How are we selling Rugby League?

[Rampart66]

Better idea would be to claim the term Rugby for ourselves by becoming the bigger game.

We have a winner!

This is exactly the way I'd like to see it.

 

[Rampart66]

Looking at the reverse, here in Australia the Australian Baseball League is in a similar position although they do get funding for MLB and the ABF.

Here they are trying to sell the game to Australians based on the AA & AAA style common in the USA. There focus is on producing a good game day with entertainment, competitions & giveaways around the game itself. They also stream their games on their club sites but have managed to get the All Star and championship games on Fox. They try to educated fans on the game and it's ways.

That's some really good information. I had no idea about the baseball league. I took a good look at their website and other resources. The average attendance was somewhere around 1200-1400 people per game with the high being over 2300 and the low at 400.

Those numbers may not look like much, but I'm sure that most US based rugby league teams would love to have some of those numbers.

Essentially, it all comes down to money. Is there someone willing to make the type of investment that can help rugby league go mainstream? Is the NRL in decent financial shape that they could supplement the sport in the US like MLB does with the Australian Baseball League and the NFL did with NFL Europe (Europa)?

One advantage that rugby league has is that it has been able to set up teams in major markets. Some of these teams don't have the finances for travel which really impedes progress. I'd like to see games with some of the western/midwestern clubs like Utah, Seattle, Houston, Denver, and Chicago.

Could an investor come in (a la Rupert Murdoch) and create a new league with the teams in the existing cities. At the very least it could solidify the two leagues (USARL and AMNRL) in to one entity.

So now that begs the question, how does rugby league in the US take the next step?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I think you'll find most people call it 'rugby'. Same for the majority of Australia except the AFL states who generally have no idea there are two codes of rugby football.

Only since the late 90's has union taken the Rugby name anywhere in Australia and the ARL lets the &&&&&s do it.

 

[RLNY]

Look, you may want to talk to an actual rugby league fan in the US. Personally, as a rugby league supporter in the United States, I feel like I have to go really out of my way to watch league games. It is a thousand times easier to watch soccer (like the EPL) than league here and even watching AFL or union here is easier than league. The Rugby World Cup final was shown here on NBC, and last year's AFL Grand Final was shown here on ESPN2. 2-3 AFL games are steamed on ESPN's internet streaming service. With a couple exceptions (the 2009 NRL finals series was shown on Spike and the 2011 State of Origin and Grand Final was shown on Fox Soccer Channel), rugby league has zero tv presence here. The only place where I know I can watch league is through an Eels fan's Youtube channel. And while the AMNRL and USARL have improved player participation in league, I would suggest league is behind both Aussie rules and union in this regard.

To counteract this situation, I think that all the players involved, both inside the US (the USARL, AMNRL, and the clubs), and outside the US (RFL, the new IC, NZRL, and the RLIF) need to develop a strategy to grow the game in the United States.
This includes (but is not limited to) the following:

1. Increase player numbers in the United States. This includes starting competitions in high schools and colleges. It also includes promoting non-contact forms of the game as well, like touch and flag rugby league.

2. Promote the international game. I know league does not have the international presence that union or soccer has, but international rugby league does exist. Here I think that David Niu and the AMNRL would be wise to let USARL players on the Tomahawks squad. I also think the AMNRL should try to schedule and market more games against high-level opposition in the United States. I think that the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup and qualifying for the 2013 are steps in the right direction, but they are not nearly sufficient in building the international game here.

3. The NRL and Super League should try to air their games on tv here in the United States. The aim here should not be getting money out of the deal but to get the widest audience possible. This way sports fans who don't know about league can watch it and learn more about the game.

4. AMNRL and USARL clubs should reach out into the community, through media coverage, advertising, and community involvement.

Personally, I would love rugby league to have a professional league in the United States, probably played at MLS stadiums. I would also love to rugby league be marketed to gridiron fans who need their fix of during the offseason, as I think gridiron and league are similar enough for league to be marketed in this way. But I think this is a 10-20 year project, and it needs the involvement of rugby league authorities to actively raise the profile of the game.

 

[druzik]

Look, you may want to talk to an actual rugby league fan in the US. Personally, as a rugby league supporter in the United States, I feel like I have to go really out of my way to watch league games. It is a thousand times easier to watch soccer (like the EPL) than league here and even watching AFL or union here is easier than league. The Rugby World Cup final was shown here on NBC, and last year's AFL Grand Final was shown here on ESPN2. 2-3 AFL games are steamed on ESPN's internet streaming service. With a couple exceptions (the 2009 NRL finals series was shown on Spike and the 2011 State of Origin and Grand Final was shown on Fox Soccer Channel), rugby league has zero tv presence here. The only place where I know I can watch league is through an Eels fan's Youtube channel. And while the AMNRL and USARL have improved player participation in league, I would suggest league is behind both Aussie rules and union in this regard.

To counteract this situation, I think that all the players involved, both inside the US (the USARL, AMNRL, and the clubs), and outside the US (RFL, the new IC, NZRL, and the RLIF) need to develop a strategy to grow the game in the United States.
This includes (but is not limited to) the following:

1. Increase player numbers in the United States. This includes starting competitions in high schools and colleges. It also includes promoting non-contact forms of the game as well, like touch and flag rugby league.

2. Promote the international game. I know league does not have the international presence that union or soccer has, but international rugby league does exist. Here I think that David Niu and the AMNRL would be wise to let USARL players on the Tomahawks squad. I also think the AMNRL should try to schedule and market more games against high-level opposition in the United States. I think that the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup and qualifying for the 2013 are steps in the right direction, but they are not nearly sufficient in building the international game here.

3. The NRL and Super League should try to air their games on tv here in the United States. The aim here should not be getting money out of the deal but to get the widest audience possible. This way sports fans who don't know about league can watch it and learn more about the game.

4. AMNRL and USARL clubs should reach out into the community, through media coverage, advertising, and community involvement.

Personally, I would love rugby league to have a professional league in the United States, probably played at MLS stadiums. I would also love to rugby league be marketed to gridiron fans who need their fix of during the offseason, as I think gridiron and league are similar enough for league to be marketed in this way. But I think this is a 10-20 year project, and it needs the involvement of rugby league authorities to actively raise the profile of the game.

Though the NFL is in its off season when RL is played in the USA, what impact does arena football have for NFL fans that potentially could be wathing RL?

 

[PacificCoastRL]

RLNY, first let me say I agree with all you have to say, but that is not the reason for this post. If you want to watch NRL you can get your fix at www.livenrl.tv. I watch every NRL game. I live on the west coast of Canada and have been able to watch every game since 2008. Prior to that I watched from the NRL site, but that has stopped. Anyway, here on the west coast we are, depending on the time of year 18 or 19 hours behind. I avoid all ways I know of to not find out the scores and just watch the games at my leisure. I generally watch them in chronological order, and generally at the same time as they are played in Oz. That is - if it was a Friday 7:30 start there, I watch it at 7:30 on Friday where I live. The great thing is the price -depending on our dollar in comparison to the US dollar it is about $14 a month. A pretty reasonable price for 30-40 games a month. Last year I also watched SOO, city-country, the four nations games in which Australia was involved, the two tests that Australia played against New Zealand and the NRL-Aboriginal Allstars game. This year I just watched the Aborignal-NRL game on the weekend.

 

[Rampart66]

Though the NFL is in its off season when RL is played in the USA, what impact does arena football have for NFL fans that potentially could be wathing RL?

I'll give you a rough overview of non-NFL leagues. There have been several unsuccessful attempts to create a spring/summer version of football to rival the NFL. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, we've had the WFL, USFL, XFL, WLAF/NFL Europe, and currently the UFL.

The Arena Football League has lasted for over 20 seasons, but not without problems of their own as they had some restructuring a few years ago and the 2009 season was cancelled. Like the previous football leagues that I had mentioned, the Arena League (and these other leagues) all suffer from the same inherent problem: The teams are filled with players who aren't good enough to play in the NFL.

Average attendance was somewhere around 12000-13000 until the 2009 season, now it averages between 8000-9000. While it has many supporters, it's still viewed by many as gimmick sport and doesn't have the 100 years of history behind it.

Are football fans getting their fix with arena football? Possibly. But I think that different cities/markets will do better with rugby league than others. I feel that the rust belt cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and Detroit would be great locations because of the blue collar sports fans. Of course other factors influence fan's perception of a team. Identity is one of the most underrated (and controlled) aspects that a team can use to draw in fans.

Does your team name and logo (and colors) represent the city and it's people? Believe me; your identity is what will make a first impression to many. They'll look at your team logo and immediately decide if your team is professional, civic-minded, and serious about winning.

Sorry to go off on a tangent there.

 

[druzik]

I'll give you a rough overview of non-NFL leagues. There have been several unsuccessful attempts to create a spring/summer version of football to rival the NFL. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, we've had the WFL, USFL, XFL, WLAF/NFL Europe, and currently the UFL.

The Arena Football League has lasted for over 20 seasons, but not without problems of their own as they had some restructuring a few years ago and the 2009 season was cancelled. Like the previous football leagues that I had mentioned, the Arena League (and these other leagues) all suffer from the same inherent problem: The teams are filled with players who aren't good enough to play in the NFL.

Average attendance was somewhere around 12000-13000 until the 2009 season, now it averages between 8000-9000. While it has many supporters, it's still viewed by many as gimmick sport and doesn't have the 100 years of history behind it.

Are football fans getting their fix with arena football? Possibly. But I think that different cities/markets will do better with rugby league than others. I feel that the rust belt cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and Detroit would be great locations because of the blue collar sports fans. Of course other factors influence fan's perception of a team. Identity is one of the most underrated (and controlled) aspects that a team can use to draw in fans.

Does your team name and logo (and colors) represent the city and it's people? Believe me; your identity is what will make a first impression to many. They'll look at your team logo and immediately decide if your team is professional, civic-minded, and serious about winning.

Sorry to go off on a tangent there.

Good stuff to know actually.

 

[Rampart66]

1. Increase player numbers in the United States. This includes starting competitions in high schools and colleges. It also includes promoting non-contact forms of the game as well, like touch and flag rugby league.

2. Promote the international game. I know league does not have the international presence that union or soccer has, but international rugby league does exist. Here I think that David Niu and the AMNRL would be wise to let USARL players on the Tomahawks squad. I also think the AMNRL should try to schedule and market more games against high-level opposition in the United States. I think that the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup and qualifying for the 2013 are steps in the right direction, but they are not nearly sufficient in building the international game here.

3. The NRL and Super League should try to air their games on tv here in the United States. The aim here should not be getting money out of the deal but to get the widest audience possible. This way sports fans who don't know about league can watch it and learn more about the game.

4. AMNRL and USARL clubs should reach out into the community, through media coverage, advertising, and community involvement.

Personally, I would love rugby league to have a professional league in the United States, probably played at MLS stadiums. I would also love to rugby league be marketed to gridiron fans who need their fix of during the offseason, as I think gridiron and league are similar enough for league to be marketed in this way. But I think this is a 10-20 year project, and it needs the involvement of rugby league authorities to actively raise the profile of the game.

I also agree with this. Fantastic feedback. One thing about the youth game is to educate the public and overcome the stigmatism of the violence of rugby and show how less concussions happen in rugby than football.

I'd like to see RL on television more. I did watch some of the NRL on SpikeTV (without realizing at the time what I was really watching). The problem that I found was since this was just same broadcast from Australia, the game and rules weren't really explained to the novice fan. And if you don't understand the game, you certainly won't enjoy it.

Also, it's had for Americans to watch Australian teams with no real rooting interest. It's not like fans in Philly rooting for the Philadelphia Fight.

I'd like to see all AMNRL & USARL teams play in venues that have seating and the ability to collect gate receipts. This would go a long way towards making the sport fan-friendlier. I understand some teams are running a tight budget, but it doesn't help to grow the sport if people don't have the ability to see it and have a great game day experience.

 

[Evil Homer]

If one of the NRL or Super League could agree a TV deal with a nationwide broadcaster, that would be massive. Even if they gave the USA TV rights away for free now, in 5 years there is a potential new source of revenue that doesn't currently exist and it would attract thousands of new fans to the game. We've seen the benefit that having live Super League every week has had in Norway. It's not as if either of the leagues have anything to lose since the game isn't currently broadcast at all in the US. I wish the people in charge would be more proactive in their thinking, because they could reap massive benefits in the long run.

 

[billy2]

Another way to sell the code would be a really serious website using as many of the features of the NRL.com site as possible.
It wouldn't be possible for full stats etc, but videos of game highlights, player profiles, sections for every club, lots of advertising space for sponsers - even a real usarl forum.
Most clubs have a website, but it would be more efficient if the whole comp did a really good website with sections for all clubs.

 

[100%green]

That's some really good information. I had no idea about the baseball league. I took a good look at their website and other resources. The average attendance was somewhere around 1200-1400 people per game with the high being over 2300 and the low at 400.

Those numbers may not look like much, but I'm sure that most US based rugby league teams would love to have some of those numbers.

Essentially, it all comes down to money. Is there someone willing to make the type of investment that can help rugby league go mainstream? Is the NRL in decent financial shape that they could supplement the sport in the US like MLB does with the Australian Baseball League and the NFL did with NFL Europe (Europa)?

One advantage that rugby league has is that it has been able to set up teams in major markets. Some of these teams don't have the finances for travel which really impedes progress. I'd like to see games with some of the western/midwestern clubs like Utah, Seattle, Houston, Denver, and Chicago.

Could an investor come in (a la Rupert Murdoch) and create a new league with the teams in the existing cities. At the very least it could solidify the two leagues (USARL and AMNRL) in to one entity.

So now that begs the question, how does rugby league in the US take the next step?

I know the AFL puts 4% of their TV aside for international development. If the NRL and ESL did something similar there would be money on top of things like a profit from the RLWC to use to develop leagues around the world.

Problem in countries like USA and Italy would be which league the RLIF would fund?

If you could find a backer you would not need much.

You could aways contact the ABL for any advice they could pass on to you.

 

[RedVee]

Actually calling it Union is quite common in Newcastle.

Rugby League is just called football or footy.

That said we live in a strong rugby league area.

Exactly the same for me. Footy or league anyway, union for the other code.

 

[Footyhead2]

Look, you may want to talk to an actual rugby league fan in the US. Personally, as a rugby league supporter in the United States, I feel like I have to go really out of my way to watch league games. It is a thousand times easier to watch soccer (like the EPL) than league here and even watching AFL or union here is easier than league. The Rugby World Cup final was shown here on NBC, and last year's AFL Grand Final was shown here on ESPN2. 2-3 AFL games are steamed on ESPN's internet streaming service. With a couple exceptions (the 2009 NRL finals series was shown on Spike and the 2011 State of Origin and Grand Final was shown on Fox Soccer Channel), rugby league has zero tv presence here. The only place where I know I can watch league is through an Eels fan's Youtube channel. And while the AMNRL and USARL have improved player participation in league, I would suggest league is behind both Aussie rules and union in this regard.

To counteract this situation, I think that all the players involved, both inside the US (the USARL, AMNRL, and the clubs), and outside the US (RFL, the new IC, NZRL, and the RLIF) need to develop a strategy to grow the game in the United States.
This includes (but is not limited to) the following:

1. Increase player numbers in the United States. This includes starting competitions in high schools and colleges. It also includes promoting non-contact forms of the game as well, like touch and flag rugby league.

2. Promote the international game. I know league does not have the international presence that union or soccer has, but international rugby league does exist. Here I think that David Niu and the AMNRL would be wise to let USARL players on the Tomahawks squad. I also think the AMNRL should try to schedule and market more games against high-level opposition in the United States. I think that the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup and qualifying for the 2013 are steps in the right direction, but they are not nearly sufficient in building the international game here.

3. The NRL and Super League should try to air their games on tv here in the United States. The aim here should not be getting money out of the deal but to get the widest audience possible. This way sports fans who don't know about league can watch it and learn more about the game.

4. AMNRL and USARL clubs should reach out into the community, through media coverage, advertising, and community involvement.

Personally, I would love rugby league to have a professional league in the United States, probably played at MLS stadiums. I would also love to rugby league be marketed to gridiron fans who need their fix of during the offseason, as I think gridiron and league are similar enough for league to be marketed in this way. But I think this is a 10-20 year project, and it needs the involvement of rugby league authorities to actively raise the profile of the game.

Some good ideas here. Can I please correct one thing? NO, as in zero, of us Americans refer to American football as "Gridiron". I have only heard that term from Australians. We call it "football". If I said to Americans that I am going to watch a gridiron game they would be quite confused.

 

[Footyhead2]

It seems to me that Billy2 has a good idea about promoting the game through a top uality, interactive website. We can draw on the rivalry between cities and try and drum up a competitive tribalism. The XFL tried to do that a few years ago but failed for other reasons.

What to call League is a tough one. Say "league" and everyone assumes a local competition as in the tennis league, kid's soccer league, etc. Say "Rugby" and everyone assumes it's that game they play in colleges (union) and the game that will be on TV during the olympics (union). Say "football" and everyone thinks American Football. I remember a post that Poul started last year suggesting the name "American Rugby". I kind of like that one...

 

[Craigo]

I dont know why the powers that be havent considered using Rugby Football League in their moniker, exactly like the English governing body. Seems like a natural fit to me.

 

[Knownothing]

I dont know why the powers that be havent considered using Rugby Football League in their moniker, exactly like the English governing body. Seems like a natural fit to me.

Yep, that's really snappy. "Let's go to the Rugby Football League tonight, Dad". :?



You must be a marketing whiz.

 

[Craigo]

Knownothing, I take it you say "lets go to the National Rugby League then"?? of course you don't. I'm referring to the name of the governing body as in AMRFL instead of AMNRL etc. I didnt realise my post was that confusing, I will dumb it down for you next time!

 

[ferntree footy]

In Melbourne, a traditional non rugby league or union city, about 10 years ago there was rugby union and rugby league referred to in the media from time to time. For some reason, sadly at the same time that the Storm got us all excited, union started getting called rugby in the media and rugby league just league. I think it was because the media picked it up from NSW and Qld, where the great game is just called footy, but we already have footy here (afl) so it had to be called league because rugby was too easily associated with ru thanks to recent ru world cups. I was not happy, but now am happy to have not-so-dedicated Melbourne sports fans just refer to league, afl and rugby ... maybve relevant to the US

 

[Poul]

What others have said above is all very important and relevant.

However, in your opening post - I think you touched on a very important issue - the name of our sport.

Rugby League has as much right to the word Rugby as Union does, but in my opinion, when trying to promote the game it only leads to confusion.

Perhaps having a brains trust rebrand the sport globally as sometihng else would be one of the biggest steps in growing the game internationally, as well as making it easier to distance ourselves from Rugby Union.

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=391843

Just in case you missed it