Bradford head coach Kurt Haggerty has hailed a significant moment in his club’s history after the Bulls were confirmed to face Leigh in the Betfred Super League’s third Las Vegas clash next February.
The two clubs will follow previous pairings of Wigan and Warrington, and Hull KR and Leeds respectively, in joining a triple-header to mark the opening of the new Australian NRL Premiership season.
Bradford’s opportunity will come on the 25th anniversary of the first of their three World Club Challenge titles, and Haggerty believes it rubber-stamps their return to the top table after an interim period blighted by relegation and liquidation.
Haggerty told the Press Association: “It’s a statement of intent and a statement of where we want to go. We want to be back on the global stage where we belong, and this is a reminder of just how big a club we are.”
Hull FC and St Helens had been widely expected to take up the next Las Vegas slots, but both clubs pulled out of the running. Hull FC chairman Andrew Thirkill said in a statement: “The club has determined that its priority is to focus on improving on-field performance and strengthening its position in the league.”
The February 27 clash at the Allegiant Stadium will officially be Bradford’s home fixture, which brings its own financial risks. But Haggerty, who was a player in the last Bulls squad before the club was forced to temporarily fold in 2016, insists the potential spotlight overrides such considerations.
“I think it’s a big call from the club,” added Haggerty, who played for the Bulls during the 2016 season which ended with their RFL membership being cancelled, and an effective new club being formed to play in the second-tier Championship the following year.
“I think some calls are bigger than the football department. The change has been pretty dramatic since those days, and it is fantastic how fast things are accelerating. We are not satisfied with simply being back in Super League. We are impatient and ambitious to be back on the biggest stage.”
Leigh have enjoyed an equally dramatic trajectory in recent years, returning to Super League in 2023 as the rebranded Leopards and clinching the Challenge Cup that same year with a golden point win over Hull KR at Wembley.
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont said: “I am absolutely buzzing and privileged to be able to take ‘little old Leigh’ to represent Super League in Las Vegas.”
