Bring the SOO to USA

[hellteam]

Rugby league in America just isnt going to happen. Let's worry about spreading it throughout Australia first...

 

[Evil Homer]

Rugby league in America just isnt going to happen. Let's worry about spreading it throughout Australia first...

Hey look, Australia has flatcappers too!

 

[billy2]

It won't be many years before there are the sort of numbers of fans in the New England region to put on big games there.
All the guys who are players and their friends and family would probably go as fans to a big time game, and there is now also a big pool of ex players and their friends and family who have been exposed to the game.
Hard to put a number on it, but 4 or 5 thousand people over 12 years wouldn't be a surprize.
There are also massive numbers of ex-pats in New York and Washington, and probably all of New England.
I don't think SOO would work, but maybe the world club challenge or just a club game would get a decent crowd if well promoted.

 

[bender]

Well by playing SOO, you definitely won't be changing this. Just get USA to play an international match against a big team (england would be good, because I would say they are less of a gimmick country than Australia - in the eyes of yanks - even though Australia is a better rugby league team).

Play the game at a time when there is not much else on. Market the game as much as you would for SOO. And create the game day experience as big as SOO in Australia.

The key to success = don't let Niu organise it. He is not an event manager. He is a pioneer, a coach, a player, etc... But NOT an event manager. Plan 12 months in advance. Make sure it is in a world class stadium. Make sure it is televised (even if it is for free). Expand the reach, so the game is broadcasted in England, Wales, Scotland, Europe, Aus, NZ etc. Then you can ask for more $ from sponsors. Run a heap of promotions to give tickets away. Make sure it is a full house (like France have done last year, even with a shitload of free tickets). If 12000 showed up to Souths vs Leeds in Jacksonville, including celebrities, I'm sure that you could get 20,000 to a USA vs England match.

The game needs to be against a big country. Unfortunately, Australia and NZ are little known countries, small populations, holiday destinations etc. If the game was a success, then you can tell the fans "actually, there are a bigger teams in the world than england. Australia is number 1 followed by NZ".

From here, you have an actual solid basis to work from. Something for the USARL to take to TV broadcasters and ask for tv coverage. Something to take to sponsors and ask for more money. Something to take to schools and say "this is what you could play in". For f**ks sake, USA is going to the World Cup and there would be lucky to be 10 000 people in USA who know what rugby league is.

England is not a bad choice, as they are a good traditional rival of the USA. But they also would come with a massive price tag. Why not try say Russia, which worked spectacularly well in Russia a 10 or more years ago.

Germany, France, Lebanon and South Africa are other nations who might provide interesting opportunities for different reasons. To be honest though i wold have considered Canada as the Usa,s most natural opponent and biggest rival. Is this not correct?

 

[PacificCoastRL]

I agree with the statement that SOO is the jewel in the rugby league crown, and that is why there should be a SOO game in the United States. It will draw a good crowd. Through Russell Crowe's involvement SOO is already being shown on US television so some of the US sporting public is familiar with it. Certainly there would have to be a lot of marketing, perhaps a year in advance, but I think crowds of 30,000 plus could be achieved in the right market. I attended an Aussie rules game in 1987 in Vancouver, Canada that drew 32,789, still the largest crowd for an Aussie rules game outside Australia. The marketing, while ongoing for a long period was very limited in its scope. I don't recall seeing any ads on television, other than mention during sports new broadcasts. It was mostly radio and newspaper advertising. There was very little if no internet in those days and no social media. Some of you will probably say, "Well that is Canada, not the US", but, when it comes to sport you can pretty much delete the border between our two countries.
If something like this were to come about in 2013 there would be plenty of time to market the event. I'm sure SOO will be broadcast this year in the States, so market next year's game at that time. The rugby league community could pump the game up on the internet. It would be a great boost for rugby league in North America. There is no other game that could showcase rugby league as well. I don't think a game involving the Tomahawks would be worthwhile. They would lose by a large margin against the Big 3, while against anyone else they would likely still lose or win against a team that lacked quality. IMO, neither scenario would be a good way to showcase rugby league.

 

[VictoryFC]

^But I think you just made the point yourself. SOO is THE jewel in the crown alongside the GF for broadcasters in this country. Why would they let it just slip off to the US. Even a prime time start in the US is midday over here, which isn't exactly ideal for prime time viewing. SOO's TV value would plummet even if one game was taken out of the country. As long as money speaks, the US has no incentives to pull a game away from these shores.

 

[PacificCoastRL]

You are probably right Victory. I guess what I am saying is - A SOO game would be the game to showcase rugby league to the American public. And if it made sense financially for all the parties than go for it. I also still feel that an expanded WCC (8 teams) in October/November would be the next best alternative. Again, I'm sure the internationalists wouldn't want to see that as it imposes on the international season. But until international rugby league becomes the spectacle that other sports are, it is far down the list of showcase events to lure Americans to rugby league.

 

[judah]

^But I think you just made the point yourself. SOO is THE jewel in the crown alongside the GF for broadcasters in this country. Why would they let it just slip off to the US. Even a prime time start in the US is midday over here, which isn't exactly ideal for prime time viewing. SOO's TV value would plummet even if one game was taken out of the country. As long as money speaks, the US has no incentives to pull a game away from these shores.

Short term, no it won't bring value, but if somebody has for foresight for a long term audience in the USA then of course it will. If they can get some kind of fan base in the USA following the NRL then that will provide huge value in the future. It is simply a matter of somebody risking short term losses for long term gains. With the new independent commission coming into play the NRL is going to have a few more dollars to play with.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

If you bothered to read my original response it was to a "Victorian" comment from TT. :roll: The proposed EPL games were purely designed for one purpose only and that was to feed the greedy monster that is football in the UK where there is never enough money for them. The proposal to play a SoO game in the US was for promotional purposes and probably would struggle to break even. Maybe, like Craigo, I too need to dumb down my posts.

You don't get it. SOO is the pinnacle of RL. To take it to the US where three dozen people have heard of RL is stupid.

If there was an ESL match worth watching we could send that instead.

 

[deluded pom?]

Point missed AGAIN. Back to the bush ocker.

 

[YellowJacket]

I do think that NRL clubs should have a tour of the USA or we can have a fourth unofficial SOO game.

 

[spooky]

Sod the US, bring it to Toronto

 

[jbl31649]

Ask Sterlo how it went. From memory he could not break through the Banner. NSW beat QLD, after losing the series in Oz. QLD didn't really take it serious.

Better option is the GF winners on their way over to the WCC, play the USA. Gets the locals to support their Country team, which should get some support.

Watching 2 random teams, that Americians have no affiliation with could be a tall ask. We could probably find support in Canaidia, but the US we need to give them a reason to watch.

I believe the NFL floated the idea to us Rugby League as pre-season training as the season is short and it is difficult to keep players in condition. Get Russ on to it, really the ARLC should invite him to deal with international interst. He unofficially does it anyway.

 

[Evil Homer]

Better option is the GF winners on their way over to the WCC, play the USA. Gets the locals to support their Country team, which should get some support.

#-o

 

[druzik]

Ask Sterlo how it went. From memory he could not break through the Banner. NSW beat QLD, after losing the series in Oz. QLD didn't really take it serious.

Better option is the GF winners on their way over to the WCC, play the USA. Gets the locals to support their Country team, which should get some support.

Watching 2 random teams, that Americians have no affiliation with could be a tall ask. We could probably find support in Canaidia, but the US we need to give them a reason to watch.

I believe the NFL floated the idea to us Rugby League as pre-season training as the season is short and it is difficult to keep players in condition. Get Russ on to it, really the ARLC should invite him to deal with international interst. He unofficially does it anyway.

Crowe does sweet FA for the sport internationally... he only promotes the bunnies... the ample opportunities he has had in the USA and else where to promote Rugby League he has not done it once.

 

[jbl31649]

#-o

Well, SOO in 1987 was far from a success in the USA. They played on astroturf and as I said before QLD didn't take it serious. At least with a club trial much, some teams normally play a local team in OZ, so whats the difference playing the US, who appear in the WC tournement.

Crowe does sweet FA for the sport internationally... he only promotes the bunnies... the ample opportunities he has had in the USA and else where to promote Rugby League he has not done it once.

What about last year, when he organised for SOO to be broadcast live into the US. There was more detail on what he did with SOO, I can't remember, but he did more than SWFA.

 

[PacificCoastRL]

Crowe does sweet FA for the sport internationally... he only promotes the bunnies... the ample opportunities he has had in the USA and else where to promote Rugby League he has not done it once.

IMO by promoting the Rabbitohs he is promoting rugby league. The Rabbitohs may be the most iconic team in rugby league - seems like a no-brainer from where he sits. He doesn't have the authority to speak on behalf of other organizations per se, but he does have the authority to speak on behalf of South Sydney. Hopefully Crowe gains more authority. He is trying to use his notoriety to do good for rugby league as best he can. Dru - in your post you said "the Bunnies" and everyone knew who you were referencing. Seems like a good place to start from if you are Russell Crowe.

 

[deluded pom?]

IMO by promoting the Rabbitohs he is promoting rugby league. The Rabbitohs may be the most iconic team in Australian rugby league

Corrected your typo PCRL ;-)

 

[druzik]

Well, SOO in 1987 was far from a success in the USA. They played on astroturf and as I said before QLD didn't take it serious. At least with a club trial much, some teams normally play a local team in OZ, so whats the difference playing the US, who appear in the WC tournement.




What about last year, when he organised for SOO to be broadcast live into the US. There was more detail on what he did with SOO, I can't remember, but he did more than SWFA.

And in 2010 he was on leno, the day before the Atlantic cup and said nothing about it ... Niuy had tweeted him about it ... you never see crow at any of the local USA rugby league matches, he never talks about the sport unles its associated with the Bunnies.

98% of the people around the world know nothing about the Bunnies and Rugby league... he needs to do that first.... get other high profule Aussies that love Rugby league to come out to games in the USA or Europe or where ever.

as for 2011, yes he "secures the right" ... but what they fail to say is that Fox soccer was already showing the SoO, NRL GF and 4 Nations from 2010 ... not sure how much he actually had to do to make them re-new anything... and they played the games at rediculous hours even the one replays they did were at times when people would be at work.

Crowe ... unless its the bunnies ... does not do much for Rugby league.

The sport is not one club.

 

[druzik]

IMO by promoting the Rabbitohs he is promoting rugby league. The Rabbitohs may be the most iconic team in rugby league - seems like a no-brainer from where he sits. He doesn't have the authority to speak on behalf of other organizations per se, but he does have the authority to speak on behalf of South Sydney. Hopefully Crowe gains more authority. He is trying to use his notoriety to do good for rugby league as best he can. Dru - in your post you said "the Bunnies" and everyone knew who you were referencing. Seems like a good place to start from if you are Russell Crowe.

See above post ...

But will add... Crowe, before he owned the Bunnies has had 10 years in the USA to help out with Rugby League ... he hasn't ... I ask why, if he is such an devoted Rugby League man?