Australia’s soccer code wars have reignited after the NRL claimed to be the nation’s “biggest sport” in a cheeky boast to America.
The NRL will launch its 2024 season in Las Vegas, with two video games scheduled for Round 1 subsequent March.
The Manly Sea Eagles will play the South Sydney Rabbitohs, whereas the Sydney Roosters will tackle the Brisbane Broncos.
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Both video games can be performed at Allegiant Stadium, which is the house of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders because the NRL seeks to take rugby league abroad, but additionally faucet into Sin City’s profitable playing market.
An enormous commercial for the season openers has appeared outdoors Allegiant Stadium with the slogan: “Australia’s biggest sport unleashed in Vegas”.
“We will take over America soon and we’ll become the greatest game in the world,” NRL legend Brent Tate mentioned on Sunrise on Thursday.
The daring advert has ruffled some feathers within the AFL world, with premiership gamers scoffing on the suggestion the NRL is greater than the AFL in Australia.
“Rugby league, why wouldn’t you love it? Great players, it is physical, it is tough, it’s one of the hardest sports in the world. I don’t see what all the fuss is about, to be honest.”
“I agree that NRL is the biggest sport in Australia – if you are an ear, nose and throat specialist. Got to get those cauliflower ears sorted, and the broken noses,” Hawthorn nice Campbell Brown mentioned in response to Tate.
“I think it is laughable. If you’re living anywhere outside of NSW or Queensland you know that’s just completely inaccurate,” he mentioned.
“The AFL, I don’t think they’ve got too much to worry about whatsoever.”
Tate quipped: “Look, at the end of the day, any game that when you go to kick a goal and get a point for missing for me, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes weighed in, saying: “It’s delusional to promote it as Australia’s biggest sport. That cheeky boast is inaccurate, they’ve got it wrong.”
When the AFL held its inaugural ‘Gather Round’ in Adelaide this 12 months, a billboard promoting a State of Origin sport within the metropolis chirped: “Real footy is coming soon” to the South Australian capital.
The AFL’s final foray abroad got here when Port Adelaide performed the Gold Coast Suns in a 2018 home-and-away sport in China.
Earlier this 12 months, NRL legends Gorden Tallis and Laurie Daley bought right into a heated debate after Daley mentioned there was no argument that AFL had a much bigger and broader presence throughout Australia.
He mentioned: “They play in every state and territory and they get 100,000 people at the MCG and 50,000 at the SCG when the Swans are playing so I just said in my opinion I think they are a bigger sport than rugby league.”
For what it’s value, there isn’t a NRL group situated west of Melbourne and the competitors’s 18th group is ready to be from Papua New Guinea.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
