6N "exhibition" game in the US

[Curls]

No doubt this has been talked over before but I was thinking about it again today. We've all seen the NFL game in Wembely as a mode of promoting the game in Europe, but I have heard suggested in the past that 6N game be played in the States, maybe on the East Coast as a means promoting the game there. Perhaps a venue like the Giant's Stadium in NY or Gillette Stadium near Boston. The format would be interesting. IMO obviously if it's going to be in the US sense dictates that Ireland be one of the teams, especially on the East Coast as this will bring the biggest crowd in. However thats open to debate and so is the other team.
I heard this dicussed on an America Rugby podcast before and the host said he was "nervous" about holding and Ireland v England game in NY or Boston. Perhaps he fears trouble between fans although that isnt present in rugby as it may be in football. Anyway any suggestions on where and who should play?

Also it was suggested that maybe the USA play a game before the 6N fixture as a warm up...this may well attract more of a local crowd and trigger an interest in the game and supporting the Eagles. Maybe a USA v Canada game or perhaps Georgia or Romania might be interested.
The problem for US rugby is that they cannoy play any of the top tier nations without gettin a horrible beating and demoralised. With that going on it really is little wonder that fans in the US arnt more plentiful.
Any suggestions or comment on any of the above points/suggestions?

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Doesn't really seem plausible...
Whichever of the 2 teams is supposed to have a home advantage that year will be put out.
Also, there'd be a pretty big financial loss I would imagine; you have to remember American football is popular enough in Britain to warrant having a game in Wembley. Americans don't give a crap about rugby.
Maybe a friendly between 2 big teams at some stage or something... I just can't see them doing a 6 nations game there

 

[Teh Mite]

The paddys could draw numbers over there with ex-pats & pre-pats. The irony being that'd be the one and only time of year when every single American isn't pretending to be Irish.

 

[Charles]

I don't think that's the good way to go about promoting rugby in the US. If you want to get people interested in the sport you got to give then something they can relate to, something with history, like the big rivalries in the NFL. Nobody gives a **** about the 6 nations in the US, and rightly so. It's not an american sport, the least you can do is having american teams competing...

You want to make rugby big in the states, put money at grassroots level, get kids playing. And get the ******* varsity status already...

Something I posted already

www.gainline.us

Also, last year the first 7's College Championship was brodcasted on NBC, which I believe is FTA tv... It's all on youtube. The level is not stellar but the enthusiasm and the crowd is there...

 

[Peat]

No.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

The paddys could draw numbers over there with ex-pats & pre-pats. The irony being that'd be the one and only time of year when every single American isn't pretending to be Irish.

Oh you!

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Put the post-Tri Nations (Or Quad-Nations, as it shall then be) Bledisloe Cup match there in 2012, instead od Hong Kong or Japan. That'd do the trick.

 

[Curls]

All points above are noted and I agree with many!

I have cousin's in the US who played a bit growing up. I spoke to them on my last visit about rugby there and their reaction seemed to be that although they pretend to love it American's arnt big into bloodsports. They pretend that sports like NFL and Hockey are real hard games but in modern time's they've softened. They seemed to think the reality was that American mother's didnt like the idea of their kids going out and getting beaten black and blue and cut open as we all know happens in your average rugby match.
The most shocking statement they made was when they said that in their opinion the NFL and their lower down organisations at grassroots were taking active action to harm rugby's popularity as they saw it as a foreign import and a threat to their way of life(sounds familier).

As far as the Eagles go..well there isnt that much that can be done. Their development isnt served by getting shagged by 30-40 points by Ireland A(or the wolfhounds as they are now), England Saxons and France A in the Churchill Cup etc. The fact they cannot compete even against what is in essence a scratch team of fringe internationals and inexperianced recent schoolboys must worry the rugby public in the USA.
Looking towards the RWC they cant see much light. 4-10+ try routs against Ireland and the Aussies, a fair battering off the Italians most likely and quite possibly a loss to Russia(who are a lot better than many think and could bushwhack Italy and cause some sleepless nights in the Irish and Aussie camps).

I suppose it just all comes down to the American psyce. They have little interest in International sport owing to their fear of denting national pride. They seem to have trouble competing at most international sport....and in rugby there are no dogey keepers to let them off the hook

 

[Charles]

Put the post-Tri Nations (Or Quad-Nations, as it shall then be) Bledisloe Cup match there in 2012, instead od Hong Kong or Japan. That'd do the trick.

No it wouldn't.

I don't see why an american would pay to see two foreign teams play a foreign sport, in what is essentially a money grabbing operation by SANZAR.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

No it wouldn't.

I don't see why an american would pay to see two foreign teams play a foreign sport, in what is essentially a money grabbing operation by SANZAR.

It wouldn't be money grabbing rele... There'd be a lot more money to grab if they did it in Japan. Rugby's popular enough there

 

[Seaton]

I think 7's at the Olympics will generate at least 20x the interest in the US than any exibition (sp.) match could
It's just a matter of time...

 

[nickdnz]

There is talk of getting an Ireland v New Zealand match in the US for 2012. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but plans are being made. I think it would go down pretty well, but even having a big team play against the US, in the US, would draw at least a fairly large crowd, even if it is a thumping.

The only other idea I'd have, would be to some how have a cross promotional competition with NFL v Rugby. I think the NFL could potentially have an awful lot to loose from that though.

 

[Charles]

From Gainline.us. Bolding by me. This guy is american and he knows what he's talking about.

http://www.gainline.us/gainline/2010/09/emerging-model-seen-in-college-7s-tourney.html

Emerging model seen in college 7s tourney

The newly announced partnership between the Atlantic Coast Invitational and the USA Sevens unveils an emerging model for commercial rugby events.

This weekend's Atlantic Coast Conference-themed 7s tournament, launched two years ago as a 15s competition, features volunteers leveraging college brands as well as the Olympics to generate commercial appeal. In a multiyear pact, this year's cash consideration will cover as much as one-third of the 2010 tournament's operating costs, according to people familiar with the matter.

'We share a common vision for growing the sport through the college game and they have the professional connections and expertise to grow our event from a commercial standpoint,' Wake Forest head coach and USARFU congressman Pat Kane said in an email.

The approach contrasts with conventional attempts to sell unrecognizable, expensive 15s matches to America's sporting public.

Test rugby lacks the brand power of NCAA schools and the Summer Games, and it is far more expensive. Beyond greater team costs, internationals these days require most of Boulder's (USA Rugby Federation) paid staff to be on hand too.

Though USARFU has been able to count on (English) Rugby Football Union and International Rugby Board patronage, its nine-year-old Churchill Cup has not matched the younger, privately run USA Sevens in penetrating America's sports entertainment market. Now it appears the budding 7s ecosystem will nurture suitably structured events like the ACI.

'It will be ... these conferences and the density of these schools' student bodies and alumni that prove to be the tipping point for greater and sustainable commercial value,' USA Sevens tournament director Dan Lyle said.

(In related news, Australian chief executive John O'Neil this week acknowledged that a high-profile game against New Zealand in Hong Kong has sold just 10,000 tickets to a 40,000-seat venue, illustrating the difficulty of transplanting 15s matches. USARFU once touted luring the Bledisloe Cup contest to a 76,000-seater in Denver.)

Though the ACI tournament is not sanctioned by the ACC, the competition's success in mirroring varsity conventions is a countervailing positive for youth volunteers who contend that USARFU's Under-19 standards are retarding rugby's acceptance in American high schools.

 

[MichaelBoard]

Totally against the idea of staging a Six Nations match in the U.S, ever! As someone mentioned earlier one of the two teams will fell put out due to them surrendering their home advantage and moving to a neutral venue in the U.S. and its just not fair on the country's fans as they then miss out on an opportunity to watch their team in their country. Surely adding Rugby 7s as an event in 2012 Olympics would be the best option to enhance the sports global appeal?

 

[lynam1104]

They did last year and it was **** apparently cuz they ran out of beer 20 mins before kick off.

EDIT: this was aimed at D'arcy

 

[gingergenius]

america's not really a rugby nut worth cracking. there are so many other sports there that even football can't get a look in.

If rugby wants a superhuge country to play, they should try Russia, Brazil, India and China. Those sporting markets aren't all saturated.

 

[BigJoe78]

various rugby league games have been taken "ON THE ROAD" to the states with varying degrees of success (leeds Vs rabbitohs drew 12500 in 2008 largely due to Russel Crowe), but its been very inconsistent. the NFL wembley games have become a regular occurence now and part of the sporting calendar for many sports fans in the UK.
That said i as much as these games are a big sell out the UK/London couldnt support regular games or indeed an NFL franchise people go once a year for the spectacle.

 

[Sam Owen]

america's not really a rugby nut worth cracking. there are so many other sports there that even football can't get a look in.

If rugby wants a superhuge country to play, they should try Russia, Brazil, India and China. Those sporting markets aren't all saturated.

Yeah true that, young American males are aligned in seeing that Grid Iron is the only oval shaped ball game with contact and thats understandable as it was in their country way before Rugby.

Russia looks potentially promising. You know them, anything with contact in it they love. It'll be hard to peel Brazil of Soccer, India surprised me in the 7s definately potential there and China.

various rugby league games have been taken "ON THE ROAD" to the states with varying degrees of success (leeds Vs rabbitohs drew 12500 in 2008 largely due to Russel Crowe), but its been very inconsistent. the NFL wembley games have become a regular occurence now and part of the sporting calendar for many sports fans in the UK.
That said i as much as these games are a big sell out the UK/London couldnt support regular games or indeed an NFL franchise people go once a year for the spectacle.

League, from a first time Rugby-watching spectators view is an easier game to understand because Americans can relate the League defensive line to Grid Iron. Union however is quite a hard game for them to gather because of the many contests, reffs and teams that are kick hungry certainly dont help the beauty of the game.

Not surprised the League did well over there. I compare the game of League to Draughts, easy to learn game and Union would be like Chess, many things to learn.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I think the Olympics is when America will really take note of Rugby for me personally. They have the players and the boys are there to play. You need to look at developing the game at university level. Its something im keen to do after graduating from Uni is to head over to the US and see if I can get my hand in coaching University Rugby over there.

For me China is the way to go, they have a huge population and an untapped market, the same goes for football over there, they have some decent footballers who could easily make a decent living. These markets needs to be explored.

 

[munstermuffin]

Cymro if you need a hand in American venture I'll be on board but ha wouldn't it be great Paddys Day in New York (or technically Jersey) in The Meadowlands (aka New Giants Stadium) for Ireland vs England to decide Grand Slam I think that'd easily sell out so now only prob is getting both teams to be good enough