Was Vegas a breakthrough moment when rugby league changed forever?

[Rugby League World]

The NRL certainly put on a great show in Las Vegas but, asks STEVE MASCORD, what lasting impact will it have in the United States...

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[The Future is League]

37 minutes ago, Rugby League World said:

The NRL certainly put on a great show in Las Vegas but, asks STEVE MASCORD, what lasting impact will it have in the United States...

View the full article

Lets hope so.

British Rugby League had a huge chance to get a foothold to the most lucrative sports market in the world, but for reasons already discussed on here many times it didn't happen.

[Gomersall]

18 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Lets hope so.

British Rugby League had a huge chance to get a foothold to the most lucrative sports market in the world 

When was that?

[Bradman Better]

12 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

When was that?

2019 in Toronto

[ATLANTISMAN]

In Peter we trust

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Bradman Better said:

2019 in Toronto

The Canadian sports market is pretty small.

[The Future is League]

4 hours ago, Bradman Better said:

2019 in Toronto

Toronto is in Canada and Canada is part of North America which is the biggest sports market in the word.

Here is a list of professional and semi professional sports teams in Toronto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_teams_in_Toronto

[Anita Bath]

And none of them are any good…..ask anyone from Hamilton.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

You have to view all of this is he context of Australia's unrecipical love affair with the USA 

You do not have to be the average Kiwi or Holly Vallance to work out that Australia sees itself as a mini-USA. The orientation of the Murdoch and Packer media empires is pro-USA and Australian TV is filed with cheap US TV imports. Indeed only last week The Sydney Morning Herald described Australia as the most trusted ally of the USA....

So buddies, if you view Vegas in this context of the little brother constantly trying to gain the respect of the elder more successful brother. It makes sense.

Not in the respect of how the game is viewed in the USA but how it was viewed in Australia where even noted league haters such as Peter Fitzsimons concede that the domestic game has been turbo boosted by this event.

Vegas branded merchandise flew off the shelves, attendances are at record levels. Australian corporate executives including those high up in Channel nine let it be known in the media that the financing is in place for a NRL USA league. The penny has yet to drop though about the implications for the game in both hemispheres if this ever got off the ground.

With Steve Mascords references to they working classes, if that' s still relevant in the 21st Century, I will point out that you have to be relatively well heeled to afford the Vegas jaunt.

Steve. A lota of us including myself are of of working class origin including many club chairmen, or powerbrokers as they say here. But cannot be considered to be working class now by any yardstick.We live in an aspirational society ( or at least should) so why cannot league be an aspirational sport. To be better than it is with wider appeal.

Let's just celebrate this for what it is an Australian event that has cranked up the passion for league in this country. Got people out of their sofas and on to the game, got record merchandise sales and TV viewing figures and long may that continue.

[eal]

It will be interesting to see if the Vegas kickoff still dominates the Australian media cycle in five years time? Presumably the novelty might wear off? Or will it morph into a moving festival which the NRL auctions off to different venues around the world each year - London, Dubai, Singapore, Miami, etc?

[Copa]

1 hour ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

You do not have to be the average Kiwi or Holly Vallance to work out that Australia sees itself as a mini-USA. The orientation of the Murdoch and Packer media empires is pro-USA and Australian TV is filed with cheap US TV imports. Indeed only last week The Sydney Morning Herald described Australia as the most trusted ally of the USA....

Many US citizens I know in Australia report Australians constantly telling them how bad the US is compared to Australia. It can become quite frustrating for them.

[langpark]

It will become a 'high class' magic weekend of sorts.  Those that can afford to travel there will aspire to do so each season, as they rotate the teams.

Not really a breakthrough moment, to answer the question in the title.  Really interesting article to read though, I must say!

[JohnM]

18 hours ago, gingerjon said:

The Canadian sports market is pretty small.

So we'd fit in well.

[tiffers]

From all that I have read and seen, the weekend seemed to be a great boost in the domestic Aussie markets. No doubt about that. 

A swallow doesn't make a summer though and from everything I've seen and read it hasn't broken into the US (not that it was expected at this stage either).

The TV audiences in the US weren't great though. They were weaker than I'd anticipated. It needs a lot more time to see how it goes in the coming few years. My concern being that one weekend a year is a drop in the ocean compared to everything else in US sport. It's incredibly hard to break through and if it's mainly about being a domestic boost, then it's working. But it's a hell of a long way from breaking into the US at the moment.

[Gomersall]

It’s a five year project initially. Hopefully the NRL will see it out and then reassess. It’s never been about breaking the US sports market. It’s about betting dollars.

[Pulga]

11 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

You have to view all of this is he context of Australia's unrecipical love affair with the USA 

You do not have to be the average Kiwi or Holly Vallance to work out that Australia sees itself as a mini-USA. The orientation of the Murdoch and Packer media empires is pro-USA and Australian TV is filed with cheap US TV imports. Indeed only last week The Sydney Morning Herald described Australia as the most trusted ally of the USA....

So buddies, if you view Vegas in this context of the little brother constantly trying to gain the respect of the elder more successful brother. It makes sense.

Not in the respect of how the game is viewed in the USA but how it was viewed in Australia where even noted league haters such as Peter Fitzsimons concede that the domestic game has been turbo boosted by this event.

Vegas branded merchandise flew off the shelves, attendances are at record levels. Australian corporate executives including those high up in Channel nine let it be known in the media that the financing is in place for a NRL USA league. The penny has yet to drop though about the implications for the game in both hemispheres if this ever got off the ground.

With Steve Mascords references to they working classes, if that' s still relevant in the 21st Century, I will point out that you have to be relatively well heeled to afford the Vegas jaunt.

Steve. A lota of us including myself are of of working class origin including many club chairmen, or powerbrokers as they say here. But cannot be considered to be working class now by any yardstick.We live in an aspirational society ( or at least should) so why cannot league be an aspirational sport. To be better than it is with wider appeal.

Let's just celebrate this for what it is an Australian event that has cranked up the passion for league in this country. Got people out of their sofas and on to the game, got record merchandise sales and TV viewing figures and long may that continue.

Hopefully next year we can do Cas Vegas instead. That'll really show the world that the NRL means business.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

21 hours ago, gingerjon said:

The Canadian sports market is pretty small.

I always saw the problem of Toronto being so far away and was never fully convinced of it long term 

However.....one thing the situation had over Las Vegas by a country mile was each game they were getting 8000 ish mostly.local and new to RL fans ....who knows how many different people that us over a few years of attendances (10,000s?)

It seemed in Vegas that it was existing fans watching in the crowd ....

For me the former trumps it ....and the TV argument could just as easily made for it

Edited April 1 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[Kayakman]

21 hours ago, gingerjon said:

The Canadian sports market is pretty small.

I see you have been drinking again.

[Kayakman]

Question:  Was Vegas a breakthrough moment that changed rugby league forever?

Answer:  No.

[Bradman Better]

The claim that this Las Vegas event, repeated 4 more times at least over the next 4 years, is going to build rugby league in the USA, is a joke. To do that you need professional rugby league teams in the USA. There aren't any. There are only amateur teams, and not one of them --- repeat not one of them -- is located in Las Vegas or within 2,000 kilometres of Las Vegas !

One of the journalist promoters of the fantasy that professional rugby league will emerge soon in the USA -- Buzzard Rothfield -- told his Fox League TV audience on NRL360 in Australia before the Las Vegas event that the games were going to be seen by 100 million viewers in the USA!  Hilarious! 

The truth is that while 100 million viewers might have access to Fox Sports 1 and 2 in the USA, less than 200,000 ever watch it. On this occasion the maximum viewership rating was 60,000 viewers!

What a con job has been foisted on so many rugby league fans in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Shame on Peter V'Landys and his helpers Buzzard Rothfield and Braith Anasta on NRL360.  This is the kind of self promoting fantasy that I would expect to hear from the carnival barker Donald Trump. Maybe V'Landys should name this event Make Rugby League Great Again.

Edited April 1 by Bradman Better

[Whippet13]

37 minutes ago, Bradman Better said:

The claim that this Las Vegas event, repeated 4 more times at least over the next 4 years, is going to build rugby league in the USA, is a joke. To do that you need professional rugby league teams in the USA. There aren't any. There are only amateur teams, and not one of them --- repeat not one of them -- is located in Las Vegas or within 2,000 kilometres of Las Vegas !

One of the journalist promoters of the fantasy that professional rugby league will emerge soon in the USA -- Buzzard Rothfield -- told his Fox League TV audience on NRL360 in Australia before the Las Vegas event that the games were going to be seen by 100 million viewers in the USA!  Hilarious! 

The truth is that while 100 million viewers might have access to Fox Sports 1 and 2 in the USA, less than 200,000 ever watch it. On this occasion the maximum viewership rating was 60,000 viewers!

What a con job has been foisted on so many rugby league fans in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Shame on Peter V'Landys and his helpers Buzzard Rothfield and Braith Anasta on NRL360.  This is the kind of self promoting fantasy that I would expect to hear from the carnival barker Donald Trump. Maybe V'Landys should name this event Make Rugby League Great Again.

Nobody at or connected to the NRL has claimed any of this about Vegas.

As has been said over and over again, including on this thread, the primary goal here is gambling dollars.

It is far too early to see if that will be achieved, in the meantime stop worrying and just enjoy the show - it wont harm you.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Whippet13 said:

Nobody at or connected to the NRL has claimed any of this about Vegas.

As has been said over and over again, including on this thread, the primary goal here is gambling dollars.

It is far too early to see if that will be achieved, in the meantime stop worrying and just enjoy the show - it wont harm you.

Lots and lots of people on here and journalists have presented it as some sort of game changer for rugby league

If they mean....Rugby league will generate some more money for the gambling industry (and maybe a bit for themaelves) then maybe that is true

But don't believe there will be many more fans or participants across the world as a result of Vegas (now or in 5 years) 

Now......If there were a well supported pro team in North America playing in SL or NRL ....or even a small well supported and stable semi pro league in North America .....then thay would truly be a game changer for Rugby league ....it would definitely result in more actual fans and participants of the sport 

Vlandy's and his team don't really care about RL at all....certainly not long term. They care about making as much money as they possibly can in the short to short medium term

 

 

[Whippet13]

1 hour ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Lots and lots of people on here and journalists have presented it as some sort of game changer for rugby league

If they mean....Rugby league will generate some more money for the gambling industry (and maybe a bit for themaelves) then maybe that is true

But don't believe there will be many more fans or participants across the world as a result of Vegas (now or in 5 years) 

Now......If there were a well supported pro team in North America playing in SL or NRL ....or even a small well supported and stable semi pro league in North America .....then thay would truly be a game changer for Rugby league ....it would definitely result in more actual fans and participants of the sport 

Vlandy's and his team don't really care about RL at all....certainly not long term. They care about making as much money as they possibly can in the short to short medium term

 

 

I do think Vlandys cares about RL, as in the NRL. Under his watch it has grown stronger year on year and will add another 3 clubs over the next few years. Even if he doesn't care, I dont mind as RL is getting bigger in Australia so he is doing his job very well.

Vegas may well strengthen the game in the USA, in ways which are currently unclear to us, the NRL are learning lots about the American spirts and gambling market from this so let's just see how things go. One thing I would like to see immediately though is a little money or some practical support from the NRL for the USARL, that would go a long way and buy a lot of goodwill from people.

[emesssea]

17 hours ago, Copa said:

Many US citizens I know in Australia report Australians constantly telling them how bad the US is compared to Australia. It can become quite frustrating for them.

Had a friend work in Australia for 6 months, absolutely loved in, the one negative he had was he did say there was a certain subtle arrogance there and he described it as: "You know how you have that one friend who talked about how successful they are, and yah they are successful but they're not that successful. Thats Australia"

 

Which is ironic, because he is that friend to me.

[The Future is League]

20 hours ago, eal said:

It will be interesting to see if the Vegas kickoff still dominates the Australian media cycle in five years time? Presumably the novelty might wear off? Or will it morph into a moving festival which the NRL auctions off to different venues around the world each year - London, Dubai, Singapore, Miami, etc?

I always thought that Singapore would be a good place to have the WCC and chase the corporate dollar and also it has quite a few ex-pats from Australia and the UK working there along with Kiwis.