Iconic city emerges as front runner for new international season opener location in 2027

London is reportedly the frontrunner to host the next NRL international season opener, with an ambitious 2027 target under consideration, with the fixture potentially alongside the current Vegas fixture. 

The UK is seen as a major revenue opportunity, particularly given the existing fan base of the Super League. 

Japan, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi have also been mentioned as potential locations.

Peter V'landys spoke to The Daily Telegraph on whether London could be on the NRL's opening-week fixture list alongside Vegas next season.

“Yeah, absolutely. Out of all of them, to be honest, that's the easiest," V'landys said.

Currently, more than 25,000 Australians and UK fans are expected to flood Allegiant Stadium this Sunday for NRL and Super League matches, a reflection of the growing international appeal of rugby league. 

Andrew Abdo also highlighted the draw of London as a destination.

“We've got lots of expats in London, lots of rugby league fans, and it's also a destination people will come to and gather at to celebrate for a week, not just for a game,” Abdo told The Daily Telegraph.

NRL subscriptions doubled in 2024, the same year the league debuted in Las Vegas, and grew a further 67 per cent the following year.

V'landys pointed to the strong correlation between international exposure and streaming growth.

“Increasing sales of Watch NRL is the biggest thing for us because that's what drives revenue," V'landys said.

“Since we've been to Las Vegas, subscriptions have increased substantially.

“That has basically supported the idea to go to London.”

With a subscription priced at US$160 per year, both V'landys and Abdo expect UK fans to eagerly join the Watch NRL platform if these matches are brought to London for fans to experience live.

“There are selected games on Sky, but not every game... and that's the beauty. You get the teaser on Sky, and if you want every game, you get Watch NRL,” V'landys explained.

“We also look at it this way: consider the A-League in Australia. It's a great game, but the competition (that most fans want to watch) is the Premier League in England. 

“There's also a lot of Super League fans in England, but the best rugby league competition in the world is the NRL.

“If you use that analogy, there's no reason why people in England shouldn't be subscribing in the millions to Watch NRL. In business, you want to maximise revenue.”

V'landys confirmed that Asia and the Middle East remain part of the long-term plan. 

“Look, I wouldn't be ruling out 2027," V'landys said.

"Abu Dhabi is very keen... ­Together with London, they may be the two we look at.”

Abdo also highlighted the flexibility of the schedule and the strength of prior international experiences.

“As opposed to having them all during a single round, it might be that we actually play a series of games across the first few rounds of the season," Abdo said.

"There are so many different ways we can do it. 

“But the important thing is that the strength of what we've done in Las Vegas now means that when we're having conversations with other countries, other governments and tourism bureaus, they are taking us really seriously.”

With London emerging as the clear frontrunner, the NRL appears set to make a bold move in expanding its global footprint, leveraging a proven fan base and the success of previous international ventures.