Rugby League Combine at NRL Event in Las Vegas
Rugby League Combine at NRL Event in Las Vegas
The National Rubgy League (NRL) showcase in Las Vegas is not just an event to bring more fans to Rugby League, it's also a chance to bring more athletes, American athletes, to the game.
What Is Rugby League? Rugby League split from Rugby Union in the late 1800s when rugby players in the North of England wanted to be paid. This was the main reason for the split and the two codes of Rugby existed side-by-side, chiefly in England's North and in Australia for a long time. The rules are different—there are no rucks and mauls, each team gets six downs, or tackles, to score or they turn the ball over. The point values are different, there are no lineouts, and the tactics are different.
But the appeal of Rugby League is that it's an easier game to pick up, and in fact many young Rugby Union players in Australia get started playing Rugby League.
A very popular professional game in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and elsewhere, Rugby League has its own World Cup, which Australia has won 12 times, Great Britain three times, and New Zealand once.
The NRL event in Las Vegas will feature the USA Hawks, the USA's national team, with the Men's team and the Women's team both playing Greece. There will also be top professional teams playing.
During the NRL Week in Las Vegas 25 men and 25 women will be put through their paces in a National (Australian) Rugby League combine. The Combine will be held February 1 at Silver Bowl Park and March 1 at the UFC Performance Center.
From that group, the NRL will select two men and two women to travel to Australia to train with elite teams and try to win a NRL contract. The NRL also runs the NRLW professional women's league. Among the athletes expected to compete is USA 7s player Adam Channel (more here>>).
The NRL Combine is an invitational scouting showcase, designed to discover and evaluate potential NRL talent in North America. Athletes participate in a range of speed, agility, strength and skill-based tests, each designed to assess the athlete’s suitability to play in the NRL.
