Las Vegas hosted the NRL opening for the second year in a row at the weekend, following a successful foray stateside last year, this year laying on an expanded programme of four matches showcasing some of league’s top talent.
Tapanui man Tom Jones said he had given up hope of catching the opener after tickets were snapped up on release last year.
"Three weeks ago, this trip wasn’t happening; then a group got cancelled and someone tipped me off, so it was pack the bags and off to the airport."
Mr Jones — who came to New Zealand from the United Kingdom in 1992 — said he had gained an impression of Las Vegas from television and cinema, but nothing had prepared him for the reality.
"It’s just an amazing, awesome, larger-than-life city. Everything has to be bigger, better or more exciting than anywhere else, so I just ran out of superlatives after a while. I’ve rechristened it ‘Superlative City’."
He said despite the Warriors losing their match against the Canberra Raiders 30-8 at the city’s Allegiant Stadium, the atmosphere and experience as a whole more than compensated.
"Probably the best match was the Penrith Panthers versus the Cronulla Sharks — all of these played in front of 48,000 international fans, including a good contingent of Americans — but the whole thing from the fan zone to the nightlife to the millions of pokies everywhere was just stunning."
Mr Jones said he and other fans had doubled up as "ambassadors" for their favourite code.
"All the Americans I met were super friendly, and curious about what was going on with the rules and tactics and so on.
"You’d say the word ‘rugby’, though, and they’d immediately say, ‘Ahh, the All Blacks, right?’ So you’d have to put them right a wee bit."
The full lineup included matches between Wigan and Warrington, and women’s teams the Jillaroos (Australia) and Lionesses (England).
"Unfortunately, the Jillaroos gave England a bit of a battering, 90-4. But probably the biggest cheer I heard all week was for the underdogs, when England finally notched up a score."
Mr Jones, who captains the Tuapeka Punt when back in West Otago, said he had fallen in love with league in 1980 at the age of 18, and never looked back.
"It’s a working-class sport back in England, and I love an underdog."
A previous trip to see original home team the Leigh Leopards lift the Challenge Cup for the first time in 52 years, in Leeds in 2023, had also been special, he said.
"You only live once, so you’ve just got to go for it."
