NRL.com: Robinson's Vision for NRL in the USA

On the eve of the historic NRL double-header in Las Vegas Roosters coach Trent Robinson has spoken of the pride he feels from being part of the concept and predicted the US audience will fall in love with the game sooner rather than later.  

Speaking to media from Allegiant Stadium, where the Roosters will take on the Broncos immediately following a clash between the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs on Sunday afternoon (AEDT), Robinson said it's been a special event to be part of.

"Seeing fifty-odd thousand rugby league fans descend on Las Vegas... it's really proud [feelings]," Robinson said. 

"Peter (V'landys) and the NRL, it's really visionary [stuff] around what's possible and where we want to take our game. We're really proud of it, but then also to say 'no, no, we're big enough for Las Vegas'.

"To be one of the first teams to come here, I'm really proud and privileged."

Having spent several years living in France and being involved in rugby league, Robinson said taking the opening two matches of the new Telstra Premiership season abroad represents an opportunity for the game to command the attention of a whole new audience.

"That's the thing that can't be understated. I have lived overseas and lived in places that love their football and love sports other than rugby league, and for the most part people don't care about rugby league in the majority of the population around the world," he said.  

What Peter (V'landys), with the support of a lot of people around him, has said is 'we're going to make sure those people start hearing the name rugby league, start thinking about it, start seeing it in their own backyard and we're going to dare to make this game bigger'.

Trent Robinson

"We think what [the players] do on that field is amazing, we think that when they [Americans] see what we do out there, that it's really, really special and people can watch it and say 'I love that sport, I love what they do'.

"As a one-off it'll be a really good sugar hit and it'll be an amazing thing. What we can do year on year is continue the conversation throughout the year, if we're doing this again in a year's time and again in a year's time, it will continue to build momentum.

"I've seen one-offs and they peak and then they go away. But if we bookend it with another game and another game you can extend the talk, the interest around that game, and it'll grow year on year."

In addition to more NRL games being held in the US going forward, Robinson also called for future editions of the World Club Challenge to be staged stateside. 

Last month Super League champions Wigan defeated Penrith 16-12 in Greater Manchester to hand the Panthers their second-straight defeat in the annual clash. 

"I think a World Club Challenge is perfect [for America]. We are one rugby league family split between the Pacific and then Northern England and France and we need to unify those sometimes at a halfway point," Robinson said. 

"World Club Challenge with a similar concept to what we are doing here [in Vegas], that's ideal."