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Improving American rugby on all levels
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<blockquote data-quote="O&#039;Rothlain" data-source="post: 297346"><p>I disagree with everyone. The problem with Rugby in America is it doesn't fit within any of the already established sporting organizations. </p><p>USA Rugby needs to work with the NCAA, with State High School Athletic Associations etc... and get rugby out of the "dark alleys" and bring them into the mainstream. </p><p>Do you know that in small town America, the whole region will turn out just to see a High School Football game? It's big business and Rugby's biggest opponent. Why? Because football coaches don't want their kids playing that other contact sport that they don't understand, and remember, we in America are isolationists. They see it as some foreign goofy sport.</p><p>We have to go over there heads so High School Programs are forced to co-exist instead of being boycotted or chased out of town.</p><p>This is a very hard battle. However, it's the real battle to fight. Easy fixes won't work here. Amateurs can't participate at the proffesional level that everyone else suggests. We've already been trying that with Super League Rugby. With the economic downturn we've lost whole teams because players could no longer afford the airfare and other expenses.</p><p>We need to build rugby at the state level. Think of Ireland with their provinces, and New Zealand with their Counties. Set a structure so each state can compete internally, and then form a national competition from the states. Just like in NZ, not all states can compete at the top flight level (as in NZ not all the counties compete in the ANZ).</p><p>This plan will take a while, more than a decade probably to set up. It has to grow and be solidly recognized at the grassroot level.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="O'Rothlain, post: 297346"] I disagree with everyone. The problem with Rugby in America is it doesn't fit within any of the already established sporting organizations. USA Rugby needs to work with the NCAA, with State High School Athletic Associations etc... and get rugby out of the "dark alleys" and bring them into the mainstream. Do you know that in small town America, the whole region will turn out just to see a High School Football game? It's big business and Rugby's biggest opponent. Why? Because football coaches don't want their kids playing that other contact sport that they don't understand, and remember, we in America are isolationists. They see it as some foreign goofy sport. We have to go over there heads so High School Programs are forced to co-exist instead of being boycotted or chased out of town. This is a very hard battle. However, it's the real battle to fight. Easy fixes won't work here. Amateurs can't participate at the proffesional level that everyone else suggests. We've already been trying that with Super League Rugby. With the economic downturn we've lost whole teams because players could no longer afford the airfare and other expenses. We need to build rugby at the state level. Think of Ireland with their provinces, and New Zealand with their Counties. Set a structure so each state can compete internally, and then form a national competition from the states. Just like in NZ, not all states can compete at the top flight level (as in NZ not all the counties compete in the ANZ). This plan will take a while, more than a decade probably to set up. It has to grow and be solidly recognized at the grassroot level. [/QUOTE]
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