Axemen get main stream media

[spinnerhowland]

The Jacksonville Axemen got a full story in Jacksonvilles Largest Newspaper today. It come in time as the Axemen try and break and attendance record at their final home game.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072706/spo_3870635.shtml

 

[whatsdoing1982]

that is a great article. It shows Rugby League has a great future in the USA. They are passionate and are investing their own money into the sport because they think it is worth while. I can see RL going very big within 5 years in the US.
Look out Australia. USA to win the world cup in 2016

 

[Lantana]

Didn't work Spinner, can you scan and post?

 

[phonetic]

Sensational article.

I would like the line between Rugby League and Union to be a little clearer, but a positive article nonetheless. From day 1 it seemed the Axemen had their house in order, and good press like this confirms it.

 

[International RL]

congrats to the Axemen.

The AMNRL should look at that club as a blue print to setting up outpost franchises.

I hope you can use this publicity to get kiddies involved, they are the future.

Though I believe the immediate future in american rugby league is to recruit highschool footballers than stop playing once they go to college. They're good athletes, not big enough for the pros, taht will be perfect for league.

keep it up gents

 

[spinnerhowland]

Thanks for the support. We are looking at doing some youth camps next season but need to secure the correct avenues first. Rest assured the Axemen are here to stay and we are thinking of our future. We will have some high school kids on trial next season.

 

[pcpp]

that is a great article. It shows Rugby League has a great future in the USA. They are passionate and are investing their own money into the sport because they think it is worth while. I can see RL going very big within 5 years in the US.

Great article... RL definitely has great potential but 5 years to become "very big"??

How big is very big?

It will probably take at least 50 years at least before RL can attract five figure crowds in the US, and probably at least another 10 years before it's possible to attract regular 1,000+ crowds.

 

[Kurt Angle]

1,000 crowds are accessible now, and the Axemen have shown, if you have the right marketing.

If the other teams don't get anywhere near that mark within 3-4 years then they are a bit behind the times, or they are not pursuing the same business model as Howland.

I presume the gate takings would go close to covering travel and insurance expenses if 1,000 at every game. A dozen teams with a small TV presence can give the ability to pay players the same amount small time regional wrestling promotions can.

I think RL in the USA might want to market itself as the only "x-treme team sport", and most "x-treme" sports tend to be solo.

 

[spinnerhowland]

Kurt, have you been tapping my phone?
The Axemen have had some initail talks about some extreme coverage.

 

[Tomahawk]

Bulls average about 1100 fans at every home match.

 

[deluded pom?]

Great article Spinner . Keep up the good work . I'd like to ask Tomahawk whether the Bulls , especially considering they are the most successful team in AMNRL history , get any press coverage in the local Philly papers ? If so is there any chance you could post them on this site please ?

 

[playdaball]

Bulls average about 1100 fans at every home match.

That is 4-5 times more than most of the Bartercard Cup (NZ) crowd averages.

 

[deluded pom?]

That is 4-5 times more than most of the Bartercard Cup (NZ) crowd averages.

And bigger than all of the average gates in the British NL2 and quite a few in NL1 . Anyone know what the attendances are like at some of the other AMNRL teams ?

 

[Kurt Angle]

The US I believe has these advantages to build on:

i) No negative stereotypes.

ii) There are plenty of niche markets it can go build itself in. It really only needs 3-5,000 crowds to build itself as a viable international. Because of the overall market size, once it gets on PayTV, it's leverage is much more pronounced that UK or Australasian PayTV receipts.

iii) It can provide an international scene without being a non-contact sport like soccer, or a sport with a poor reputation like RU.

Get the college kids to "Travel to Australia for holidays, have fun for 6.5 days, and watch the Tomahawks on a saturday night chanting U-S-A". Pick up an aussie shiela, then repeat the pattern for our 3 week tour