner here and that’s the most important thing.
“Some great clubs have gone before us with Warrington, Wigan, Hull KR and Leeds. It’s superb.
“To not have anyone in the mix at this important time when we are discussing things with the NRL and Super League, it would be sacrilege not to do it.
“That was the driver behind it and when I look back at my experience in Vegas, it would be like ‘why would I not want to do that?'”
Beaumont also revealed that over 5,000 Leigh fans have already registered their interest in making the trip to Sin City.
“It will be immense, it’s a massive investment for the people of Leigh because we’re not a town of wealth.
“We’re a population of 40,000, and 8,000 are engaged in this and over 5,000 registered their interest in four hours.
“It’s a big investment for them. They will probably have to sacrifice holidays so it’s important to make sure that they do buy into it.”