NRL Season Opener in Las Vegas Sparks Interest in London's Wembley Stadium

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The National Rugby League (NRL) is exploring the possibility of launching its season at London's iconic Wembley Stadium from 2029, following the success of the season opener in Las Vegas. The event, which featured a double header, has prompted the NRL to consider hosting the season-opening matches in major cities around the world. Other potential targets include Miami and New York City, with the governing body believing that hosting the season-opening double header in a major city is the correct blueprint going forward.

The NRL is locked into playing the opening round fixtures in Las Vegas until at least 2028, but the incredible scenes in Sin City have the NRL convinced it has found the right formula to launch its season each year. The thought of a sold-out Wembley Stadium with 90,000 fans is a mouth-watering prospect for the NRL, with other potential venues including English Premier League venues like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. One of the challenges facing the NRL and the potential of playing its first-ever premiership game in London is the time difference and its impact on the television broadcasters, with an 8.30pm kick-off in London being a 7.30am start in Sydney.

The NRL is also aware of an incident between Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar and a UK journalist, which occurred in the press box at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Agar is alleged to have grabbed the journalist by the throat and verbally abused him during halftime of the Warriors and Raiders clash. The journalist is set to report the incident to the NRL, with a witness preparing to back up his claims. The NRL has confirmed it is aware of the allegations and will launch an investigation, seeking CCTV footage of the incident. The allegations have sparked a controversy in the rugby league community, with many calling for action to be taken against Agar.

The success of the Las Vegas season-opener has also sparked interest in the NRL, with many Americans being blown away by the league. The event has been hailed as a success, with the NRL hitting an "unprecedented" level in Las Vegas. The league is now considering expanding its reach to other major cities around the world, with London's Wembley Stadium being a prime target. The NRL is expected to make a decision on the location of the 2029 season opener in the coming months, with many fans eagerly awaiting the announcement. In the meantime, the league will continue to investigate the incident between Agar and the UK journalist, with a decision expected to be made soon.

The NRL has also announced that the venues for the end-of-season Ashes series between Australia and England will be announced later this week, with the new stadium of Premier League club Everton set to host one of the games. The other two Test matches will be played at Wembley Stadium in London and Headingley in Leeds. The series is expected to be a highly contested one, with both teams looking to claim the Ashes title. The NRL has also confirmed that the cost of feeding each player in Las Vegas was over $500 per day, with the teams having to pay $170 per head for meals in the team room. The costs in Las Vegas are often astronomical, but the NRL is willing to pay the price for the success of the season opener. Some of the key statistics from the season opener include:

• Match scores:
  1. Warriors vs Raiders: 20-30
  2. Panthers vs Sharks: 25-20
• Player statistics:
  1. Nathan Cleary: 2 tries, 5 goals
  2. Brian To'o: 1 try, 2 goals
• Tournament schedule:
  1. Round 1: Las Vegas
  2. Round 2: Sydney