New 2025 USA pro league

[Vlad59]

I would love nothing more for the US to have a Pro competition, and I hope that unlike the many many many previous attempts, this one has some substance to it, though some things I don't get are:

1) Why the rush? Trying to get up and running by 2025 is crazy, especially as the NRL has committed to being in Vegas until 2028. We're almost in March and they supposedly only have 3 licenses sorted out of 10. Assuming they have other buyers, with due diligence, etc, they are leaving themselves very little time to sort out things like players, grounds, etc.

Even aiming for 2026 or 2027 would be more realistic and allow them to actually setup clubs, recruit players and I imagine also actually get a solid broadcast deal.

2) Why haven't they engaged with the USARL at all? It's not uncommon for pro leagues not to be 'owned' by the NSO, but they need to be sanctioned by it. Are they just hoping to bulldoze their way into being recognised once the competition is up and running?

2. Is the bit that scared me. Scanlan sounded dismissive

 

[taste2taste]

I would love nothing more for the US to have a Pro competition, and I hope that unlike the many many many previous attempts, this one has some substance to it, though some things I don't get are:

1) Why the rush? Trying to get up and running by 2025 is crazy, especially as the NRL has committed to being in Vegas until 2028. We're almost in March and they supposedly only have 3 licenses sorted out of 10. Assuming they have other buyers, with due diligence, etc, they are leaving themselves very little time to sort out things like players, grounds, etc.

Even aiming for 2026 or 2027 would be more realistic and allow them to actually setup clubs, recruit players and I imagine also actually get a solid broadcast deal.

2) Why haven't they engaged with the USARL at all? It's not uncommon for pro leagues not to be 'owned' by the NSO, but they need to be sanctioned by it. Are they just hoping to bulldoze their way into being recognised once the competition is up and running?

1) they've been working on this since 2020, so to them starting in 2025 might not feel rushed. Although I agree, 2026 or 27 will be more realistic.

2) In the Jimmy Smith IV Perth Red posted I swear Scanlon said they will be working with the current set up, I can't go back and double check because the link seems to have updated the page with the latest show

 

[yakstorm]

1) they've been working on this since 2020, so to them starting in 2025 might not feel rushed. Although I agree, 2026 or 27 will be more realistic.

I know that's the claim, but I have my doubts what he exactly meant by that. In early 2020, NYC had been given approval by the RFL to join League 1 in 2022 and even hosted one of the Challenge Cup draws. That only changed really in November 2020 when Super League conducted their biased report saying there was 'no value' doing anything in North America.

There was then the NARL in 2021, which if Steve wasn't involved with, I imagine he was aware of, considering the other NYC investors were part of it. Was he planning a rival competition whilst that was happening? Not unrealistic, though strange if his partners were behind the other concept.

Regardless of whether he has been working on it for 5 years or less, there is still a lot for them to do from where they are now to where they need to be. Anyway, here's hoping everything does come together for them.

2) In the Jimmy Smith IV Perth Red posted I swear Scanlon said they will be working with the current set up, I can't go back and double check because the link seems to have updated the page with the latest show

That's positive he has said that. The members of the current USARL board are being quite vocal on social that they've had zero outreach from him or RLA so far, but at least it sounds like he has intentions of reaching out.

 

[Canard]

‘Seismic shifts will happen’: US pro rugby league MLR loses teams but looks to future

Alex Magleby, CEO of champion New England Free Jacks, says Toronto and New York will be missed as the show goes on

www.theguardian.com

 

[RedVee]

‘Seismic shifts will happen’: US pro rugby league MLR loses teams but looks to future

Alex Magleby, CEO of champion New England Free Jacks, says Toronto and New York will be missed as the show goes on

www.theguardian.com

That’s Rugby.

Are we suggesting that Toronto & NY will come to the new RL pro comp (if it gets up) ???

 

[taste2taste]

‘Seismic shifts will happen’: US pro rugby league MLR loses teams but looks to future

Alex Magleby, CEO of champion New England Free Jacks, says Toronto and New York will be missed as the show goes on

www.theguardian.com

That's a very positive spin on Major League Rugby.

The article fails to mention since thier inaugural season crowds have fallen by 50% ( 1.1k avg ) and viewer ship has also halved, World Rugby pay Fox Sports to broadcast games which pull in 30k to 140k viewers ( depending on who's playing.

World Rugby is also funding The new Miami team.

The 2031 world cup has yet to be signed off, World Rugby are waiting for funding to be guaranteed by the US government. If they don't get funding it won't be in the USA, Rugby will be in a similar position as the League World Cup when France pulled funding.

 

[taste2taste]

Anything happen with this ?

Kaput ? Or quietly working away ?

 

[Perth Red]

Anything happen with this ?

Kaput ? Or quietly working away ?

well it came out of nowhere has has disappeared back to whence it came. Hard to know how much of the Vegas announcement was spin and bluster and how much reality.

It does seem we are in the era of pro sport being taken over by investment groups looking to make a buck. If this is sustainable or not for most sports time will tell.

Got to give it to Union in the States having the audacity to call it Major League Rugby, then launch a 7's comp called world rugby football league lol

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

This is just yesterday

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

So apparently...

- 7 licences sold
- 60 million raised
- 100 thousand average
- 50 percent must be American

I guess we will see.

I personally hope for an NRL Branding investment and accountability.

NRL Branding should go Global (including buying out Super League)

 

[yakstorm]

Thanks for sharing @İzmir Zaferi

I have to admit, the latest article creates far more questions than answers.

The first one is with regards to the money raised. They call out its AUD, so it's USD38m that they've raised, which is still an impressive figure, but it's very little runway for a competition where they are saying its going to cost USD40m - 48m to run annually.

I'd love to understand whether that money is in their bank account or if it's just been committed to. If it's the later, the concern is VCs can pull their commitments & don't have issues breaking contracts. It unfortunately happens regularly in the start up space.

I'd also love to understand whether they are including the club investments in there or if it's pure RLA LLC raise.

On the club side, a USD2.5m - 3m (depending if they have a 25 or 30 player squad) salary cap is crazy for year 1. If they get investors who can afford it, great, but Mr Stefanovic wouldn't be able to afford that. The guy has roughly AUD7m in assets and has a TV deal worth over half a million annually, so he's certainly not poor, but doesn't have deep pockets when converting to USD.

If the club owners aren't liable for most of that, then the runway issue for RLA pops up again.

Anyway, some of these questions will get answered one way or another in due time, as we'll either see it kick off or not.

Personally, I'm not seeing the numbers add up currently and if I was them, I'd probably try a more conservative launch (7-8 teams, USD$2m cap drastically increases runway & reduces liability), but hopefully they make it work.

I can understand why the NRL isn't racing to invest in it.

 

[taste2taste]

Thanks for sharing @İzmir Zaferi

I have to admit, the latest article creates far more questions than answers.

The first one is with regards to the money raised. They call out its AUD, so it's USD38m that they've raised, which is still an impressive figure, but it's very little runway for a competition where they are saying its going to cost USD40m - 48m to run annually.

I'd love to understand whether that money is in their bank account or if it's just been committed to. If it's the later, the concern is VCs can pull their commitments & don't have issues breaking contracts. It unfortunately happens regularly in the start up space.

I'd also love to understand whether they are including the club investments in there or if it's pure RLA LLC raise.

On the club side, a USD2.5m - 3m (depending if they have a 25 or 30 player squad) salary cap is crazy for year 1. If they get investors who can afford it, great, but Mr Stefanovic wouldn't be able to afford that. The guy has roughly AUD7m in assets and has a TV deal worth over half a million annually, so he's certainly not poor, but doesn't have deep pockets when converting to USD.

If the club owners aren't liable for most of that, then the runway issue for RLA pops up again.

Anyway, some of these questions will get answered one way or another in due time, as we'll either see it kick off or not.

Personally, I'm not seeing the numbers add up currently and if I was them, I'd probably try a more conservative launch (7-8 teams, USD$2m cap drastically increases runway & reduces liability), but hopefully they make it work.

I can understand why the NRL isn't racing to invest in it.

Alot of these costs would come down to the "2 tv offers on the table " ??

I'm surprised the NRL wouldn't want to get involved in just a small way, lending its name 'NRL USA' would help grow the NRL brand....assuming the NRLs push into America is serous.

Interesting to see there's a team from Toronoto but not the Wolfpack ?

Average pay of 100k USD isn't anything to be sneezed at, they'll get alot of players from NSW/QLD Cup, Elite 1, lower divisions in England... a couple of players like DCE would finish thier careers there.

Good luck to them, it'll be interesting to see how they go, but I can't see it any bigger than Major League Rugby, crowds of 1k, 30k TV viewers, clubs going bankrupt .....

 

[yakstorm]

Alot of these costs would come down to the "2 tv offers on the table " ??

The running costs will be there regardless of the TV offers. The offers may help address some of these running costs, either in the form of some sort of guaranteed grant to the clubs or helping the running cost of the league.

I'm not sure if any major broadcaster would throw any significant cash towards the concept. World Rugby pay Fox Sports to cover MLR, however there maybe smaller broadcasters willing to fork out.

Speaking of MLR, the current MLR salary cap is USD500K base with a USD250K bonus if a club achieves their grassroot goals. Whilst there is loop holes for international players, if the RLA got up with this salary cap, it literally could just cherry-pick the best local rugby talent.

On the Toronto team, they haven't said it definitely won't be the Wolfpack, just that they aren't sure. Sounds like it is either the same investors as those who took over the Wolfpack, they are just weighing up whether they pursue with that brand or start afresh or this point wasn't answered for Mascord, so he isn't sure.

 

[Brian potter]

 

[Vlad59]

The running costs will be there regardless of the TV offers. The offers may help address some of these running costs, either in the form of some sort of guaranteed grant to the clubs or helping the running cost of the league.

I'm not sure if any major broadcaster would throw any significant cash towards the concept. World Rugby pay Fox Sports to cover MLR, however there maybe smaller broadcasters willing to fork out.

Speaking of MLR, the current MLR salary cap is USD500K base with a USD250K bonus if a club achieves their grassroot goals. Whilst there is loop holes for international players, if the RLA got up with this salary cap, it literally could just cherry-pick the best local rugby talent.

On the Toronto team, they haven't said it definitely won't be the Wolfpack, just that they aren't sure. Sounds like it is either the same investors as those who took over the Wolfpack, they are just weighing up whether they pursue with that brand or start afresh or this point wasn't answered for Mascord, so he isn't sure.

Great bloke Mascord. Drank beer with him a few years ago. Loved the game.

 

[taste2taste]

Great bloke Mascord. Drank beer with him a few years ago. Loved the game.

Mascord was always my favourite SMH journo, such a shame he left. has always been championing the game to grow, he loves his international league.

I remember a decade or so ago he wrote that if the game is to grow it will be off the back of some passionate people with more money than sense, he was correct, about 5 years later the Wolfpack came along, hugely successful on the field and off...not so successful financially unfortunately

Let's hope Scanlon and his mates are the next lot of billionaires with more money than sense.

I remember Mascord also wrote an article about league being too violent for modern society, he predicted rule changes would slowly come in and eventually the game would be more like Austag, this prediction is also proving right lol

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Mascord was always my favourite SMH journo, such a shame he left. has always been championing the game to grow, he loves his international league.

I remember a decade or so ago he wrote that if the game is to grow it will be off the back of some passionate people with more money than sense, he was correct, about 5 years later the Wolfpack came along, hugely successful on the field and off...not so successful financially unfortunately

Let's hope Scanlon and his mates are the next lot of billionaires with more money than sense.

I remember Mascord also wrote an article about league being too violent for modern society, he predicted rule changes would slowly come in and eventually the game would be more like Austag, this prediction is also proving right lol

I once read an account of a jousting tournament in mediaeval England, over 3 days, one dozen dead, another dozen permanently incapacitated, about another dozen would die in the following month from wounds received. Wildly popular and playing to massive crowds. I also wonder whether one day people will look back on contact sports and say `you know people used to get knocked-out regularly during those events, unbelievable !`