NRL goes for gold as it kicks off 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games inclusion bid

Footy fever may reach Olympic levels in Australia by 2032 after the NRL officially kicked off talks for Brisbane Games inclusion.

NRL powerbrokers have gone for gold, pushing for a form of rugby league to feature in the 2032 Olympic sport program.

Brisbane 2032 boss Andrew Liveris on Thursday confirmed he had met with NRL heavyweights, indicating they had pitched a compelling case.

“It’s a staggering set of statistics what the NRL is achieving in terms of global viewership and global participation,” he said on the Gold Coast.

The NRL is still weighing up whether to lobby for touch, tag or tackle footy at the Games.

But touch footy is backing itself to feature in 2032, with a non-contact version of American football already confirmed for the Los Angeles Games.

Flag football will feature in the 2028 sports program after being signed off by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Touch Football Australia CEO Marcus Ashcroft said the sport’s diversity provided an edge over other formats.

“Our game’s very unique in that we have mixed teams - that’s a real attraction, potentially as an Olympic sport,” he told AAP.

“I think that that’s where touch can have some advantages in that space.

“It (Games inclusion) would be incredible for our sport and for our community.”

Touch footy has about 700,000 participants in Australia and has been a springboard to the NRL with the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Benji Marshall, Scott Prince and Matt Bowen making the transition.

Any submission for rugby league’s 2032 inclusion, no matter the format, would need to be made through the International Rugby League.

The NRL has been vying for Games inclusion as it looks to further expand its appeal after successfully launching a Las Vegas opening round and a Pacific push.

“We are motivated and excited to showcase rugby league, the No.1 sport in Australia and the Pacific, at the Olympic Games in 2032,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.

“And why wouldn’t we be?

“With the eyes of the world on Brisbane in 2032, we have a unique opportunity to globally platform a sport that is the heart and soul of Queensland, Australia and the Pacific.”

Mr Abdo said the NRL had plenty of work to do after meeting with Brisbane organisers on Wednesday but backed the sport to feature in 2032.

“Andrew Liveris is a visionary chair and his team have been clear on the process for inclusion,” he said.

“We are busily working with the International Rugby League on a business case that will turn this dream into reality.”

The IOC usually determines the sport line-up for a Games seven years ahead of the opening ceremony, with Brisbane initially set for a 2025 reveal.

But the Olympic body decided to postpone it until 2026 to give Brisbane organisers more time to review infrastructure projects, following a venue plan delay.

The Queensland government finally unveiled its 2032 blueprint in March, almost four years after Brisbane was named host city.

“Additional sports, we have a bunch of them in the queue. We’re meeting with all the federations interested,” Mr Liveris said.

“We’re open to all the submissions fitting the criteria. The next 12 months is all of that.”

All sports included must comply with the Olympic charter, the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code.

Mr Liveris said the NRL ticked a lot of boxes for 2032, with both metropolitan and regional appeal.

“They have a strong value proposition, but, as I said to them yesterday, get in the queue - we’re popular, we know it and we like it,” he said.