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Super League head coach calls for Magic Weekend to be held in Las Vegas

Salford Red Devils head coach Paul Rowley has argued that Super League should take Magic Weekend on the road with Las Vegas the preferred destination of the 49-year-old.

This season Magic Weekend will take place in August with the event being pushed further back in the calendar but there has been talk about the future of the event generally.

With no date or venue locked in for 2025, it appears that Magic Weekend isn’t a certainty anymore despite the fact that it is a huge fan favourite.

Paul Rowley has now started calls for the event to be taken to Las Vegas, a destination that is gaining traction for rugby league as a sport. The NRL took two games there to kick the season off and it has been reported that English sides could also head there in the future.

Those calls have largely revolved around the World Club Challenge but the Salford boss has now claimed that Magic Weekend should be taken stateside.

Paul Rowley has now started calls for the event to be taken to Las Vegas, a destination that is gaining traction for rugby league as a sport. The NRL took two games there to kick the season off and it has been reported that English sides could also head there in the future.

Those calls have largely revolved around the World Club Challenge but the Salford boss has now claimed that Magic Weekend should be taken stateside.

Speaking to Jenna Brooks and Jon Wilkin on their podcast The Bench with Jenna and Jon, Rowley revealed that something he’d like to see in the sport would be a trip to the city of sin.

The Salford head coach has been involved in rugby league stateside before as he was coach of Toronto Wolfpack before that venture failed and he’s now advocating the need to take Super League, specifically Magic Weekend, to America.

“Take us to Vegas and have Magic Weekend in Vegas or something like that”, Rowley expressed to Brooks and Wilkin.

He explained: “We’re a partner club with West Florida Copperheads, so we have an American partner, so I want to drive going to America.

“I’m reading now about Roosters partnering up and I’m thinking we’re already doing this, but obviously NRL get it and it becomes big news.”

Sydney Roosters were one of the four NRL sides to head to Las Vegas for the season openers alongside Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Manly Sea Eagles.

That action has clearly got Rowley keen for more as he declared: “I want Super League to get involved over in the US.

“Start with Vegas!”

The logistics of the event would certainly take some planning but if it were planned far enough in advance then fans could certainly plan for and budget for the huge trip stateside

Back in March, Brooks revealed on Sky Sports: “The NRL kicked off in Las Vegas and RL Commerical has told me that there are no firm plans set in stone for Super League’s involvement in Las Vegas next year but there will be further discussions next month at the International Rugby League Meeting.”

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-le ... gas-93759/

It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

That’s a great idea Mike but not sure if there is a suitable venue in Cumbria, don’t know of any stadiums.

But Las Vegas is just a load of Yanks aren’t interested in RL they prefer the over padded NFL!

Not going to that shithole Leeds this time, so certainly not going overseas.
Newcastle worked well and was a real favourite, extremely disappointed this years wasn't taken back there.
IMG are fecking* clueless.

* * Edited by moderator. If you need to use the ‘f’ word please substitute the main letters

josie andrews wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:11 pm

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

That’s a great idea Mike but not sure if there is a suitable venue in Cumbria, don’t know of any stadiums.

But Las Vegas is just a load of Yanks aren’t interested in RL they prefer the over padded NFL!

They're interested in almost everything these days. The cricket world cup was in NY for example. However, we're not interested in expansion to US as that is the league's policy, so why on earth would we bring any games to this market?

josie andrews wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:11 pm

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

That’s a great idea Mike but not sure if there is a suitable venue in Cumbria, don’t know of any stadiums.

But Las Vegas is just a load of Yanks aren’t interested in RL they prefer the over padded NFL!

A quick Google tells me the biggest stadium in Cumbria is Brunton Park in Carlisle. Holds just shy of 18k

Last RL game to be held there was Cumbria Vs Australia on their invisible 1982 kangaroo tour. Only 5,700 people turned up.

josie andrews wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:11 pm

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

That’s a great idea Mike but not sure if there is a suitable venue in Cumbria, don’t know of any stadiums.

But Las Vegas is just a load of Yanks aren’t interested in RL they prefer the over padded NFL!

Nowhere big enough here but there a couple of nice big fields on the way in to Millom

To me it succes,to a point only because it was always about flogging the NRL as a gambling concept and given the sums of money involved in Australia I can sort of see why,now compare us to them is utter nonsense there is simply no reason why taking a couple of sides over there would work the American audience have no interest in the sport proves it’s only about flogging the NRL and its app nothing more,nothing less but they can throw money at something and hope it works our sport can’t.

But seems to me people pushing this are the usual suspects journalist SL looking for a freebie so will ask loaded questions in the hope they throw a few crumbs and plane tickets our way.

So for me the interest is nothing more than this years fad not about trying to grow a sport that will never take off over there

If we are going to look to either expand the game or expand the coverage of the UK game in the US, then now is the time to do it, the NRL can pump the money into it and we can try and piggy back off their investment

medlocke wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:22 pm

josie andrews wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:11 pm

Mike wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm It's a sh*thole. Just a massive tourist trap run by the mob.

Take it to Cumbria. There's no appetite for the money men to expand overseas so focus on underserved markets with local potential.

That’s a great idea Mike but not sure if there is a suitable venue in Cumbria, don’t know of any stadiums.

But Las Vegas is just a load of Yanks aren’t interested in RL they prefer the over padded NFL!

Nowhere big enough here but there a couple of nice big fields on the way in to Millom

Yes Mike good description. There's 3 or 4in Devon.
Salisbury Plain is by far the best if we're being serious