pro league to start 2013

[biggestbroncosfan]

http://www.wearerugby.com/news/articles/putting-league-front-and-center

mentions at the bottom they are looking at starting next year.

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

looking at which teams could possibly take part which is if the AMNRL and USARL were to reconcile the top league would be the AMNRL and then there would be a 2nd division (USARL) with BC, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, CT, RI, NY Raiders, Orlando and Daytona.

Atlantic Conference-

Pennsylvania Bulls (BC Sharks, Fight)
New York Knights (Boston, New Haven, CT, Rhode Island, NY Raiders)
Jacksonville Axemen (Orlando, Daytona)
Washington DC SLayers (NOVA, Baltimore)
Hurricanes RL (Jamaica)

Pacific Conference

Hawaii
Los Angeles Raiders
Utah Avalanche
Orange County Outlaws
Las Vegas Warriors

 

[IowaRL]

I guess the big thing is where the games would be played. I'd also consider a New England team (ct, ri, ma) and the Stockyarders.

 

[VictoryFC]

That is not how sports grow. It is alarming that anyone who is leading the cause can be so naive.

We will launch day one at the top. Grand Prix is not about grass roots. We're about cash roots!” continues Tatham.

facepalm

The only way to grow sports is through grassroots. There is no shortcut. People need to be exposed to the sport, but the initial exposure needs be from the elite competitions. League lacks grassroots, financial, and media support in the US. How does this bloke think TV networks will lap it up?

Instead of focusing on what should be done, hes talking about things that will almost surely end in utter failure.

Also, being a soccer fan, my favourite parts were the jibes directed at soccer and at the MLS. If there is any league you want to emulate in the US, its the MLS.

“Americans don't dislike soccer. We simply don't like minor league anything, which is where the MLS is today.

So the new comp would Major League from the outset? How does he figure that exactly? If Americans love Major Leagues, then they should be ushered toward the NRL, not some upstart US league.

But of course Americans are not as they are made out to be, because they will absolutely follow "minor league" sports. The MLS has grown to 19 teams, built 15 of its own facilities, and currently averages more than any domestic rugby competition, of either code, on earth (or for that matter, those other minor leagues like the NBA and NHL). Americans are clearly showing their disgust at minor leagues.

This bloke is a deadset plonker, and his rhetoric, judging from that article, is a sure sign of future disappointments.

 

[100%green]

Just read some stuff about how he got soccer on the big stage in the US. if he can do that for League then I say good on him.

 

[VictoryFC]

Just read some stuff about how he got soccer on the big stage in the US. if he can do that for League then I say good on him.

How did this guy get soccer on the big stage in the US? Are you that naive to think one guy had any effect? Had nothing to do with early NASL and World Cup that fed into the VERY SLOW growth of the MLS over the past 18 years, or the 20m that play the game, the advent of internet and cable that allowed access to overseas league. Or even the large ethnic minorities in the US, or maybe even the 35 million Latin Americans that reside in the US helping things alone....nah, it was some merchant with business savvy that did it.

Anyone who buys this shit is geniused as he is.

 

[Lone Ranger]

Is it me or does anybody find this guy offensive?

 

[IowaRL]

I wonder why I see such decent crowds at IFL (indoor football league) and Midwest Baseball league games? They are both minor leagues, but I'd kill for the same crowds they get to thier games. The kernels, who are my local baseball team, get 5000 to a game. May seem small, but how many do some suburban teams get in Australia.

 

[VictoryFC]

I wonder why I see such decent crowds at IFL (indoor football league) and Midwest Baseball league games? They are both minor leagues, but I'd kill for the same crowds they get to thier games. The kernels, who are my local baseball team, get 5000 to a game. May seem small, but how many do some suburban teams get in Australia.

As you know yourself being American, minor league baseball is huge. Hundreds of teams averaging between 2-8,000. That's no small feat. By MLB standards its crap, but world standards its nothinig short of outstanding.

Not to mention college gridiron or basketball, which are technically minor leagues. The guy is delusional. Grassroots is the only answer, and if its about exposing people to the highest form of the game, then more effort needs to be made to expand the presence of a) the NRL, and b) the World Cup. That would then feed through into the grassroots, and so starts a painfully slow road to relevance.

 

[100%green]

How did this guy get soccer on the big stage in the US? Are you that naive to think one guy had any effect? Had nothing to do with early NASL and World Cup that fed into the VERY SLOW growth of the MLS over the past 18 years, or the 20m that play the game, the advent of internet and cable that allowed access to overseas league. Or even the large ethnic minorities in the US, or maybe even the 35 million Latin Americans that reside in the US helping things alone....nah, it was some merchant with business savvy that did it.

Anyone who buys this shit is geniused as he is.

Mate if he gets USA RL some press and attention over there and gets the game noticed a bit then great. If he turns out to be nothin but hype then so be it. I'm not going to s*** can this before it even starts.

I'm more interested in getting the leagues unified. If this company want to put money in to a pro league then I'd prefer it to be a unified one.

 

[Rouge_Operative]

I'll believe it when I see it. How many times have this been promised now? Remember the NRLUS? I do.

Listen, it would be great but there are some issues. With Lacrosse firmly entrenched in the American sporting culture they have a hard time getting off the ground and it took soccer/football literally decades to get to the state it's in now.

I agree, rugby league is going to a lot more attractive to US viewers/fans more so than rugby union any day of the week. It's a more exciting game to watch and rugby is growing in the US. Just this past weekend 7's was on TV on major network and it wasn't the first time. I'd be interested to see the numbers.

I remember when ESPN broadcasted the US/Canada 15's game and half way through cut anyway to a replay of and NBA game. This is what rugby had to contend with in the US.

Plus there still is a lot of confusion in the US about the differences between the 13 and 15 man codes. Most here don't even know the difference or that there is one and the ones that play rugby union in college are told rugby league is bad and they should hate it. This is usually until they try it and end up liking it better....

 

[IowaRL]

As you know yourself being American, minor league baseball is huge. Hundreds of teams averaging between 2-8,000. That's no small feat. By MLB standards its crap, but world standards its nothinig short of outstanding.

Not to mention college gridiron or basketball, which are technically minor leagues. The guy is delusional. Grassroots is the only answer, and if its about exposing people to the highest form of the game, then more effort needs to be made to expand the presence of a) the NRL, and b) the World Cup. That would then feed through into the grassroots, and so starts a painfully slow road to relevance.

I know all about college gridiron, I live in iowa city, with University of Iowa on my doorstep. I'm actually an expat Aussie FYI. Here we are slowly building our playing numbers, running a super league Friday night viewing and are hoping to start a school based program in the new year.

 

[adamkungl]

Jesus christ where to start

“Want to know what they all have in common? In the US ultimately we end up with one big dog,” Tatham tells WeAreRugby exclusively. “There will never be two successful rugby leagues. There will only be one.

I might be wrong, but isn't this company involved in Rugby Union as well? Seems contradictory.

And we intend on making Rugby League, Grand Prix Rugby League, that one big dog ... along with the awesome, tournament style and now Olympic sport of Union Rugby Sevens.”

So RL will be the ONE big dog...along with R7s. Riiight.

American rugby, playing and beating the world's great teams.

Lol, sure champ.

I just can't see this happening. I'll be shocked, and very impressed if they are in any way successful.

 

[mother rucker]

we want to beat them with homegrown Americans. No need at all to steal anyone's players. We simply need to give our stallions a reason to step onto the pitch, bear their teeth, and kick some Rugby League ass!

We'll see whats on the 2013 world cup USA side. Homegrown imports.

Sound like a load of BULL SH!T. We have been hearing this same story for years now. PRO-RL, Rustle Crow, Donald Trump, Blah Blah Blah. Stop pissing on my back and telling me its raining. This fast talkin California cash cow doesn't know what he bought. 2013 we'll see but I'm not holding my breath. There are only 2 RL teams in the USA that get the crowd that warrant TV and the AMNRL doesn't have either one of them.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Didn't he previously say that he didn't want to invest in a competition that would cost $50mil but instead in the SOO or WCC that would only cost $5mil? And 5 seconds later we read this?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Fair dinkum, if they were going to pump a few million into it and put nothing into juniors, they'd be better off pumping it all into one club and putting them in the NRL.

This is all absolute BS and I hate everything about it, from bagging other sports to telling everyone money is the only thing that counts.

Grass roots you rich nerd, ever heard of that?

 

[BODISGOD]

GP are absolute spoofers.

 

[clarency]

And Niu thought this was a good move?

 

[IowaRL]

Grass roots you rich nerd, ever heard of that?

The way I see it, those of us in the USA who want to see grassroots grow is to do it ourselves. Unfortunately, even if Iowa had the best players and setup in the country, we probably would not be considered for a large pro comp simply due to population. However, give me a pro team to feed into, and we will run the game on a local and juniors level. We have 3 million in the state, a participation rate at grass roots of even 0.01% is still 300 people playing (could be 20 clubs/teams worth), and that's our long term goal. We also want 80 high school teams in the state to give us state championship. One day, we'd also love a ground dedicated to rugby league with a few thousand seats.

 

[gyallop]

Adam he is talking about the 2 leagues that exist in the USA.

We Australians jumping on here about grass roots forget that it took us 100 years to grow our game and today the elite competitions' contribution to development is in reality limited to exposure. As Iowa Crash says that work will done by others at the grass roots level..just as it is done in Australia.

Victory FC has ignored the 20 years of grass roots that Niu and others have sewn and that MSL sprang from rich blokes exposing the game with the worlds biggest names Pele Best Cruyff ? etc then buying a FIFA world cup...does the name Alan Rothenberg ring a bell. This guy might be a cashed up spruiker but with the man who started the MSL as chairman he might just have a team that can repeat MSL.

If you think you can do better do what some of the blokes have done in the USA to get the game started like Niu Illfield Howland etc move over and borrow money and tip that into the game.