NRL Las Vegas off to rocky start with USA v Greece postponement

NRL Las Vegas hit a speedbump on Thursday (AEDT) when a lighting issue caused by thieves resulted in the postponement of the opening fixture between Greece and USA.

Kick-off was delayed by two hours at Silverbowl Park as electricians attempted to rectify the problem, and the match was eventually called off for safety reasons.

International Rugby League posted an explanation on X, revealing that stolen copper wire was the cause of the issue.

“The USA v Greece match has been called off due to player safety caused by lighting issues at Silverbowl Park, Las Vegas,” the statement read.

“The issue was caused by thieves stealing the copper from the light.

“Electricians from Clarke County were unable to rectify the issue.”

The USA v Greece match has been called off due to player safety caused by lighting issues at Silverbowl Park, Las Vegas. The issue was caused by thieves stealing the copper from the light. Electricians from Clarke County were unable to rectify the issue.

— International RL (@IntRL) February 27, 2025

The match has since been rescheduled for Saturday at 2:30pm AEDT, following the clash between the two nations’ women’s teams at 1pm.

USA v Greece was set to be the first of six matches plus a nines tournament in Las Vegas this week.

The Canberra Raiders take on the New Zealand Warriors before the Penrith Panthers clash with the Cronulla Sharks in the two main attractions of the week on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

NRL betting sites have the Warriors as favourites in their fixture, pricing the Kiwi side at $1.68 to begin their season with a win.

Four-time defending champions Penrith are also well supported, paying $1.68 to get past the Sharks.

A Super League clash between the Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves then follows, with the former slated as $1.40 favourites to avenge their 40-4 loss last year.

The evening will conclude with an international women’s fixture between Australia and England.

Rugby league bookmakers have the Jillaroos as huge favourites at just $1.005 to win, with the Brits paying massive odds of $26.

Sports news