The promoter who brought MLB to Sydney "is pitching to take" the National Rugby League and State of Origin games to the U.S., according to Adrian Proszenko of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Jason Moore is behind a formal bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in the U.S. "in a move that can potentially showcase the game at venues such as New York's Red Bull Arena and the home of the Denver Broncos, Mile High Stadium." Moore wants to take rugby league to the U.S. "in the belief the gladiatorial sport will become a hit in a huge, new market." He said, "Absolutely, that's something we're very interested in doing. Whether it's Origin or just NRL fixtures, we'd take those over there. It would be on the same model of what we did with Major League Baseball. We'd negotiate with the NRL, with teams and buy out a home game. That would be the first port of call to do that. There's a gap in the market we feel we can fill. We are also modelling and looking to build an elite competition to start over here. It would be a proper national competition" (SMH, 8/6).
