Is Rugby League about to take America by storm?

New York Rugby League chief executive Ricky Wilby says the sport could become huge in the United States over the summer months.

The New York team were voted into the RFL ranks by current league clubs last week, creating real excitement about the potential growth of the sport across the pond.

“We think New York is the gateway to the east coast,” Wilby told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“During the summer months there are no real contact sports. There’s soccer and there’s baseball and American football fans who follow NFL want to watch something.”

Backed by two investors in London and New York, the club have already secured deals with flight and hotel partners to cover the costs of travelling teams.

They will also look to bring through a large number of American players and will spend the majority of their time training and playing in the States.

“We want to be based in New York,” Wilby added. “We want to engage with the community and with the sponsors and be away from the city as little as possible.

“We thought that was the only real flaw in the Toronto (Wolfpack) model.”

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