Fans to tie knot as rugby league heads to Vegas
BBCRugby league fans from across north-west England have been flying out to the United States to see two local rival teams battle it out in Las Vegas.
Wigan Warriors are set to play their home Super League game against Warrington Wolves at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, as part of Rugby League Las Vegas, an event organised by Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) to showcase the sport.
Wigan fans Steve and Sue will have two reasons to celebrate if their team wins. The pair are planning to make the most of their trip by getting married.
"It's been a long time coming, we've been engaged for six years," Steve said.
The couple originally got together when they were 17 but parted ways two years later. They went on to marry different people but ended up back together 14 years ago.
They are travelling out with their friends Dave, Jane and Sue who, up until now, were the only ones who knew about the nuptials in Nevada.
Super-fan Sue said the trip had been booked since the draw and the wedding was a last-minute addition.
"We were booked on within minutes of it being announced," she told BBC Radio Manchester.
"We thought we'd take the opportunity while we were going, we only booked [the wedding] three weeks ago."
This will be the second year that Vegas hosts action from the NRL after Brisbane Broncos, Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters played there as part of the NRL's opening weekend in 2024.
The round-three fixture between Wigan and Warrington is part of the Super League calendar so there will be two competition points on offer.
Warrington fan Mark Hughes is hoping the competition will be an opportunity to showcase the Super League, and rugby league as a whole, to the world.
"Everyone's talking about it, look at the press who have never been interested in rugby league, we've got them listening to us for once," he said.
"We've got to keep it going, we're a sport moving forward, we don't want to be a sport that's dying."
Lindsay Yates, who has been a Wigan fan since she was eight years old, was given the trip to Vegas for her 50th birthday from her husband and family.
"As long as they play like they played last week we'll be fine," she said.
"It's going to be a good show. Vegas was on the bucket list so we're killing two birds with one stone."
Sisters and lifelong Warrington fans Carolyn Perry and Jeanette Taylor are also making the trip to celebrate their "big birthdays".
"It's that once-in-a-lifetime [opportunity]," they said.
"We want a really exciting good game, we want it to be a showcase for rugby league and, of course, we want Warrington to win."
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