Rugby League In Dallas Tx, Usa

[dallas dragons]

hi,

I am interested in developing a rugby league team in Dallas. I am looking for players interested in starting an AMRL team here. I am already talking with David NIU of the AMNRl and I am determined to start up a team.

I am a former XIII and rugby union player. I played in France for 22 years ( XIII and Union ). I also played for Dallas Harlequins , a rugby union superleague team ( still currently play with them ). I do think that we have a fantastic potential downhere. I have a pitch available for training in far North Dallas . I would like to be able to put a team together ASAP. We could join the Texas Rugby Union and take part of the 7s season while we develop . There is a good base of rugby players down here with a lot of expats ( Kiwis, Australians, South Africans, Irish and Brits... , French ).

Please pass on the word and help create a team here. Dallas Dragons could become a reality .....

 

[Dakink]

Good luck....

 

[roopy]

This member is also from Dallas;

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/forum/member.php?u=5494

He is very keen on RL - and a young bloke who might like a game.

 

[Big Bunny]

I remember when rugby league was first played in Dallas, roughly around 1994. John Morgan had one of his TV league teams based there and from what I saw of it they had a pretty good crowd turnout for it. I think that with Texas being a hotbed of American football and having a lot of guys with nothing to do but play union after their college careers are over league could quickly make some progress with an initial club.

Good luck with it.

 

[BatiFan]

Very exciting news and cant wait to hear more about this development. USA looking good with news that Chicago, Boston, Phoenix, Jacksonville and now Dallas are all exploring the idea of playing rugby league. A good position for the AMNRL to be in.

Advice for the Dallas Dragons. Look to raise enough wareness in Dallas itself to look to start a mini domestic comp. Maybe only having 3-4 teams. Might even start off as 7 or 9 a side, but at least that way you can play regularly and give interested people a chance to witness the game and hopefully in the ensuing years it can develop from there. The possibilities of forming a Dallas rep side from a mini comp to go up and play a few games against established AMNRL sides would be the ultimate result in the short term. In time, as rugby league grows throughout the USA, Dallas could look to be included as a franchise team into a national AMNRL system.

Dallas Dragons, cant wait to hear more from you and best of luck.

 

[Big Bunny]

Might want to consider a different name. Dallas Dragons vs. Washington DC Slayers kind of sounds like a foregone conclusion.

 

[yankeeboy]

I would love to play for any Dallas RL team. I currently play Union for Jesuit (U19).

My team plays league during practice sometime. However, we don't really use the whole rules (we play 8-man contested scrums).

I'd love to see league kick off in Dallas.

Try contacting Quins, Dallas RFC, and all of the Metroplex players to see if they would have anybody interested in playing league.

The summer would be the best time for an RL team. It should be used as a better alternative to summer Union 7s.

 

[joshreading]

A question of Big Bunny - does anyone have any info/articles/pictures and names of the teams that were involved in the TV League?

 

[joshreading]

I have also wondered this for quite a while - why has the AMNRL NEVER put up a section on starting new teams - a 'start teams' across the USA on their site?

If you go to the US Footy site - AFL it is great what they have put up to encourage new teams and connect people. I hate AFL but they do a good job.

 

[joshreading]

Ohhh... while I am on my high horse - what about 'Metro Rugby League' ie. RL Nines - I think that would be a great way to get a comp up a going. Even if that is all there is for a few years before a full side comp goes. You can then play All Star games between combined sides a couple times a year etc.

 

[Sun_Down]

Good Luck mate, I hope this team of Dallas happens! Best of Luck again!

 

[dallas dragons]

Thanks for feedback and encouragements. For the moment , this is where I am. Ther is a practice tonight and in fact it is going to be a 7s game with a flair of Rugby league . We will certainly play 10 or 11 a side like last week. We are playing on a full soccer field. Most of the players are union players getting ready for the 7s season ( UTD, and DARC players ). Only 4 of us are committed to Rugby League. I am working on a jumper design with a US manufacturer, and also on custom made balls. The AFL comparison is excellent and to be honest with you all, I admire the way the AFL did develop in Dallas.
The Dallas Magpies have been in existence for only 7 years and they are now a real force in the AFL league in the USA. I am in fact closer to those guys than rugby union teams in the Dallas area. In fact the team was created by a former Rugby League player ( a shark fan ) who is my teamate in the Colonial Cricket Club. We are trying to do the same with with a rugby league team. In 2004 we launched a cricket team which is very competitive today in the North Texas Cricket League. 2005 is the year of the Rugby League coming to North Texas.

 

[Misanthrope]

Hearing stuff like this makes me wish I was in the US. I'd love to get involved with the AMNRL sometime.

 

[Big Bunny]

A question of Big Bunny - does anyone have any info/articles/pictures and names of the teams that were involved in the TV League?

I'll post some when I get the time.

 

[roopy]

Ian Blake is from Texas.
He played for the Tomahawks in their game against Australia and is currently playing for a feeder club for the Brisbane Broncos in the Qld Cup - which probably makes him the best performed American born player at the moment.
He came to Australia to go to Uni and learnt the game over here.

Talking of Blake - he joins up with the Tomahawks when they travel to Australia each year in the pre-season. I think it would be a good target for you to aim at to get 1 or 2 of your young players on that tour next year. It is called a 'development' tour, and it would be a great way to get some of your talented young guys up to speed with the game.

 

[yankeeboy]

Where exactly is the pitch in Far North Dallas that would be the home to the Dragons? I live in South Famers Branch, across from Brookhaven College.


Speaking of developing American RL players, where is Nate Smith playing now? His performance against the Kangaroos was sensational. Is he playing in Australia or the UK, or is he with an AMNRL club?

 

[roopy]

Where exactly is the pitch in Far North Dallas that would be the home to the Dragons? I live in South Famers Branch, across from Brookhaven College.


Speaking of developing American RL players, where is Nate Smith playing now? His performance against the Kangaroos was sensational. Is he playing in Australia or the UK, or is he with an AMNRL club?

The American guys might want to correct me, but Nate went back to 'school' to do his masters, so he is probably back in Louisville, but I do hear he will be used for Tomahawks games still.

 

[roopy]

It sounds like you guys have the makings of a North Dallas and a South Dallas team. If you can both get 17 guys together you can have a game.

 

[Tomahawk]

Roopy;

Wasn't Clint Newton born in the US?

 

[roopy]

Roopy;

Wasn't Clint Newton born in the US?

Yeah, Clint was born in the USA, but he had Australian parents and moved back to Australia before he started school.
His father, Jack Newton, was one of the best golfers in the world at one time and won tournaments in the US. At the time Clint was born, Jack was living in the US and playing fulltime on the US golf tour.