THE success of their Australia Day Challenge match in Florida has ensured South Sydney and Leeds will repeat the international venture next year, but they could take the game to another part of the United States - or even to Dubai.

Despite wet conditions and temperatures that did not exceed 8 degrees in Jacksonville on Saturday, a crowd of 12,000 helped set an attendance record at Hodges Stadium, which has an official capacity of 10,000, and bought up all of the $39,000 in merchandise Souths were able to get through Customs.

Among them were colourful former basketballer Dennis Rodman, Australian golfing great Greg Norman and his partner, former tennis star Chris Evert, seven-time world women's surfing champion Layne Beachley, Muhammad Ali's legendary trainer, Angelo Dundee, and, of course, Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe.

But it was the enthusiasm which the locals showed for the game that left officials convinced they should make the match an annual event, although it could be up to other clubs to build on their pioneering work in Jacksonville.

"We've had conversations with other cities and there is a lot of interest in us playing in those places," Crowe said. "Jacksonville has been fantastic and obviously it is a sports town, so that weighs heavily in Jacksonville's favour … but we've got some pretty heavy hitters who are interested in having a game in their backyard as well. At the moment that interest is coming from cities on the west coast and cities in the middle of America."

With Souths' major sponsor, Virgin Blue, to begin long-haul flights to the US this year under the name V Australia, it is likely it would want the Rabbitohs to play in one of its new destinations.

But Leeds boss Gary Hetherington suggested Dubai as a venue and Souths executive chairman Peter Holmes a Court confirmed the emirate was under consideration as the site for a future match.

"I think in America you've got to keep coming back for three years to make a real impact, but Dubai has been mentioned," he told the Herald.

Hetherington, who told a gathering of players from both sides after the match that in years to come the game would be viewed as a "significant" moment in rugby league's development, said it was now up to the governing bodies of the sport in Australia and Britain to follow up the initiative begun by the Rabbitohs and Rhinos.

"I believe what we have done is create a demand in Jacksonville for an annual game but there's no reason why, going forward, that couldn't be Wigan versus Parramatta or some other teams," he said.

"As long as it's a good quality contest between two quality teams, that is what they will be craving for.

"For South Sydney and Leeds there may be opportunities in other cities around the world and ideally we would like to create a demand to stage this game in a number of venues.

"Dubai is an obvious one. It's a city that is easy to get to and is a place that is craving for more and more top-class sport. But what we have done here today is throw some very important seeds down and that needs to be cultivated. I truly believe the 12,000 people who turned up would have gone home pleased with what they've seen and looking forward to next year."

With the referee's comments played over the loudspeaker and the ground announcer explaining what was happening on the field, the game was easy for the fans to follow. What they appeared to like the most was the physical aspect of the game.

"The contact was unbelievable, there was some hitting out there today," legendary former Michigan Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said. "What a game it is - and I don't think it would have any problems gaining a foothold here."

Brad Walter's trip to the US was funded by the South Sydney Rabbitohs.