LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
The NRL has officially announced that the North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights will kick off the 2026 season in Las Vegas.
This year, the number of games has decreased from four to three, taking place at Allegiant Stadium. The opening match will feature an English Super League encounter between Hull KR and Leeds.
The Super League game is set to start at 4 PM local time, which translates to 11 AM AEDT. The two NRL matches will follow, beginning 2 hours and 15 minutes after that initial match.
The Cowboys and Knights are scheduled to play at 1:15 PM AEDT, while the Canterbury Bulldogs and St George Illawarra Dragons will kick off at 3:30 PM AEDT.
This scheduling means that the Bulldogs and Dragons match will be available on free-to-air TV in Australia, whereas the Knights and Cowboys game, along with the Super League match, will be on Pay TV only.
In the USA, viewers can catch the Super League game and the first NRL match on Fox Sports 2, while the Bulldogs and Dragons clash will air on Fox Sports 1.
Aside from the games, the week will feature various events and activations around Las Vegas. Additionally, a triple-header is scheduled for Friday, showcasing the USA national youth, women's, and men's teams against their Scottish counterparts.
Wednesday, February 25
NRL Vegas Schools Gala Day, 9 AM to 1 PM (local time)
Thursday, February 26
NRL Las Vegas Nines (all day)