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Confirmed USA Teams for 2014

yakstorm

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
5,380
Well following the USARL Board Meeting yesterday, the USARL have confirmed they will have a 10 team competition in 2014 with the following configuration:

North East Conference:
Baltimore Blues
Boston 13's
Philadelphia Fight
Rhode Island Rebellion
Washington DC Slayers
Brooklyn Kings

South East Conference:
Jacksonville Axemen
Atlanta Rhinos
Tampa Bay
Central Florida

When are the USARL expected to confirm their 2014 team make up?
 
ParraEelsNRL

ParraEelsNRL

Referee
Messages
27,694
Bit concerned that the South East Conference may be a bit of a walk over for the Axemen for a few seasons with the new teams jumping up a division, hope I'm wrong and the new clubs have recruited well.
 
yakstorm

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
5,380
You would think Central Florida will be able to put up a bit of a fight considering it is made up of the old Daytona Gearhead and Orlando Adrenalin minor league teams, meaning not everyone is new to the code.

Former Axemen Gaz Walker, Bart Longchamp, Jay Mombu, Craig Howitt and Kenny Britt are also involved (either as players or officials) so the side boasts some experience and has taken a way a little bit from the Jacksonville side.

The other two sides, Atlanta and Tampa Bay both have affiliations with the local Rugby Union sides, so you'd imagine they will be competitive.

Regardless, even if it is a walk in the park for Jacksonville in the first couple of seasons, it is a move the USARL had to make for the long term growth of the game. Conferences make it far easier for new teams to join as it helps to minimise travel costs, and on the flip side the reduction in costs helps keep teams alive.

You'd imagine long term as well, as local sides like Atlanta and so on grow their supporter bases, it might actually mean for the first time a side like Jacksonville gets away fans turning up to their games.
 
RedVee

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,948
DC_fan said:
I like Boston's name from historical point of view. The Thirteen Colonies of the US.
Click to expand...

Ok, didn't know that.
I like it from the fact the game is called (versions of) Rugby 13 in Europe, and the 13 is written like a Gaelic B for Boston.

Cheers
 
deluded pom?

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
Does anyone know what the game day rules are in the USARL regarding how many players a team can use? I know in the AMNRL it's basically you can use as many players as turn up. I know of games in the past where the home team had something like twenty plus suited up and the away team fourteen or fifteen and unlimited subs which, taking the conditions at the time of year the season is played, often meant a hammering for the away team. What I'm getting at is if there's a limit on how m any players can take the field then some players not getting as much time on the pitch as they'd like may try their luck at one of the other teams in their area. An option they never had in the past without dropping down in standard.
 
Fighter

Fighter

Juniors
Messages
284
17 players per game in Usarl, reg season and playoffs. Promotes more competition for spots and enables the chance for second teams to form.

DWI-The AMNRL wanted to merge, not unify which is quite different. When you add up what each side was offering it made no sense for the USARL to just merge when we offer most of the assets (training, coaching, youth, etc). That is why we looked to have their teams join or unify with us.

Jax are losing quite a few core players to start the conference up down there so it will be much more competitive than you may think. And look out for Atlanta right from the start, awesome area for rugby and football talent down there.

We will have a North Conference and a South Conference.
 
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gyallop

Juniors
Messages
551
amnrl wanted to merge and usarl wanted to unify....which you say is them joining you. In simple terms the USARL view of bringing the 2 leagues together is for the other league to fold and the clubs join the USARL.

the ARL/super league war would till be going in Australia with that thinking!
 
Fighter

Fighter

Juniors
Messages
284
gyallop said:
amnrl wanted to merge and usarl wanted to unify....which you say is them joining you. In simple terms the USARL view of bringing the 2 leagues together is for the other league to fold and the clubs join the USARL.

the ARL/super league war would till be going in Australia with that thinking!
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Mr. Johnson, in a merger, each side has about the same thing to offer and you share in everything 50/50. Why would we as a business go in to something where we have virtually everything to offer and nothing from the other side and share things 50/50. That is just bad business. It made more sense to offer them the opportunity to join our league that has a set transparent process, they would have seats on the board, coaching and referee tutors , youth development, a constitution, etc.
 
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E

Evil Homer

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
7,178
The only reason I can think that any clubs would stay with the AMNRL at this point would be that they are run by/dominated by Aussies.
 
P

PacificCoastRL

Juniors
Messages
316
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the AMNRL clubs weren't willing, or able, to meet the criteria the USARL has set for their own teams.
 
F

Fatwing15

Juniors
Messages
262
PacificCoastRL said:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the AMNRL clubs weren't willing, or able, to meet the criteria the USARL has set for their own teams.
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I disagree, I would bet that all of the active AMNRL teams can meet the same standards that the Kings, Slayers, Blues, 13s ect are currently meeting. Kings Mentioned in a previous post that they haven't even settled on a home field yet. (Maybe all of their current options meet criteria)

I guess I'm still not getting a really clear picture of the main differences between the ideas of a merger and a unification. I'm not really sure what would be shared and have no idea what the conditions were. There was a feeling that the leagues were really close to coming together as result of meetings between the two sides. Almost seems like it was an issue of verbage.

Were all AMNRL teams offered a admission into the USARL?
 
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gyallop

Juniors
Messages
551
Fighter said:
Mr. Johnson, in a merger, each side has about the same thing to offer and you share in everything 50/50. Why would we as a business go in to something where we have virtually everything to offer and nothing from the other side and share things 50/50. That is just bad business. It made more sense to offer them the opportunity to join our league that has a set transparent process, they would have seats on the board, coaching and referee tutors , youth development, a constitution, etc.
Click to expand...

Last year some one said I was david niu! reminds me of the Corby stuff here http://www.expendable.tv/
 
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