Atlanta Legion signs USA Rugby Union International

[NRL-TGG]

Coup For Atlanta RLC

Exciting developments for American National Rugby League expansion team Atlanta Legion as it prepares to enter the AMNRL in 2012.
In a major coup, USA Eagle Phil Thiel has expressed an interest in playing with the Legion.

Thiel was the starting hooker on the USA’s national Union team at the Rugby World Cup and has been a regular starter with Life University in the USA Rugby Super League.

In other big news, Australian club Redcliffe has agreed to a player sharing arrangement with the Legion.

The Dolphins, who compete in the Queensland Cup, will be Atlanta’s sister club. As part of the Queensland Cup’s expansion program, Redcliffe will send players to the US to play in the AMNRL and in exchange will host American players in an effort to unearth new talent.

The two developments coincide with another announcement that Legion co-founder and coach Rod Seddon will be spending time with the Ipswich Jets RLC early in the New Year. Seddon, who coached the Hayward Griffins to the USA Division I national championship in 2007, has more recently been coaching the Atlanta Renegades while also serving as president of the Georgia Rugby Union.

“I'll be working alongside Ipswich Rugby League Club to help make the coaching transition from Union thinking and mentality to League thinking,” Seddon told WeAreRugby. “There are different skill sets needed, different rules require different thinking.”

Seddon says the idea is to get the new club headed in the right direction from the get go.

“It was important to not just start a Rugby League club, but to dot all the I's and cross all the T's at the same time. The Atlanta Legion Rugby League Club isn't like most Rugby Union clubs. It doesn't have a committee, it's propriety owned by myself and Leo Buchieri, therefore we don't operate by majority rule.”

He believes that both codes can co-exist harmoniously.

“America offers a new way to think about Rugby League. In America, it can operate alongside Rugby Union,” added Seddon. “There's no hate v love scenario, there’s no Union v League stick in the muds to force players to play one code or the other. A player can play both in the USA on the same weekend. And let’s face it - League is far more closely aligned to American Football then Union ever is.”

Seddon says everyone involved with the new Atlanta club is keen to get stuck in.

“We're really excited to be involved in the AMNRL,” Seddon said. “David Niu [AMNRL president] has been a huge help in making this work for us, and we've been welcomed every step of the way. We're looking forward to being part of something new, something fun and something worthwhile.”

The Legion, to be captained by USA Tomahawk Salesi Tongamoa, will play in the Atlantic Conference and will likely call the Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium home.

http://www.wearerugby.com/news/articles/coup-atlanta-rlc

 

[billy2]

Fantastic.
They sound like they are having a real go.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Here we go, the USA qualify for the RLWC and a whole heap of people never before interested will automatically jump across while the guys that done all the hard work for years and busted their guts will get nothing.

The more I read about the AMNRL the shittier I get :x

 

[NRL-TGG]

Here we go, the USA qualify for the RLWC and a whole heap of people never before interested will automatically jump across while the guys that done all the hard work for years and busted their guts will get nothing.

The more I read about the AMNRL the shittier I get :x

Getting a American Rugby Union internationally to switch codes highlights the superiority of the game of Rugby League and shows that the fact that even Americans can see this when they watch and play the game. This is a positive.


This is not a Rugby Union player switching to play Rugby League in just enough time for the World Cup, this is a Rugby Union player switching and wanting to learn the game of Rugby League after being exposed by to it from the success of Rugby League.

I guess some people will just find negatives with anything the AMNRL do.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Here we go, the USA qualify for the RLWC and a whole heap of people never before interested will automatically jump across while the guys that done all the hard work for years and busted their guts will get nothing.

The more I read about the AMNRL the shittier I get :x

Mate is optimism going to kill you? No, so why don't you just be happy for them? Obviously the guys working on this for years and busted their guts are helping it grow, and now that it does grow, you're not happy? Come on mate, fair go...

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

All it shows is that come 2013, there's a free trip up for grabs to go to Europe and play a little footy on the side all after a pathetic 12 months (6 week amnrl comp) to get up to speed.

 

[billy2]

I hope there's another 20 just like this before the season kicks off.
Can't see it happening, but if it did, the whole world cup is justified by American growth alone.

 

[NRL-TGG]

All it shows is that come 2013, there's a free trip up for grabs to go to Europe and play a little footy on the side all after a pathetic 12 months (6 week amnrl comp) to get up to speed.

This is not a Rugby Union player coming to a existing Rugby League club with the sole ambition of playing in the League world cup and then leaving. If this is what has been happening, then you have every right to act like this.

But this is a former Rugby Union player who has joined the Rugby League family and already added to its growth with this new team.

 

[clarency]

“We're really excited to be involved in the AMNRL,” Seddon said. “David Niu [AMNRL president] has been a huge help in making this work for us, and we've been welcomed every step of the way. We're looking forward to being part of something new, something fun and something worthwhile.”

The Legion, to be captained by USA Tomahawk Salesi Tongamoa, will play in the Atlantic Conference and will likely call the Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium home.

Really???

Cautiously optimistic. It's the AMNRL, though it's not Niu.

 

[NRL-TGG]

A great looking small little ground.

 

[Bucks County Sharks]

I'd be interested to see what a top level Union player translates to on the League field. Especially a Union hooker.

Best of luck and hopefully we'll cross paths at some point this season.

 

[PacificCoastRL]

The article says Thiel "has expressed an interest". Nowhere in the article does it say anything about signing a contract. It's great if he does indeed dress for the Legion. All of us here feel league is the better game and it is only a matter of time before Canadian and American union players gravitate to league, right. Also, I've never played either game so I would like to know - to what position on a rugby league field would a prototypical union hooker be best suited?

 

[jasonstevenswedgie]

none

 

[deal.with.it]

Front row/Prop.
A few mates of mine played hooker in union, and although they were a bit shorter than your average prop in RL, they did make an impact, particularly in defence around the middle of the ruck. Their hitups were a bit slower, but they still made their 8-10meters off each hit up.