Peter V’landys has set off on a secret visit to Hong Kong and China to buy equipment for the NRL-themed entertainment centre he is planning to open in Sydney.
Hong Kong has been considered a favoured destination for the NRL’s proposed global round in 2028.
But according to sources with knowledge of V’landys’ travel plans, the primary purpose of the Asian jaunt was not to lock in the city as a host but to fit out his planned “NRL Land”.
The facility is slated to be an indoor fan hub in Alexandria where supporters can interact with players simulated by artificial intelligence, as well as attend watch parties and play four-a-side football, among other activities.
V’landys’ trip was kept under wraps to such an extent that NRL staff were unaware where he was, and some members of the Australian Rugby League Commission only learned about it when they read in the Herald on Tuesday that he was overseas.
His itinerary was expected to include Hong Kong as well as Guangzhou and Shenzhen in mainland China.
He is being accompanied by second-in-command Jacqueline Johnstone and two other NRL staffers.
The delegation of four is a departure from previous chief executive Andrew Abdo usually flying alone to carry out international negotiations.
V’landys is a stickler for keeping costs down, but sources said the NRL could save significantly by dealing directly with suppliers of products such as giant television screens and other technology that will be used at NRL Land.
He declined to comment when contacted on Wednesday, citing commercial sensitivities.
V’landys has previously told Nine News there would be a separate NRL Land in Queensland and another in the form of a travelling roadshow.
“It’s a theme-style rugby league world, where you’re going to have augmented reality and you’re going to have simulated players etcetera. You can speak to a player and he’ll be able to answer all you’re questions. It’s all AI,” he said.
“You’ll also be able to play four-a-side in the venue. Stay tuned. It’s going to be one of the real attractions for the sport in the next five years.”
V’landys this month had a huge television screen and rugby league ball installed in the lobby at the NRL’s headquarters at Moore Park.
The trip is his first outside Australia since becoming the game’s executive chairman last month.
It was unclear whether any meetings were being set to advance his global round ambitions while he was in Hong Kong.
The city is one of the possible locations for the V’landys-driven concept, which he is devising to expand on the NRL’s annual launching of its season in Las Vegas and hopes to launch in 2028.
It could include several matches being played in different cities around the world in a single round, with London and Tokyo mentioned as possible other hosts.
A major business conference, the CPA Congress, is also taking place in Hong Kong on Thursday, at which Paul Chan Mo-Po, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, will be a speaker.
In his 2026-27 budget speech, Chan announced $HKD1.2 billion ($217 million) would be injected into Hong Kong’s sports fund which he said would be in part spent on attracting international sports events to Hong Kong and its new Kai Tak Sports Park.
The stadium opened last year and is now the largest of any in Hong Kong with a capacity of 50,000, which could make it an attractive venue for global round.
Kai Tak Sports Park was designed by architects at Populous, the firm behind several NRL stadiums including Sydney’s Accor Stadium and CommBank Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
They are also designing the redevelopment of Penrith Stadium.
V’landys’ goal after securing a $5.3 billion broadcast deal is to expand the code’s reach at home and abroad.
Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
