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New York pro rugby league team

The Daddy3

Juniors
Messages
89
Can anyone verify this? Apparently the people running the Wolfpack are being this and they're looking to enter the UK league system.

If so where would they play? And can it work?
 
Messages
14,139
Possibly have to be New Jersey actually. Even the big New York clubs don't all play in New York.

It's a big place though and there would be facilities in the greater New York area that would suit, just maybe not in the city boroughs like Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens.
 

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
Only one NFL team plays in the state of New York. Isn't this rumour based on the recent Mascord article about SL playing a game in Australia where he references a NY team?
 

RoosTah

Juniors
Messages
2,257
Very interesting.

If this trend keeps up they ought to look at just having a North America conference - throw in a Quebec team, SF and a couple more and you're sorted ;) .
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Personally I hope this is what leads to a higher level North American competition rather than an English comp with a sprinkling of American teams.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Personally I hope this is what leads to a higher level North American competition rather than an English comp with a sprinkling of American teams.

That's just not likely to happen yet. Where are the players going to come from to have another pro league?
Hopefully in the future we can have a NA pro league but it's not going to happen until there's been children brought up with the game in NA.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
That's just not likely to happen yet. Where are the players going to come from to have another pro league?
Hopefully in the future we can have a NA pro league but it's not going to happen until there's been children brought up with the game in NA.

Not yet, for sure.
Lets say you have an American and a Canadian team successfully competing in the RFL structure, drawing healthy interest at home - great.

Then what? Thinking long term, adding even more American teams looks like diminishing returns for me. More difficult and unfair drawing/scheduling may arise - look at Super Rugby's disaster for example.
There will hopefully come a point that there's enough money and interest going into American Rugby League - even if it's in a handful of clubs, that it could be re-grouped into something better.

What's better for American Rugby League 15-20 years down the track, let's say post-2025 WC - 3 teams in Super League, or breaking that down into 8 Championship-level teams to form an American comp.
American teams in SL should be the prototype, the end product should be an American competition.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Not yet, for sure.
Lets say you have an American and a Canadian team successfully competing in the RFL structure, drawing healthy interest at home - great.

Then what? Thinking long term, adding even more American teams looks like diminishing returns for me. More difficult and unfair drawing/scheduling may arise - look at Super Rugby's disaster for example.
There will hopefully come a point that there's enough money and interest going into American Rugby League - even if it's in a handful of clubs, that it could be re-grouped into something better.

What's better for American Rugby League 15-20 years down the track, let's say post-2025 WC - 3 teams in Super League, or breaking that down into 8 Championship-level teams to form an American comp.
American teams in SL should be the prototype, the end product should be an American competition.

The World Cup is like 8 years away. Where do you get the players from to have 8 pro teams in NA?
3 teams in SL do not require extra players as they are using players who would already be playing there.
I don't think RL is going to take off by having a load of half arsed NFL rejects playing the game.
For the foreseeable future I don't see a real alternative to the SL. Not until NA can grow its own players.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
The World Cup is like 8 years away. Where do you get the players from to have 8 pro teams in NA?
3 teams in SL do not require extra players as they are using players who would already be playing there.
I don't think RL is going to take off by having a load of half arsed NFL rejects playing the game.
For the foreseeable future I don't see a real alternative to the SL. Not until NA can grow its own players.

At a lower standard than the NRL and SL, a future 3rd pro comp increases the number of paid opportunities in the game. It takes something truly special to reach the NRL or even SL - but you could argue the difference between a very (very) good park footy player and a Division 2 or 3 player is basically desire and professional training.

With decent money behind it you could potentially build a comp with a few marquee players in each team, a sprinkling of Aussies and Poms across various levels of the game looking for an out-there opportunity, a few home grown American League and Union players, and some ex-college athletes.

To me the question is whether anyone would watch it, rather than would anyone play in it. Money is the answer to the 2nd question. The 1st question is what the Toronto Wolfpack (and this NY proposal) should be setting out to answer.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
I don't doubt people would play in t. If you can't get an NFL gig you would jump at the chance to still be a pro athlete rather than actually work for a living.
But America has a crowded sports market I just don't believe a second rate comp would be any different to what they already have.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
I don't doubt people would play in t. If you can't get an NFL gig you would jump at the chance to still be a pro athlete rather than actually work for a living.
But America has a crowded sports market I just don't believe a second rate comp would be any different to what they already have.

If 7000 people are showing up to watch a 2nd rate Wolfpack flog 3rd rate pom village clubs, why not?

It would obviously have to be a much higher standard than the current USARL - which is essentially a park comp.
Championship/NSW Cup level.
And it would have to have professional level marketing and showmanship, professional quality venues, etc.
It's many years away, maybe 2 or 3 decades even, but I believe this should be the endgame of the RLF's American experiment.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
If 7000 people are showing up to watch a 2nd rate Wolfpack flog 3rd rate pom village clubs, why not?

It would obviously have to be a much higher standard than the current USARL - which is essentially a park comp.
Championship/NSW Cup level.
And it would have to have professional level marketing and showmanship, professional quality venues, etc.
It's many years away, maybe 2 or 3 decades even, but I believe this should be the endgame of the RLF's American experiment.

I guess the Wolfpack at least have an endgame in sight they are building towards not playing crap English sides.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying there shouldn't be a NA league, just that there shouldn't be until they can produce a steady number of juniors themselves. Actual juniors who live and breathe the game rather than NFL rejects
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
I guess the Wolfpack at least have an endgame in sight they are building towards not playing crap English sides.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying there shouldn't be a NA league, just that there shouldn't be until they can produce a steady number of juniors themselves. Actual juniors who live and breathe the game rather than NFL rejects

True. I'm an optimist at heart though lol.

Regarding juniors - as I understand it the USARL has no current access to teaching the game to kids, and recruits entirely from adults via word of mouth.
Paraphrase what i've heard on here and interviews from people involved, schools are impossible to get into and the insurance and other costs of running junior games are prohibitive for the clubs current financial states. So this is a major roadblock that someone needs to bring down.
 

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