USA creating a professional Rugby League?

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I read somewhere last year (I'll see if I can dig up a link) that the plan is to develop the NA4 into a professional, or at least semi pro league. At the moment 4 teams take part (Canada East and West along with the USA Falcons and Hawks) with expansion of the competition to 6 teams in 2008 or 2009 the stated aim. Currently there seems to be no appetite for it with crowds not breaking even remotely close to 1000. Perhaps plans have changed since Nigel Melville took over as chief executive but I suspect he'll try work off a North American model rather than a stand alone USA pro rugby league. Starting from a smallish base of about 4 American and 4 Canadian teams would seem to be the way to go. The player base isn't there to sustain more teams (8 would probably be pushing it as is) without saturating the market with substandard imports from established rugby nations.

I found a quote from a since deleted article on NARugby.com. Here it is:

Four teams â€" Canada East, Canada West, USA East and USA West â€" will play in the first two years of the competition. In 2008, two more teams will be added. Then the competition will play in a proper home-and-away, league format, following which other franchises will join the league.

For the first two years, the NA 4 committee, made up of the iRB, Rugby Canada and USA Rugby, will operate and finance for the competition. However, by 2008, cities and private owners will take ownership of the franchises, says Brown. “At the moment we don’t know what cities will take up the franchises, but perhaps, for the sake of illustration, Canada West could become the Vancouver Monarchs and perhaps Canada East will be the Toronto Knights.â€[/b]

 

[Prestwick]

Now that is what I'm talking about. Just give it to the private sector and it'll blossom within years. Soccer in the USA, once it got some serious funding, still took about 10 years odd to take off. If we follow the same strategy with Rugby, make it appeal to the plastic paddies, British and Commonwealth ex-pats and their friends then we'll be onto a winner.

 

[Butch]

If USA got serious about playing rugby we'd all be screwed big time! There def wouldnt be any team in the world who could beat them, if they put the right structure in place and had some cash to put behind them and set up some quality academys they'd be unstoppable!

 

[O'Rothlain]

Now that is what I'm talking about. Just give it to the private sector and it'll blossom within years. Soccer in the USA, once it got some serious funding, still took about 10 years odd to take off. If we follow the same strategy with Rugby, make it appeal to the plastic paddies, British and Commonwealth ex-pats and their friends then we'll be onto a winner. [/b]

Finally some sense...
It is a ways off. Let's leave it at that. There are adequate people trying to get the structure right...we have nothing to complain about. But why the heck are you guys getting ahead of yourselves? The RSL feeds into the NA4 which feeds to our National Teams (USA & Canada). It's a very good system that just started, and I think we'll see the fruits of those labours come world cup. I played with two guys that made the NA4 team and are on the Eagles Squad. They are the best we have. Still, however, our standard is not at European nor SH standard.
Patience is the key here. Let's enjoy our structure, keep playing, keep preaching the Gospel of Rugby to the unbelievers and poud this thing out properly. With time, we will see Rugby blossum in the USof A, and like people have said, if it ever does genuinely take off, look out world. America fosters top athletes.

 

[Prestwick]

America fosters top athletes.
[/b]

All hail the wonders of methodone and other performance enhancing drugs! :bana:

 

[Hazey]

If USA got serious about playing rugby we'd all be screwed big time! There def wouldnt be any team in the world who could beat them, if they put the right structure in place and had some cash to put behind them and set up some quality academys they'd be unstoppable![/b]

I'm sorry (and no offense to this individual member meant at all), but something about this attitude just riles me so badly. Why is it that everyone assumes that, if the Americans put in a bit of effort and took up a sport, they would suddenly dominate it? They don't dominate the sports that are their 'national past times' at the moment, so why would they suddenly become unstoppable at other sports?? [/rant]

 

[Wellycane]

<div class='quotemain'>If USA got serious about playing rugby we'd all be screwed big time! There def wouldnt be any team in the world who could beat them, if they put the right structure in place and had some cash to put behind them and set up some quality academys they'd be unstoppable![/b]

I'm sorry (and no offense to this individual member meant at all), but something about this attitude just riles me so badly. Why is it that everyone assumes that, if the Americans put in a bit of effort and took up a sport, they would suddenly dominate it? They don't dominate the sports that are their 'national past times' at the moment, so why would they suddenly become unstoppable at other sports?? [/rant] [/b][/quote]

I'd agree with Hazey but talking of rugby - which Butch was talking about - I think America would become one of the most dominant forces in the rugby world in years to come. Their strong gridiron background clearly indicates they love their hard physical plays on the field, similar to a rugby's. That is definitely their back up to the skills they already have which can be applied (after learning basic rules) to rugby. They'll have to be extremely 'serious' to become a rugby force.

 

[scuubasteve]

Rugby 7's is the way forward.

Its simpler, cheaper, shorter, faster and requires less players.

It has just been included in the Pan American games and the African Games. It has always been the crowd favourite of the Commonwealth games and is nearer than ever to getting re-entry back into the Olympics (if/when this does occur then countries like the USA and China will start paying alot more attention. Olympic Gold Medals don't grow on trees!).

I read an extended magazine article late last year (NZ Rugby News or NZ Rugby, I'll get the facts if anyone wants them?) which detailed the plans for ANOTHER american reality tv show.

Don't lose me here though. The basis of this show was similar to the Contender, but in a Rugby 7's context!!

Basically teams from the USA and around the world (giving it an international flavour) enter into a sevens competition running over a number of weeks. All games were to be based in the US with the final being played out (from memory) in Las Vegas. The winning team pockets US $1million.

TV rights fund the comp, and the series also helps to educate the unknowing viewers on how the game works. And hey, nothing beats seeing something with your own eyes.

The competition would look to be a regular show each season and would expand the number of teams each year.

This is how to give America the hunger and knowledge of Rugby.

What fringe NFL athlete (or any other) in thier right mind wouldn't think about giving the game a go if they could get on TV and win a million bucks?!

Once the market is established, and the sponsors can see what the game can offer, then the structures already being put in place for the NA4 and Super Leagues can mould athletes for the proper 15 man game.

Like I said, Rugby 7's is the way forward.

Its simpler, cheaper, shorter, faster and requires less players.

Sounds like an American craze waiting to happen!

Thoughts people??

 

[DC]

to be perfectly honest i'd rather see league or union played

overall they are just more complete games in my opinion

but if you think about it, you know how the nfl is now played in arenas under the arena football league

how about arena rugby 7's... a 50 yard pitch, tighter goal posts etc, i bet that would be really interesting..

 

[scuubasteve]

Yeah DC, in the long run I'd much prefer to see 'real' 15 a side Rugby Union throughout the US.

I think 7's is the best way to introduce the concept of rugby to the US though. Consider it a spring board for the bigger and better game of 15's...

I think there needs to be more interest generated and more education in the general area of the sport to help it get into more american peoples lives faster.

Trying to get the same rate of acceptance and an understanding of the rules of the full 15 a side game would take far longer.

7's is a great ambasador for Union and should be used as the leverage to get the game into American culture faster.

Once people start having fun playing and watching 7's then enevitably they will be interested in the 15 a side game. This televised 7's series could hold the key to unlocking North America, and would be a cheap way to do so.

 

[O'Rothlain]

From the Lips of USA Rugby:
"No."

Now will everyone shut the f___ up? Seriously. It's not happening now. It's not happening with 7's. It may happen in the future. OOooooo...let's speculate! Why? We are so far off from it, and USA Rugby has no plans for it right now. Call them, I did.

 

[goranski]

if that's the case too bad, to be expected though



you just have to look at how long Argentina has been competing at the top level and yet they still don't have a professional domestic league although they may get there one day considering the championship games are show on ESPN down there and they have some pretty high profile sponsors

however - Sevens is ideally suited for commercial TV - plus the quick, high scoring games are more of a draw for the uninitiated

the San Diego Sevens was one of the only rugby events picked up by U.S TV (Versus) this year probably for exactly those reasons - they showed a highlights package of the tournament over two days that was basically non-stop hit after try - the perfect way to get sports people out there excited about rugby and probably annoy the 15-a-side purists

 

[O'Rothlain]

if that's the case too bad, to be expected though



you just have to look at how long Argentina has been competing at the top level and yet they still don't have a professional domestic league although they may get there one day considering the championship games are show on ESPN down there and they have some pretty high profile sponsors

however - Sevens is ideally suited for commercial TV - plus the quick, high scoring games are more of a draw for the uninitiated

the San Diego Sevens was one of the only rugby events picked up by U.S TV (Versus) this year probably for exactly those reasons - they showed a highlights package of the tournament over two days that was basically non-stop hit after try - the perfect way to get sports people out there excited about rugby and probably annoy the 15-a-side purists

[/b]

We're nowhere close to Argentina. They'd demolish us.
7's is not the future..it's fun, it's good cometition, but it lack's.
You want Rugby suited for American audiences: Rugby League. It'll never happen, but that's the truth. We have no real American RL structure...but if for the sake of getting rugby on TV (like it seems everyone is trying "oooo let's put 7's on! at least it's still rugby!"), then I would definitely say the 13 sided code is suited for USA. IMO, obviously.

 

[Prestwick]

So whats all this about a huge US Rugby league being set up then ey O'Ro?

 

[goranski]

my point was that if a top test-playing nation like Argentina don't have pro rugby - the USA's chances are even slimmer

RL will be interesting to see how it goes and if it gets itself back on mainstream TV one day, the following story caught my eye a while back:

http://www.amnrl.com/news/04012007QuakerMedia.html

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Rugby 7's is the way forward.

Its simpler, cheaper, shorter, faster and requires less players.

It has just been included in the Pan American games and the African Games. It has always been the crowd favourite of the Commonwealth games and is nearer than ever to getting re-entry back into the Olympics (if/when this does occur then countries like the USA and China will start paying alot more attention. Olympic Gold Medals don't grow on trees!).

I read an extended magazine article late last year (NZ Rugby News or NZ Rugby, I'll get the facts if anyone wants them?) which detailed the plans for ANOTHER american reality tv show.

Don't lose me here though. The basis of this show was similar to the Contender, but in a Rugby 7's context!!

Basically teams from the USA and around the world (giving it an international flavour) enter into a sevens competition running over a number of weeks. All games were to be based in the US with the final being played out (from memory) in Las Vegas. The winning team pockets US $1million.

TV rights fund the comp, and the series also helps to educate the unknowing viewers on how the game works. And hey, nothing beats seeing something with your own eyes.

The competition would look to be a regular show each season and would expand the number of teams each year.

This is how to give America the hunger and knowledge of Rugby.

What fringe NFL athlete (or any other) in thier right mind wouldn't think about giving the game a go if they could get on TV and win a million bucks?!

Once the market is established, and the sponsors can see what the game can offer, then the structures already being put in place for the NA4 and Super Leagues can mould athletes for the proper 15 man game.

Like I said, Rugby 7's is the way forward.

Its simpler, cheaper, shorter, faster and requires less players.

Sounds like an American craze waiting to happen!

Thoughts people?? [/b]

This is the website of the 7's tournament you mention:
http://americanrfl.com/

Their website hasn't been updated for about a year. Last I read was that the competition is to be played on a full sized pitch and not indoors as was originally the plan. Also, the original start date was to be this September but has been pushed back to November.

 

[Prestwick]

Hahaha magical flying Matthew Tait to the rescue!

 

[DC]

ill say it this country needs to focus on union the true international game not some shitty 7s version of the game.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

ill say it this country needs to focus on union the true international game not some shitty 7s version of the game. [/b]

I agree. I noticed this on the iRBs website a couple of days ago:

North America 6 - competition between three representative regional teams from Canada and three from USA[/b]

It's part of a press release about extra iRB funding for tier 2 nations. It seems as though the NA4 is going to be expanded into a 6 team competition in 2008, as was the original plan last year. In my opinion this competition is the way to go in developing a long term pro league in not just the USA but in North America as a whole. Sevens may stir interest and as such still plays a key role in the expansion of the game but until the full 15 man code gains in popularity, US rugby will remain a tier 2 nation for the considerable future.

 

[fordyfun]

not matter what you say there is a lot of big men out in usa not makeing track,nfl,bb who if are put in right direction will mkae awsome rugby players i think there is a big scope for this country to make impact if done right.