3 New teams in the Southeast USA

[spinnerhowland]

Here is the top part of the press release - full details will be posted at www.jaxaxe.com later tonight. Southeastern Rugby League is excited to help these new operating partners to grow the footprint of Rugby League in the region. It is a big day for Rugby League in the USA.

Southeastern Rugby League LLC. is excited and proud to announce three new teams in the Southeastern United States.

Southeastern Rugby League LLC. (SERL) was formed 8 years ago to develop and grow Rugby League in the Southeastern USA. It also 100% owns and operates the Jacksonville Axemen. We wish to make clear, that our focus for on-field success and commitment to bring more Championships to the City of Jacksonville and its community of fans and supporters, will remain the priority with the Jacksonville Axemen, while assisting the development of the sport in regional cites. We also know that with the addition of teams in a closer geographical area, and the creation of new and exciting rivalries, the Axemen will continue to advance as one of the best-known brands in the Jacksonville market, and continue to offer a high level of sporting entertainment.

Due to the increased awareness of Rugby League, that we directly attribute to the fans, supporters and sponsors of the Jacksonville Axemen, the interest in the sport has grown in the southern region. A combination of the “Minor League” teams that have been operated throughout Florida over the past three years, the constant success of the Axemen, and international events that we have hosted in Jacksonville, have led to this initiative. We have no doubts that every person or business, which supported any of our teams or events, can proudly stake claim to being apart of the biggest advancement of Rugby League in the Southeastern USA.

SERL is very excited to announce that we have agreed to partner with various individuals and groups, who have identified themselves as having the desire, ability and business plan to create Rugby League teams in their own cities. We consider it a great honor to be able to assist in the application to the USA Rugby League (USARL) for full member teams to be operated in the following areas: Tampa, FL, Central Florida (Combined Daytona/Orlando), and Atlanta, GA.

Each of the three teams are finalizing their applications to the USARL, and SERL is preparing an application to have all four teams become known as the Southeastern Conference starting in the upcoming 2014 season. We would also like to confirm that an additional partnership for the Atlanta team has been developed with one of the most iconic Professional Rugby League teams in the World. An announcement from that team is expected within a few days.

Peter Illfield (USARL Chairman) has congratulated SERL on their continued efforts to focus on the growth and development of the sport in the region, and was equally excited at this announcement. “The professional operation of the Jacksonville Axemen by Southeastern Rugby League has seen them become the consistent benchmark and flagship team in the USA. Based on them taking that style of operation and vision with them into these new partnerships, the potential for Rugby League in the Southeast region is limitless. This is one of the most exciting announcements to ever happen for our sport in the USA.”

In achieving this milestone we would like to say a sincere thank you to every person who has attended an Axemen game or one of our many international events. This is also extended to those international fans who have purchased merchandise and thus supported our vision. We are equally grateful to many international teams from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada and Jamaica who visited Jacksonville over the years. Thanks as well to all the media that has covered any of our past events, and to the volunteer staff and officials who make our teams safe every week. Thank you to our sponsors, past and present, big and small, as well our fellow USARL clubs, USARL Executives and all the players who commit to playing Rugby League, “The Greatest Game of All”.

 

[league13]

Excellent news,cant wait for the season to start.With these clubs being closer geographicaly we may see an increase in fans attending matches.

 

[Bronco Rob]

Great news for the game in the US and we know the determination that Spinner and his team have so it should be a big success. I wonder if it will be long before the Hurricanes apply for a gig in the SERL which was their goal from the start?

 

[Evil Homer]

^ The idea of the Hurricanes playing in a USA competition was TBH ridiculous.

 

[taipan]

Good stuff and congrats to the individuals who made this expansion possible.Look forward to reading about the progress of these new clubs.

 

[magpie4ever]

Great news for the game in the US and we know the determination that Spinner and his team have so it should be a big success. I wonder if it will be long before the Hurricanes apply for a gig in the SERL which was their goal from the start?

Who are the Hurricanes and why does Homer believe it is ridiculous?

Congrats, to USARL and SERL on the expansion.

 

[Mr Angry]

We would also like to confirm that an additional partnership for the Atlanta team has been developed with one of the most iconic Professional Rugby League teams in the World

Anyone know who?

 

[taipan]

Only two iconic teams IMO Dragons and Rabbitohs.
I smell fe fi fo fum,a hint of R Crowe.;-)

 

[The Great Dane]

Who are the Hurricanes and why does Homer believe it is ridiculous?

Congrats, to USARL and SERL on the expansion.

They were a Jamaican club that wanted to play in an American competition, Homer rightly believes that it was ridiculous because the added costs involved for all teams involved in getting to and from Jamaica during the season simply are not in the game in America yet. Clubs would be falling over left right and center if the Hurricanes were admitted into the USARL.

Here's a link to the wiki page about them-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricanes_Rugby_League.

 

[Boston13s]

One of the owners of the Hurricanes, RL visionary Dane Campbell, commented on my Facebook yesterday that playing in the USARL is still part of the Hurricanes plans.

I would envisage that part of it would include an airline sponsorship to enable it to all happen. But in saying that it could be just as cheap to fly to Jamaica to Florida as it would be to fly Florida to Boston. It's certainly a shorter flight.

 

[IowaRL]

Just took a look at it, it's about 200 more for Jamaica from Jacksonville as opposed to going to Boston. Id love to see the hurricanes in!

 

[DaneCampbell]

Firstly, well done to Spinner, Drew and all the other people that have played a role in the expansion of the game in the South East and the creation of the new conference. A big congrats must also go to the USARL for the introduction of regional conferencing, something that will bode well for the future of the game in the USA (and other nations such as Jamaica and Canada perhaps).

A little for those about the Hurricanes:

- www.hurricanesrl.com
- https://www.facebook.com/HurricanesRL

- We set up the Hurricanes in 2010 with the vision of providing the best performing players from the Jamaican Rugby League Association competition with another platform to advance their rugby league skills and education

- The vision was and still is to play in the USA. A few things obviously play a factor; finances yes distance yes - visas yes. Another major factor is that the USA has had 2 competitions which the Hurricanes did not want to inflame an already delicate situation and align ourselves one way or the other.

- As a business we have to ask ourselves, are we able to cover costs if we enter a team in the USA through prizemoney / merchandise sales / ticket sales / sponsorship / membership etc ??? The real answer to that at present is no! But do we believe there is a chance to do so into the future - YES!

- We realised that as we have not yet achieved our ultimate goal, that the Hurricanes concept can be so much more than just a team playing in the USA. We run a very successful Academy program which exposes players as young as 14 to our system and brand and recently completed our very own 9s series featuring 3 affiliate Parish teams (in the same structure as what the Axemen have done).

- The Hurricanes senior squad was announced today (as a coincidence), and you can see report at www.hurricanesrl.com

Of the above, it must be noted to the naysayers that if we take the NRL as an example, many people say that expansion bids in PNG, Central QLD, Wellington etc are a waste of money, well how we define that is in the eye of the beholder. For I see optimism and opportunity within all those bids (and obviously in what we are doing in Jamaica with the Hurricanes) and should we never reach our ultimate aim, we would still have been able to create a legacy for the future generation/s of rugby league players in Jamaica through our programs. So is it good for us to dream and strive for our goal - YES it very much is.

Additionally, what is to suggest that we can not approach the USARL now and promote the idea of having our team based in Florida for 12 weeks a year to play in the South East conference? Or what about the possibility of seeking whether we could host our own "Caribbean conference" with the winner to advance to the Semi finals of the USARL - perhaps playing the winner of the South East conference? Or what's to say we cant see the Hurricanes playing the winner of the USAR for a North American Championship title?

Whether we achieve our ultimate goal of playing in the USA within 1 year, 5 year or 10 years and in whatever capacity that may be, I can assure you one thing - it will happen!When that time does happen, I can tell you with all sincerity, that we will be incredibly well prepared - both as a team on the field and also as a business off the field.

They said a team representing Jamaica would never go to the Winter Olympics - well that happened (and is happening again in a few weeks with a Hurricanes squad member in Adrian Myers). People said that no one could hit a 100 runs in a 20-20 cricket game in less than 40 balls, yet Chris Gayle did it in 30. They said that no man could ever break 9.70 seconds for the 100 meters yet a certain Jamaican smashed that theory. From my experience, if you tell a Jamaican that they cant do something, that only makes them stronger, more determined and even more likely to achieve their desired result.

Take note - the Hurricanes are very much alive and will achieve great things both in Jamaica and in the USA.

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

Firstly, well done to Spinner, Drew and all the other people that have played a role in the expansion of the game in the South East and the creation of the new conference. A big congrats must also go to the USARL for the introduction of regional conferencing, something that will bode well for the future of the game in the USA (and other nations such as Jamaica and Canada perhaps).

A little for those about the Hurricanes:

- www.hurricanesrl.com
- https://www.facebook.com/HurricanesRL

- We set up the Hurricanes in 2010 with the vision of providing the best performing players from the Jamaican Rugby League Association competition with another platform to advance their rugby league skills and education

- The vision was and still is to play in the USA. A few things obviously play a factor; finances yes distance yes - visas yes. Another major factor is that the USA has had 2 competitions which the Hurricanes did not want to inflame an already delicate situation and align ourselves one way or the other.

- As a business we have to ask ourselves, are we able to cover costs if we enter a team in the USA through prizemoney / merchandise sales / ticket sales / sponsorship / membership etc ??? The real answer to that at present is no! But do we believe there is a chance to do so into the future - YES!

- We realised that as we have not yet achieved our ultimate goal, that the Hurricanes concept can be so much more than just a team playing in the USA. We run a very successful Academy program which exposes players as young as 14 to our system and brand and recently completed our very own 9s series featuring 3 affiliate Parish teams (in the same structure as what the Axemen have done).

- The Hurricanes senior squad was announced today (as a coincidence), and you can see report at www.hurricanesrl.com

Of the above, it must be noted to the naysayers that if we take the NRL as an example, many people say that expansion bids in PNG, Central QLD, Wellington etc are a waste of money, well how we define that is in the eye of the beholder. For I see optimism and opportunity within all those bids (and obviously in what we are doing in Jamaica with the Hurricanes) and should we never reach our ultimate aim, we would still have been able to create a legacy for the future generation/s of rugby league players in Jamaica through our programs. So is it good for us to dream and strive for our goal - YES it very much is.

Additionally, what is to suggest that we can not approach the USARL now and promote the idea of having our team based in Florida for 12 weeks a year to play in the South East conference? Or what about the possibility of seeking whether we could host our own "Caribbean conference" with the winner to advance to the Semi finals of the USARL - perhaps playing the winner of the South East conference? Or what's to say we cant see the Hurricanes playing the winner of the USAR for a North American Championship title?

Whether we achieve our ultimate goal of playing in the USA within 1 year, 5 year or 10 years and in whatever capacity that may be, I can assure you one thing - it will happen!When that time does happen, I can tell you with all sincerity, that we will be incredibly well prepared - both as a team on the field and also as a business off the field.

They said a team representing Jamaica would never go to the Winter Olympics - well that happened (and is happening again in a few weeks with a Hurricanes squad member in Adrian Myers). People said that no one could hit a 100 runs in a 20-20 cricket game in less than 40 balls, yet Chris Gayle did it in 30. They said that no man could ever break 9.70 seconds for the 100 meters yet a certain Jamaican smashed that theory. From my experience, if you tell a Jamaican that they cant do something, that only makes them stronger, more determined and even more likely to achieve their desired result.

Take note - the Hurricanes are very much alive and will achieve great things both in Jamaica and in the USA.

I like the idea of a Carribean Rugby League perhaps 2 teams from Jamaica, is there much interest in Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, I remember Trinidad and Tobago showed interest? the winner of this could play off for the North American Championship along with the winner from the USA and also Canada. Perhaps a draft for the other Carribean nations could work? and within 2-3 years of rugby league training/matches this could all become a real ity.

 

[Brooklyn Kings RLFC]

Congrats Spinner and all involved.