RLIF in talks to start US Pro League

[adamkungl]

Which should be concerning as in the original article the RLIF were quoting $100m price tag. Just not in the realms of possibility.

$100m of investment. Over how long? 5 years? 10 years? Longer? Not the same as per year running costs.

 

[Whatwhere]

Ture but it's a very risky investment proposition consodering it will be an untested start up with little to no significant base to launch from. Again, Rugby is many, many times larger and whether PRP Rugby has a lifespan os still very much from certain. That all depends on how much money a near billionaire is willing to lose first.

 

[IntRLEnthusiast]

Rugby League is a better product.. More entertaining... thats why it's a shot at penetrating the US market.. And hey, Maybe Trump will splash the cash for Rugby League

 

[Whatwhere]

Rugby League is a better product.. More entertaining... thats why it's a shot at penetrating the US market.. And hey, Maybe Trump will splash the cash for Rugby League

Opinion doesn't mean that's true. Outside of Australia evidence doesn't back that up. As for Trump. He cannot invest in anything for the next four years at least. Plus his track record doesn't exactly screams 'invest in us' if I were the RLIF.

 

[adamkungl]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/m...o-get-americans-to-care-about-rugby.html?_r=0

Grabbed from another thread. Has some interesting parts about finances.

Puts each team non-player salary expenses at an estimated $1.5m per year. With salaries around $1m that would put each team at around $2.5m per year minimum running costs

 

[Whatwhere]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/m...o-get-americans-to-care-about-rugby.html?_r=0

Grabbed from another thread. Has some interesting parts about finances.

Puts each team non-player salary expenses at an estimated $1.5m per year. With salaries around $1m that would put each team at around $2.5m per year minimum running costs

And it was treated as a beta test which means it was designed to keep costs as low as poosible.

 

[adamkungl]

PRO Rugby have dropped San Fran for next year, haven't announced a replacement or if there will be one. So they're currently at 4 teams.

 

[Heritage XIII]

PRO Rugby have dropped San Fran for next year, haven't announced a replacement or if there will be one. So they're currently at 4 teams.

This has disaster written all over it LOL. Rugby union in the US cannot relay on the number of brain dead indocrinated elitist (& those wannabe hordes who think union really gives a shit about them) morons like they can in the UK, France, South Africa & Oz/NZ.

 

[adamkungl]

This has disaster written all over it LOL. Rugby union in the US cannot relay on the number of brain dead indocrinated elitist (& those wannabe hordes who think union really gives a shit about them) morons like they can in the UK, France, South Africa & Oz/NZ.

It's an interesting comparison at the very least.

They likely have much better financial backing, and a stronger player and fan base in the USA.
I'll call sport 'awareness' in their favour, but not by much since we can use the Rugby name as well and no one knows the difference.
Most people on here would believe that RL has the more entertaining product and there's a fair case to be made that it is more suited to American tastes than RU.

Hard to argue that a Pro RL comp would not be at a disadvantage on most tangible levels before a ball is kick. We're banking on the entertainment appeal - which can't be proven to be a hit til a long way down the track.

If PRO Rugby crashes and burns, I'm not sure how we should take that. On the one hand it's a direct competitor down, on the other it's a bad sign for a similar sport with less resources trying to crack the same market.

 

[Whatwhere]

It's an interesting comparison at the very least.

They likely have much better financial backing, and a stronger player and fan base in the USA.
I'll call sport 'awareness' in their favour, but not by much since we can use the Rugby name as well and no one knows the difference.
Most people on here would believe that RL has the more entertaining product and there's a fair case to be made that it is more suited to American tastes than RU.

Hard to argue that a Pro RL comp would not be at a disadvantage on most tangible levels before a ball is kick. We're banking on the entertainment appeal - which can't be proven to be a hit til a long way down the track.

If PRO Rugby crashes and burns, I'm not sure how we should take that. On the one hand it's a direct competitor down, on the other it's a bad sign for a similar sport with less resources trying to crack the same market.

The axing of the Rush has been making the rounds on the rumour mill for a while. One of the major obstacles of San Francisco was cost and access to facilities. The stadium they were using was to be frank, rubbish but the only made available. The team trained on the other side of the city etc. Not ideal especially when existing in a market with a number of Major sporting leagues and PRO only being a start up.

An interesting development is the meetings that the CEO of USA Rugby has had today in New York. One with PRO and another with United World Sports. United World Sports are the group that runs the WR Las Vegas and College Rugby Championships. Both very professionally run.

Will be interesting to see what comes of it as PRO has the backing while UWS has the collective know how and commercial connections while also looking as recently as last year to launch their own concept. If a partnership could be brokered between these two then the league could actually emerge stronger.

Either way, this won't be the end of pro Rugby in the US. There are no less than four other groups looking to launch their own leagues and PRO failing thus eliminating the whole sanctioining issue will be a rocket for their ambitions. Then there's the clubs themselves. A number are transitioning to professionalism at present. The Austin Huns for example have just announced a broadcast agreement with Time Warner Cable to televise all their home games across Texas.

 

[Heritage XIII]

Coincidently, the USARL have probably a better set up than this ProRugby comp with a united comp already divided into North East Div, Mid Atlantic & Southern. Some of the clubs play in very impressive facilities (some don't) & their social media, logos etc are actually quite good. If this Moore bloke is serious, the USARL already has the makings of a pro comp. Moore should initially divert some cash into wining & dining a few key US media outlets (Amazon, Twitter, Youtube etc are all looking at/started TV channels) & sell the rugby league product. Surely this is what union has done (bet they've flown the likes of NBC to Twickers + brought a few high profile events to the US for them to digest etc).

 

[Whatwhere]

Coincidently, the USARL have probably a better set up than this ProRugby comp with a united comp already divided into North East Div, Mid Atlantic & Southern. Some of the clubs play in very impressive facilities (some don't) & their social media, logos etc are actually quite good. If this Moore bloke is serious, the USARL already has the makings of a pro comp. Moore should initially divert some cash into wining & dining a few key US media outlets (Amazon, Twitter, Youtube etc are all looking at/started TV channels) & sell the rugby league product. Surely this is what union has done (bet they've flown the likes of NBC to Twickers + brought a few high profile events to the US for them to digest etc).

Rugby has about a dozen D1 leagues just like the USARL. Facilities and all. There are even teams building their own 8-10,000 seater stadiums in Texas. Twitter and YouTube aren't likely to be willing to actually pay anything initially. In fact, YouTube not at all as many minor leagues already use the platform to broadcast games (including PRO). Neither having the on the ground infrastructure (Twitter use the CBS feed).

Even then it won't be gold mine. The MLS with all its success only earns $90m a season for their product. You'd be lucky to get 10% of that to start.

 

[Arucard]

So anyway...... back to talking about Rugby League.....

 

[Dakink]

Whatwhere...there is a union forum for people like you...

 

[Whatwhere]

Whatwhere...there is a union forum for people like you...

Great. But I didn't bring the topic up.

 

[adamkungl]

So anyway...... back to talking about Rugby League.....

Like I said, it's an interesting comparison. There's lessons to be learned from what they do. And there's no actual news on the League front to talk about.

 

[IntRLEnthusiast]

I don't think the RL comp has to start on a huge scale. Just get something that is professional going and i think the product sells itself. What you need is someone with money and business skills to back it and build it. It is an exciting opportunity if Moore sports can get it going. Rugby League desperately needs a 3rd professional competition!

 

[adamkungl]

PRO Rugby has collapsed.

Time to pounce.

 

[Evil Homer]

PRO Rugby has collapsed.

Time to pounce.

Nothing much to pounce on apart from maybe getting Doug Schoninger on side if he's actually capable of doing anything, which his record with PRO Rugby suggests he isn't. Although it's nice that we now have North America's only professional rugby team of either code.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

https://www.google.com.au/amp/thepr...o-be-terminated-league-wide/amp?client=safari

http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/in...eague-PRO-Rugby-is-defunct-after-eight-months

http://www.rugbytoday.com/elite/down-goes-pro

Too bad, so sad.