RLIF in talks to start US Pro League

[adamkungl]

Perez stating he wants a Montreal team following them into League 1 by 2019, followed by Boston and NY.

As ambitious as these plans are, I think there's a pretty small limit on how many far flung expansion teams a comp of League 1's level can handle. If you've reached the point where you can finance that kind of operation it might be worth looking at a professional local comp instead of flying across an ocean.

 

[Arucard]

PRO rugby is not dead apparently. Players have been informed that the preseason will begin in April. They also have replacement for San Francisco lined up.

LOL!!!!!

 

[Evil Homer]

Perez stating he wants a Montreal team following them into League 1 by 2019, followed by Boston and NY.

As ambitious as these plans are, I think there's a pretty small limit on how many far flung expansion teams a comp of League 1's level can handle. If you've reached the point where you can finance that kind of operation it might be worth looking at a professional local comp instead of flying across an ocean.

Toronto will not be in League 1 next year.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Last tackle China sounds interesting.

 

[Evil Homer]

Last tackle China sounds interesting.

Something the NRL should be looking at closely especially since Paul Broughton had a similar idea years ago.

I see WWE has recently signed a bunch of Chinese athletes to train to become pro wrestlers after a recent tryout tour. Obviously a totally different skillset but the principle is the same. The talent is there, we just need to find it.
http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/article/wwe-signs-seven-new-recruits-from-china

 

[CC_Roosters]

If there is interest in more North American pro teams off thr back of the Wolfpack maybe the league bodies in that part of the world could follow the Lead of the NHL and it's foundations. by that I mean roughly copy the original six which refers to the first six NHL clubs. you could initially have a 4, 6 or at a push 8 team pro league in a concentrated region of North America, most likely the north east, rather than teams flung across the whole continent. if what perez is saying comes to fruition then Toronto, Montreal, new York and Boston could be the original four of such a pro league.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

The problem with expanding from one club is that by the time any new teams are considered the Wolfpack will be in SL. So they won't play against any new teams and starting a new comp with them included won't be attractive to them because they'd be dropping back to a relatively low level. It's a similar situation to Catalans. A potential French pro league would need Catalans in it, but would also have to start out with only a few teams, low wage levels and a poorer standard. So why would Catalans want to leave SL for that? They wouldn't. I mean, the whole thing is pie in the sky stuff anyway. As well as Perez has done to get Toronto up and running, it's a long long way from even considering further expansion. They'd need to be successful on and off the field for a few years first.

The flip side is that it would actually be good from a player development point of view to have a team in SL and one in League 1 and even one in the Championship too. It creates a pathway for players from amateur to semi pro to full time to elite full time. That's an ideal structure for all concerned on that front.

 

[adamkungl]

On the French Pro idea, Catalans could perhaps enter their second division team or feeder.

My pie-in-the-sky for Super League is to be a proper international comp fed by professional UK and French Championship/Elite competitions. So Catalans would still be in SL if a French Pro got going, and if they were relegated they'd go down to France not English Championship, and be replaced by another French team.

 

[Evil Homer]

On the French Pro idea, Catalans could perhaps enter their second division team or feeder.

My pie-in-the-sky for Super League is to be a proper international comp fed by professional UK and French Championship/Elite competitions. So Catalans would still be in SL if a French Pro got going, and if they were relegated they'd go down to France not English Championship, and be replaced by another French team.

That pretty much is exactly what we already have apart from the P&R aspect.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Their reserve grade is already in the elite 1. If a French pro comp started it would have to be much better standard than that with a view to matching or surpassing SL within a few years. You can't have reserve grade sides in such a comp. In any case there's not even enough potential franchises for a French league as is. Even with a couple of expensive expansion clubs in places like Paris and Marseille there's still only about four other conceivable clubs, including Catalans.

 

[adamkungl]

That pretty much is exactly what we already have apart from the P&R aspect.

Not quite. As i've said elsewhere, the P&R aspect makes it all very chancey - eg. conceivably next year Catalans could be relegated and you have 0 French teams in SL.

I'm interested in ways to expand SLs reach and worth without throwing away P&R but also speeding up the process of getting expansion teams to top level.

If French Elite 1 was of comparable standard to UK Championship, you could have a set number of French clubs in SL. When one is relegated another French team comes up from Elite, rather than having to go through the UK league system. A french professional 'conference' as a medium term stepping stone to a high quality full French professional competition.

 

[siv]

Maybe the USARL should buy Pro Rugby

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

see WWE has recently signed a bunch of Chinese athletes to train to become pro wrestlers after a recent tryout tour. Obviously a totally different skillset but the principle is the same. The talent is there, we just need to find it.
http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/article/wwe-signs-seven-new-recruits-from-china

Was at the event they had here in Shanghai, and it was crazy how over the product was on the back of a) John Cena, the face of the company at present, being fluent in basic Mandarin and b) the signing of a number of talent to its development system, despite the majority having little to no recognition at home (Bin has worked with New Japan's feeder system for a while.)

There a buisnesses and billionaires screaming to get their name on internationally recognised tournaments, unfortunately as always League lacks forsight, balls and creativity to capitalise. Union will have a world cup in by 2031, if Alisports' interest is anything to go by.

 

[jim_57]

Wait make that 2 questions worth asking to try and get things back on track. How will this all play out if any of these runours come to reality? All the different parties involved/runoured to be involved;

1) Toronto Wolfpack - Going the "transatlantic" route of working within the English system, aiming for SL.

2) Moore Sports International - Hosting the 2025 World Cup in USA/Canada. Working with the RFIL for a Professional Comp based in North America.

3) USARL & CRL - NGB's and seemily both unattached to any professional teams or potential professional teams and leagues.

4) Montreal, Boston & NY - The next three places on Eric Perez's hitlist to join English Leagues.

5) Philadelphia and Florida - Vague rumours that teams from here have expressed interest in joining League 1.

Important all these parties are on the same page IMO. We don't want another split..