The NRL is considering staging an historic Telstra Premiership game in Los Angeles next year, which could see Manly taking on South Sydney in a match that would open the 2023 season.
Reports suggest that the NRL would hope to use the pulling power of Hollywood actor and Manly fan Hugh Jackman, as well as South Sydney owner Russell Crowe, to sell the game to the American market.
Given that the United States government has recently legalised sports betting in several states, the NRL apparently believes that it could net a potential $20 million-a-year windfall to underwrite the game.
The most likely venue to host an NRL match is reported by the Sydney Morning Herald to be the Banc of California Stadium – the home of Major League Soccer team Los Angeles FC.
The 22,000-seat stadium, which has already hosted Rugby Sevens tournaments, is four years old and is adjacent to the University of Southern California. It is scheduled to host men’s and women’s soccer matches when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics.
The game, if it goes ahead, would most likely be played a week before the rest of the competition starts, allowing the two teams time to travel back and recover in time for their respective round two fixtures.
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly, formerly in charge of Super League, has backed the NRL’s potential move into the United States.
“We had discussions a few years ago with the NRL about that potential game to open the season in the US,” Solly told the Herald.
“It didn’t come off then, but we’ve always been interested in any opportunity to expand the game in the US provided its part of a long-term strategy from the NRL to continue playing in America.
We also have the links to America with owners Russell Crowe and Mike Cannon-Brookes, who has sporting interests (as a part-owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz) in the US.
“We’ve also played a game there against Leeds in Jacksonville. We’ve always been supporters of an expanded World Club Series, so anything to grow the profile of Rugby League and the Rabbitohs we are willing to entertain.”
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