Exclusive: Tony Sutton has explained why Hull FC won’t be going to Las Vegas next season.
15:47, 19 May 2026Updated 16:16, 19 May 2026
(Image: SW PIX)
Tony Sutton has explained why Hull FC will not play in Las Vegas in 2027. The Black and Whites have opted against taking part in next season’s event at Allegiant Stadium and believe the decision is in the ‘best interests of the club’.
Hull were previously labelled by Rugby League Commercial chief Rhodri Jones as a ‘frontrunner’ alongside St Helens to play in Sin City next year after the club declared their interest for the 2027 event.
However, after exploring all avenues, from the commercial aspects to the impact it can have on on-field performance, the club have taken the decision not to participate.
Weighing up all factors, the club are open to Las Vegas and, indeed, other mooted NRL global events in the future but right now have prioritised the growth of the squad under incoming head coach Steve McNamara, not to mention off-field matters, none more so than the negotiation of a new user agreement to play at the MKM Stadium and their contract to play 13 home games at the venue, over the transatlantic trip.
Speaking to Hull Live, Tony Sutton, Hull FC’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “That’s the overriding factor; it’s what is in the best interests of the club, and having those interests at heart with what we want the club to achieve this year, next year, in five years, and in 10 years’ time and making sure that all of those things align.
“We’re super supportive of the Super League in Las Vegas and that alignment with the NRL and the objectives that they want to achieve, but they must align with the club’s objectives and priorities overall.
“That’s what we have been assessing behind the scenes: what the terms for participation in the Super League in Las Vegas in 2027 are, and what we can earn from it in terms of ticket sales commission or what we can earn from it in terms of other revenues.
“I went to the Wigan-Warrington fixture with the England women’s team last year and just seeing the amount of merchandise around, for example, especially down Fremont Street on the Thursday, and again, when Hull KR went there this year, it showed some of the commercial return that a club can gain.
“What we’ve been doing is assessing that overall. We’ve had to get some better understanding, both through Rugby League Commercial and from the NRL, to understand what those terms are. We’ve been assessing what it means for us as a club, what it would mean commercially, and what it means in terms of performance.
“It’s a really big overseas trip, a transatlantic trip, and quite early on in the season. We have been assessing whether or not it adds up for us in all of those objectives and whether or not it aligns with what we want the club to be able to achieve in the short, medium, and long term.
“The final part of those considerations is that we have a contract to play at the MKM Stadium and we had to understand the SMC’s position on the terms of that contract and not playing one of what would be our 13 home games and the impact of that on sponsors and members as well who paid to watch home games at this stadium.
“We’ve had a really good run through what it means for us as a club overall and that’s what our decision has been based on.”
However, despite pulling out for 2027, Hull FC remain open to the possibility of playing in Las Vegas in 2028, with the NRL’s deal with Allegiant Stadium running for another two seasons, but it has to be viable for the club and deemed to be in their best interests. That, ultimately, is key.
“It’s something we should weigh up every year and see if it aligns with our priorities,” Sutton said. “What’s been really interesting has been to see the NRL talk about a number of events on the road or even globally.
“I think it’d be interesting, especially if there is to be a stronger relationship with the NRL, let’s say for next year or going into next year, on a medium to long-term basis, how that would play through in terms of what other events there might be to be engaged or involved in, but yeah, we would definitely reassess it every year.
“We would need to weigh up if it aligns with what we want. Does it stack up commercially? Does it stack up with the contract with the SMC? We’ve got a contract to play the home games, and we would need to give them some level of compensation if we’re not having a home game here. Does it stack up with what we want from performance? There are many factors to consider.
“I think we all watched the first year and thought ‘Wow, this is incredible.’ This is something to be a part of. It is an incredible event and I think it moved up a level this year and what this year showed us was the importance of having Super League teams at that event for the overall weekend, and the positivity and power the Super League involvement in that weekend brings.
“I can well understand how other clubs would look at that event and think that’s absolutely something that we want to be a part of and as do we. That’s why we spend the time assessing what it means for us. Right now, it’s just not the right time for us as a club.”
