Rampart66
Juniors
- Messages
- 149
I want Rugby League to succeed, but there are obstacles to be sure. This is just a list of the pros and cons of the state of the game in the United States. Debate and Opine.
5 reasons why Rugby League has a tough time in the U.S.
1 – Rugby Union has a stronghold on the sport. With the exception of Australia and the English Midlands, Rugby Union is the more popular code. Look up any US city + the word “rugby” on the internet and you’ll most likely find a 15 a-side union club’s website. Many of these clubs have been established for over 30 years and have entrenched themselves into their communities. Rugby League may be able to draw some Union players to their side, but given the choice, many of these players are loyal to their Union clubs.
2 – Few Coaches and Referees. Once again, Union holds a huge advantage here although even from their standpoint it’s not enough. How many Rugby League coaches that have been certified by the major associations actually reside in the United States? Is there a program in place to develop coaches and give them the tools to train not only players, but other coaches as well? If the RLIF were really serious about growing the sport, they would be holding coaching clinics in other countries rather than the other countries coming to them. The same thing goes for certified referees.
3 - No money. What has helped other US sports leagues get off of the ground has been the influx of cash from ownership groups to large, league sponsors. It costs millions of dollars just to submit an expansion proposal to the major leagues. A US based Rugby League club easily has a budget of between $25,000-$70,000. The further away your team is located from other clubs, the higher that number grows because of travel costs. Depending on fundraisers and sponsorship packages as a main source of revenue creates a sense of unknown income from year to year and many (if not all) Rugby League clubs operate at a loss each season.
4 – Venues. It’s hard enough finding a field that meets the size regulations for Rugby League, let alone finding one with plenty of seating, parking, locker rooms, restrooms and a scoreboard. Many teams have been able to play in high school football (gridiron) stadiums. While the field may be smaller, they usually have all of the amenities that a club looks for. However, there’s a movement to replacing grass surfaces with turf. While, it’s beneficial for it’s lack of upkeep not all turf is created equal and could cause injury. Another thing to take into consideration with high school stadiums is the costs involved. Many schools won’t even talk to you out of fear of your team tearing up their field or opening the floodgates for other teams will want to use their stadiums. Teams have to petition school boards and not only pay a lot of money for the stadium but also give up many concessions that could help the clubs. Because of the high costs of stadiums ($2500-&10,000 per season), many teams just opt to play at a local park with no seating. No fans means no one is there to see sponsor’s advertising, which hurts in securing sponsors.
5 – No youth programs. Since there are a lack of coaches, there is also a lack of youth programs. There is also the perception that rugby is violent game and little Johnny’s going to be in the hospital by halftime. Established clubs need to start with mini and mod leagues run by the players. A stadium is not required, and a small registration fee should apply. Registration money should be used to make sure that the kids have take home items such as a kit or t-shirt.
5 reasons why Rugby League will succeed in the US
1 – It’s close to gridiron football. Let’s be honest, gridiron evolved from rugby (thank you Walter Camp). But look at the two fields; they’re very similar and will help to pique fan’s curiosity. It can be marketed as a summer alternative to gridiron (who wants all of that heavy padding in 90 degree heat). In order to teach the games to Americans, comparisons to the two sports will have be made to help new fans to understand it.
2 – Highlight reel material. I saw my first rugby league match last season. I understood very little of what I was watching, but I was on the edge of my seat with the constant action. It has the elements that Americans look for in a sport. Speed, hitting and exciting plays.
3 – With more sports networks, something needs to be there in summer. There are the ESPN affiliates, local FOX sports affiliates, Versus and local sports stations (NESN, YES) and specialized sports channels (NFL network, Fox Soccer Channel). In the summer, there’s a real lack of programming. There’s only so much poker that you can watch. The major summer team sports in the US are Major League Baseball, MLS, WNBA, Arena Football and we’ll even throw NASCAR in there. With exclusive TV deals to other networks from these leagues, Versus is the odd man out and scrambles to find summer programming and if it’s not poker, it’s a rerun of Caddyshack.
4 – Excitement for the game is growing. Yes, it’s Rugby Union 7s, but who would have thought that a major network would even cover rugby? NBC will also be broadcasting the Rugby World Cup (again, Union, but it’s a start). Teams such as Jacksonville and Philadelphia have grown and have able to get their communities on board. It was amazing to see the amount of Jacksonville fans travel to Philly last year for the Grand Final.
5 – Rugby has a reputation. Mention rugby to your average American and they’ll usually come back with something like “That’s a brutal sport!”. At the very least, people have heard of rugby and have some sort of inkling of the rules. Rugby can succeed where soccer fails by it’s reputation of a tough sport.
5 reasons why Rugby League has a tough time in the U.S.
1 – Rugby Union has a stronghold on the sport. With the exception of Australia and the English Midlands, Rugby Union is the more popular code. Look up any US city + the word “rugby” on the internet and you’ll most likely find a 15 a-side union club’s website. Many of these clubs have been established for over 30 years and have entrenched themselves into their communities. Rugby League may be able to draw some Union players to their side, but given the choice, many of these players are loyal to their Union clubs.
2 – Few Coaches and Referees. Once again, Union holds a huge advantage here although even from their standpoint it’s not enough. How many Rugby League coaches that have been certified by the major associations actually reside in the United States? Is there a program in place to develop coaches and give them the tools to train not only players, but other coaches as well? If the RLIF were really serious about growing the sport, they would be holding coaching clinics in other countries rather than the other countries coming to them. The same thing goes for certified referees.
3 - No money. What has helped other US sports leagues get off of the ground has been the influx of cash from ownership groups to large, league sponsors. It costs millions of dollars just to submit an expansion proposal to the major leagues. A US based Rugby League club easily has a budget of between $25,000-$70,000. The further away your team is located from other clubs, the higher that number grows because of travel costs. Depending on fundraisers and sponsorship packages as a main source of revenue creates a sense of unknown income from year to year and many (if not all) Rugby League clubs operate at a loss each season.
4 – Venues. It’s hard enough finding a field that meets the size regulations for Rugby League, let alone finding one with plenty of seating, parking, locker rooms, restrooms and a scoreboard. Many teams have been able to play in high school football (gridiron) stadiums. While the field may be smaller, they usually have all of the amenities that a club looks for. However, there’s a movement to replacing grass surfaces with turf. While, it’s beneficial for it’s lack of upkeep not all turf is created equal and could cause injury. Another thing to take into consideration with high school stadiums is the costs involved. Many schools won’t even talk to you out of fear of your team tearing up their field or opening the floodgates for other teams will want to use their stadiums. Teams have to petition school boards and not only pay a lot of money for the stadium but also give up many concessions that could help the clubs. Because of the high costs of stadiums ($2500-&10,000 per season), many teams just opt to play at a local park with no seating. No fans means no one is there to see sponsor’s advertising, which hurts in securing sponsors.
5 – No youth programs. Since there are a lack of coaches, there is also a lack of youth programs. There is also the perception that rugby is violent game and little Johnny’s going to be in the hospital by halftime. Established clubs need to start with mini and mod leagues run by the players. A stadium is not required, and a small registration fee should apply. Registration money should be used to make sure that the kids have take home items such as a kit or t-shirt.
5 reasons why Rugby League will succeed in the US
1 – It’s close to gridiron football. Let’s be honest, gridiron evolved from rugby (thank you Walter Camp). But look at the two fields; they’re very similar and will help to pique fan’s curiosity. It can be marketed as a summer alternative to gridiron (who wants all of that heavy padding in 90 degree heat). In order to teach the games to Americans, comparisons to the two sports will have be made to help new fans to understand it.
2 – Highlight reel material. I saw my first rugby league match last season. I understood very little of what I was watching, but I was on the edge of my seat with the constant action. It has the elements that Americans look for in a sport. Speed, hitting and exciting plays.
3 – With more sports networks, something needs to be there in summer. There are the ESPN affiliates, local FOX sports affiliates, Versus and local sports stations (NESN, YES) and specialized sports channels (NFL network, Fox Soccer Channel). In the summer, there’s a real lack of programming. There’s only so much poker that you can watch. The major summer team sports in the US are Major League Baseball, MLS, WNBA, Arena Football and we’ll even throw NASCAR in there. With exclusive TV deals to other networks from these leagues, Versus is the odd man out and scrambles to find summer programming and if it’s not poker, it’s a rerun of Caddyshack.
4 – Excitement for the game is growing. Yes, it’s Rugby Union 7s, but who would have thought that a major network would even cover rugby? NBC will also be broadcasting the Rugby World Cup (again, Union, but it’s a start). Teams such as Jacksonville and Philadelphia have grown and have able to get their communities on board. It was amazing to see the amount of Jacksonville fans travel to Philly last year for the Grand Final.
5 – Rugby has a reputation. Mention rugby to your average American and they’ll usually come back with something like “That’s a brutal sport!”. At the very least, people have heard of rugby and have some sort of inkling of the rules. Rugby can succeed where soccer fails by it’s reputation of a tough sport.
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