Former NFL star Todd Gurley says Las Vegas is the proper spot for the NRL to launch its season and is assured Americans will help the idea that he expects to “grow naturally” identical to gridiron’s growth into Europe.
Next 12 months’s NRL season will kick off on March 3 at Allegiant Stadium with the Sea Eagles taking up the Rabbitohs earlier than the Roosters and Broncos do battle in entrance of what Gurley says will probably be a sold-out crowd of 65,000.
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Taking rugby league to America might open up large playing alternatives over there, whereas tens of hundreds of thousands of followers might watch the historic double-header that will probably be proven in prime time on Fox Sports 1.
Ticket gross sales have been sturdy thus far, and Gurley says the lure of Vegas will make it an ideal excuse for locals to move away for the weekend for one thing new.
“I’ve seen it on Instagram and social media, and that’s pretty much how you get your outreach now,” the previous Rams operating again stated in Coogee as a part of his Australian tour the place he attended the NFL Flag National Championships.
“Me being over here, I’ve been hearing about it more and more.
“I feel like in America we’re a little bit last minute, so people will be like ‘I heard the rugby league is on so I better get some tickets’.
“I feel like it’s definitely going to be sold out because it’s in Vegas and that’s a wonderful location to put it in.
“That gives rugby league fans and everyone else an excuse to go to Vegas. It’s a new stadium, so it makes sense to play there because you don’t want these guys playing in some old, rundown stadium.”
The key for NRL officers is that this isn’t a one-off sugar hit that loses momentum as quickly because the groups head again to Australia in early March.
Gurley, who scored 79 touchdowns earlier than he retired, stated the NRL’s voyage to North America may very well be just like the NFL’s determination to develop the sport in Europe by taking video games there.
The NFL launched its worldwide sequence within the UK again in 2007 and the game’s reputation has grown significantly, with three matches in London this 12 months, two in Germany, and a long-term dedication to take extra high-profile video games there sooner or later.
Gurley concedes that the majority Americans recognise rugby union over league, however a long-term technique within the area might change that, with former gamers and celebrities inspired to share NRL highlights on social media to assist develop the sport.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but I’m going to speak for everybody on behalf of the United States when I say we don’t know what AFL is, but we do know what rugby is,” stated Gurley, who performed for the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
“But I think the rugby that we know is rugby union.
“We’re a little bit behind with the NRL, but that’s why you have these games. That’s why the NFL plays international games as well.
“We go to places in Europe where football is what we call soccer, but maybe we’re making a difference by taking games there and showing them our football.
“You’ve got to start like this (with the games in Vegas). You go over there every year and it’ll grow naturally.”
He additionally sees a hyperlink between the NRL going to America and the Olympics introducing flag soccer for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
“It automatically raises eyebrows. Even if you’ve never heard of the sport before, you now know that it’s been added,” he stated, confirming he received’t be popping out of retirement to symbolize the hosts.
“We’ve been doing the Olympics for more than 100 years, but new stuff like that can (bring a new audience), just like the NRL.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
