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United States of America: State of Rugby

Wales will be touring America in the summer of '09, i wonder if gatland will stick to the same "we're only sending 1st teams on tour" attitude[/b]
Will he have a 1st team to send with so many of them in the Lions? :p
 
Hey all! I'm a new member here. I've got about three seasons of rugby under my belt so far. I'm 17 and a highschool player. Our side took the New England championship this year and I saw a lot of teams this year at the tournament and I have to say that there are a lot of incredible athletes coming out of New England. Even from just three years ago there has been a huge growth in the number of teams joining NERFU. This is all U-19 so they have plenty of times to grow into potential national team candidates. Hell, one of the kids on my side last year was invited to attend the U-19 national team camp during his first year of play.

Rugby is growing in leaps and bounds across America and I bet we'll be a force to be reckoned with within the next 10 years.
 
I can tell rugby is growing here because we are starting to get more youth teams. It might be just be because I live in the Washington D.C. area, but it's getting more attention.

On a related note, it's getting more media attention as well. Last Friday, after months of diligently searching for any rugby related T.V. programs, I found an hour program with the highlights of the "USA Rugby College Play-Offs The Super Sixteen" on ESPN University, and I just found out that they will be airing the full match of the championship final on Thursday, even though they are airing it at 10 PM (East Coast Time). :lazy:
Thank god for DVR.
 
I think Rugby is certainly growing, and will continue to grow in the US. Here in NC, a good number of clubs are established, and more people are starting to play. I think there are two things that need to be done to increase Rugby's popularity in the US: First, parents of youth players need to be shown that their son won't get killed if they play. 2. More media coverage is needed, and on channels that the average person gets, that way more people will be intrigues by the sport and they won't have to spend the researching about it like I did. :D I think that Rugby will certainly become pretty popular in the next 10 to 15 years.
 
Huge move for exposure in the U. S. of A.

Bledisloe Cup in the Mile High City?

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2039873


Although I still contend that the IRB and the USRFU should get their act together and air the 6 nations, Tri-Nations, and Super 14 at a minimum on ESPN or Fox Sports, hell even Versus with the NHL. What ridiculous logic is held that putting a sport on pay-per-view will gain new fans?? Idiotic. It's the definition of "short term thinking".
 
Er...Denver? :blink:

Thats like the least known city outside of the United States, coming up just behind Anchorage and whatever state capital is in North Dakota...
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Sep 3 2008, 06:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Er...Denver? :blink:

Thats like the least known city outside of the United States, coming up just behind Anchorage and whatever state capital is in North Dakota...[/b]


Agree. It wouldn't be my first choice either, but I guess it's more about exposing world class rugby to an American crowd than showcasing an American city. Denver does have a fairly decent Rugby community, but no where near as interesting as the San Francisco Bay area or the Northeastern corridor.
 
There was a story floating around a while back where the All Blacks were gonna play Ireland in the States. Think they said something about Giants Stadium in New York, that would be epic.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wairarapa_cullen @ Sep 4 2008, 05:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
There was a story floating around a while back where the All Blacks were gonna play Ireland in the States. Think they said something about Giants Stadium in New York, that would be epic.[/b]

I think this project has been cancelled and was supposed to be organised in Boston.
 
A game in the Giants Stadium would have been in a good place, good transport there from the city and I think it's capacity is around 80,000.
But to take the game to Boston would be far more relevant in regards to the whole Irish contingency.


Does anyone happen to know where Wales will be playing against the Eagles next summer?
I'd love to know if it's on the (north) east coast - i'd definitely try to make that game.
 
thought i mite just put a few words in. USA is actually doing alot with youth programs and even more in college sides and I think with Scott Johnson as coach it will help alot.

And speaking on the youth behalf its doing really well. My Illinois select side toured England and Wales this past summer and went 2-2 and only lost the first game by a conversion. So I'd say we were arnt doing that bad with the youth programs.

Oh and RC we played 2 sides around Swansea Porthcrawl and Gorseinon. Loved Wales so much plan on moving back in 2 years met some amazing people there to.
 
An international match between two full strength teams would be great for the rugby community in the US as long as:

It's played under the ELVS so the US public dont have to sit through a penalty shitfest.
Its not going to be a farce like the 1987 RL state of origin game.
 
yeah it would be great cause whenever someone comes to plan our national side they never bring the full starting side not even munster : ( but the Bledisloe Cup is always a chance :D
 
Well there is a Wales vs Eagles game on June 6th this year (following a Wales vs Canada match on May 30th which I can hopefully get to see). They're playing at Toyota Park in Illinois which can seat around 20 000 people. Not sure how big rugby is in Illinois but hopefully the game helps the sport grow there. Hopefully it does the same in Southern Ontario too when they play Canada. Rugby is already growing here but it still needs quite a bit of work. Both Jr and Sr teams went undefeated all season last year and there is already 40+ juniors that want to play but for some reason there is only 14 Srs on the roster right now and nobody else seems to want to play.
My local club (North Halton Highlanders) are travelling to Ireland in august. It will be interesting to see how they fair against Irish teams.
 
yeah its pretty big but for the munster game and the Churchill cup we only got like 10,000 - 12,000 in attendance.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Sep 3 2008, 08:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Er...Denver? :blink:

Thats like the least known city outside of the United States, coming up just behind Anchorage and whatever state capital is in North Dakota...[/b]

Wow does that mean Topeka beat three cities home in the survey.........woooooooo hooooooo things are looking up :p
 
Tra la la la la ..

usarugby.png
 
This thread resurrects from the dead, in light of the recent exhibition thread...I don't know if we have a lot of americans on the forum apart from O'Roth but it's always good to have some input from guys in the country, so feel free to chip in.

As one of the biggest potential market in the world, coupled with an already notorious ability to produce freak athletes, the US is a very interesting topic in the oval planet.


Since the last thread, rugby has seen some improvements, mainly its success in 7's and growth of the game domestically particularly at age grade level. The inclusion in the Olympics will certainly offer a huge boost to 7's in terms of tv exposure and more inportantly training facilities/money for the players as the USOC has come flying to aid since the news of the inclusion went public.
The diffusion on fta tv of the first Collegiate Sevens Championship is certainly a step in the right direction as well. However, getting varsity status in colleges would be a major, MAJOR step forward, both in commercial and sport tems...One just has to see the number of people asking if colleges offer rugby scolarships to know some guys are really into the sport.


The following text is from a very very good blog called

www.gainline.us

and is some kind of statement about the game in the US. I think it is spot on.

Read on

Principles for an American Rugby Policy

The purpose of identifying and enmeshing bedrock principles within charter and policy is not to prescribe an organization's activity, but to ground it, to lend experience and even wisdom to ongoing activity and new ventures. In an effort to elucidate the few principles on which any successful rugby policy in America must be grounded, I recently reviewed writings on the 2009 season and then backtracked further, while also drawing on the work of colleagues at Rugby Magazine, American Rugby News, and elsewhere. I've also benefited from speaking with many players, coaches, and officials; but any errors of commission or omission must be my own.

1. The nucleus of American rugby is the team, and itspurpose is to provide competition for its members.

The main role of third parties (e.g., referees, league officials, vendors) is to promote competition. Commerce is a byproduct of serving teams.
Decisions about competition are best made by those authorities closest to the competitors, because the game encompasses the diversity of a continental nation.
To the extent that it directs resources away from team competition without delivering practical benefits, the claims of unions on teams are limited.

2. The leading resource for growth and improvement is the school system, which requires rugby to adopt a mainstream approach to sports.
Junior high, high school, and college teams sanctioned by school authorities enable rugby to systematically access valuable public resources.
Rugby teams, varsity or otherwise, that emulate mainstream sports in providing advanced coaching, facilities, sports science, etc. obtain more of the most valuable resource: athletes. School teams also benefit from scholastic brands.
Elite (i.e., representative or national) teams that replicate the varsity structure better prepare athletes since superior training is more practical than tougher competition. Olympic 7s represents the apotheosis of varsity training and support.

3. The sport is too small for a large number of full-timers, so union administrative and commercial initiatives should be measured according to benefits for teams.
The playing community, even if energized by successful national teams, diminishes its focus when asked to endlessly pay for athletes, coaches, and officials. The game will become 'professional' only when subsidies are no longer necessary.
The purpose of union initiatives is to generate financial returns to seed the growth and improvement of team competition.
The most important commercial opportunities lie in 7s because it is an Olympic sport with a privately managed international tournament, posing no risk to teams.
 
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