Raiders hope the US embassy helps them land $271.5m Vegas boost

The Raiders chief executive is hunting for a training base in Las Vegas, with Canberra keen to set up camp in Sin City for eight nights as they open the 2025 NRL season at Allegiant Stadium on March 1.

Canberra will face the New Zealand Warriors in the season-opener during a rugby league extravaganza including Penrith's clash with Cronulla, a women's Test between Australia and England, and a Super League game between Wigan and Sam Burgess' Warrington.

The NRL's Raiders in Las Vegas looms as an easy sell for fans. Furner hopes that can turn into a collaboration with the NFL team, having already visited their old facility on Oakland and traded tips about high performance facilities before Canberra set up a new headquarters in Braddon.

"Funnily enough, we were over there about eight years ago and went through their organisation for two days. They were in Oakland at the time, they've been relocated," Furner said.

"We'd love to train there, we're working with the American embassy at the moment on the contacts there. They were surprised to know our name came from the Raiders NFL team. We're working on that, it would be great to be able to train there.

"There's a lot of training facilities there, there's UFC, there's the university, but obviously the pick of them would be the Las Vegas Raiders. They're all out of town.

"The NRL are working with them at the moment on what you can get. There's going to be some demand from the English women's team and Australian women's team as well, that is if all four [NRL teams] stay there. We'd definitely like to stay there.

"Manly had it to themselves for the first four or five days [this] year, and in consultation with Manly, they found it really easy to be there the whole time.

"Some teams stayed in LA and San Diego and then had to uproot and go across to Vegas. We certainly would like to be there the whole time."

The Raiders will sacrifice a home game at Canberra Stadium with the Green Machine the designated home team for an opening round clash in Las Vegas.

Canberra lost a home game during Magic Round in Brisbane this year while the club is looking to take another home game to Wagga Wagga in 2026, but Furner is confident the exposure will make the move worthwhile.

Club sponsors are already buzzing about the prospect of being seen "in a city that has now marketed itself as a sporting capital of the world".

Promoting the Raiders in Las Vegas is aided by, Furner says, a high-profile coach in Ricky Stuart and a "good, young, marketable team".

"That's part of it too," Furner said. "We've got some exciting young stars that will be another year older next year and the marketability of those was a plus for the NRL."

READ MORE:

Canberra Airport officials are working on a deal for Raiders fans to fly out of Canberra on Fiji Airways, who were an official travel partner of the NRL for this year's trip.

Fans would have to fly to the United States via Nadi, but the prospect of flying out of Canberra adds another incentive for Raiders fans keen to spend a weekend in Sin City.

"Obviously for Canberrans and people in the region, it would be great to fly out from Canberra Airport so we're working with Canberra Airport and Fiji Airways about direct flights," Furner said.

"I would get in early because the prices will go up as time gets closer. To be able to fly directly out of Canberra Airport is fantastic for Canberra supporters."

As for those Las Vegas Raiders, any chance of bringing them to Canberra Stadium?

"I think they're a bit bigger than that, I'm not sure our stadium could hold them," Furner grinned. "Eight years ago they were very welcoming and they looked after us. They were happy to share their ideas, we got photos of their facility before we built this. Hopefully we'll have that same relationship."