'NRL World' is beginning to pick up steam as NRL executive chairman Peter V'landys has endeavoured to China and Hong Kong to begin his plans to build an interactive theme park.
Fresh reports from the Sydney Morning Herald reveal V'landys has been overseas to begin to collect components for the ambitious project, which is set to be held in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria.
The indoor arena will hold interactive fan experiences, assisted with artificial intelligence, hosting watch parties and other activities for fans to enjoy.
China and Hong Kong have been heavily linked as a location for the NRL's 'Global Round', which would see NRL fixtures played across different areas of the globe, with Tokyo, London, and the Middle East all highly speculated for a launch as early as 2028.
Although it seems the China trip was strictly for supplies to begin constructing the Sydney fan-hub, rather than business negotiations for future matches played outside of Australia and New Zealand.
“It's a theme-style rugby league world, where you're going to have augmented reality and you're going to have simulated players etcetera. You can speak to a player and he'll be able to answer all you're questions. It's all AI,” V'landys said to Nine News.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 08: Peter V'landys (Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman) addresses the media during an NRL Perth Bears Announcement press conference at HBF Park on May 08, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
“You'll also be able to play four-a-side in the venue. Stay tuned. It's going to be one of the real attractions for the sport in the next five years.”
V'landys, alongside former NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, brought the Las Vegas NRL endeavour to life in 2024, receiving high praise across fans and commercial partners.
Furthermore, V'landys recently secured a record $5.4 billion TV rights deal during 2026, which is expected to have increased financial benefits across all areas of the 13-man code.
It has remained a staple festival in the rugby league calendar, with it only expected to ramp up as time goes on.
Following six years of construction, Hong Kong recently opened up a state-of-the-art sports facility in 2025, Kai Tak Sports Park.
Holding 50,000 spectators and the largest in Hong Kong, it makes it an inviting location to launch the NRL in Asia.
