'It's unreal' say Hull KR fans in Las Vegas

Thousands of Hull Kingston Rovers fans have arrived in Las Vegas ahead of the team's Super League clash with Leeds Rhinos later.

Supporters from both sides took to the Strip, the main street in the US gambling capital.

Life-long fan Richard Major described the idea of the Robins playing in Vegas as "absolutely unreal".

The former soldier has supported the team for more than 30 years and flew to Nevada from his home in North Yorkshire.

"All those years of following them around and like most of the time getting walloped, to be honest, and not being very good, not expecting a lot," he said.

"And then to come full circle and now to be world champions and be playing in Vegas. It's pretty unreal, to be honest."

Another fan made the trip with his family from Sydney.

Simon Latus grew up in east Hull and emigrated to Australia in 2020. He said living Down Under meant not being able to see the Robins play, so when the match was announced he grabbed the chance to go.

"This is never going to happen again," he said.

"Rovers in Vegas is an insane idea in itself, just even saying those words seems a bit crazy.

"So I think just making that effort of the thousands of dollars on the flight and bringing the family across, my wife and my son. I just think it's one of those where you just can't say no to it."

Latus said he was enjoying soaking up the atmosphere in the desert city with "thousands of red and white everywhere".

Another Sydney-based supporter, Leonard Gregory, said it was "the shortest distance I've ever travelled for a Robins' home game".

Gregory became interested in the team after he and his wife paid a visit to Craven Park during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

He flew from Australia to watch the team win the Grand Final last year.

"When it got announced that we were going, we booked the flight straight away," he said.

"We'd never been here. It's probably everything that America is in a microcosm and it's just, it's surreal."

Match coverage of the game at the Allegiant Stadium is on BBC Radio Humberside and BBC Sounds from 23:45 GMT on Saturday.

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