Rugby League in Hawaii

[deluded pom?]

I stumbled across this site on my ramblings across the internet.

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/eve/1359206342.html


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9/19: New Zealand/Australia RUGBY LREAGUE (OAHU - Central/West)

Date: 2009-09-04, 4:40PM HST
Reply to: danieltauai@gmail.com [Errors when replying to ads?]




Please contact Patrick Price (808)386-7566 and he will be able to email you a copy of registration forms and all registration requirements before arriving for registration.

Registration Requirements to play rugby league ; You must be 18yrs old or older on registration day. Registration will be between 10am - 2pm September 19th At Kapolei Park opposite police station (look for sign.) You will need proof of age ie ID and proof of Permanent Residence or citizenship ie passport, green card, birth certificate. You must supply at registration, original documents for viewing and a copy of document for registration records.You will need proof of address ie recent mail. We look forward to seeing you there. Remember Commencing Sept 11 2009 Spike TV will be the first tv channel to show rugby league in America covering the NRL (National Rugby League) play offs in Australia and New Zealand. These play off games will end with the Grand Final on Oct 4th 2009 in front of some 80000 people . One team in the competition is owned by Holly woods tough guy Russell Crowe. It's going to be a fast pace, non stop, hard hitting, action packed time. Come and Register!!

Aloha Everyone-
We are happy to say that Hawaii Rugby League Football Association is finally taking the field. We are a non-profit governing sports body coordinating all aspects of the sport of rugby league here in the Aloha state of Hawaii, recognized by American National Rugby League. We are excited to take our first steps as a developing rugby league state of the USA and as a Polynesian Island group, in the larger Pacific Region of rugby league-playing Island nations.
We are currently based on the Island of O’ahu. We have two League teams selected to play our initial exhibition/promotional games. We are also initiating our first year of play with a small local competition of 4 clubs, all on the Island of Oahu. We are looking to utilize this first season of competition to develop enjoyment for the game, quality sportsmanship and discipline, quality players and building a strong organizational structure.
Hawaii Rugby League Football Association has specific goals of developing not only quality players as good health ambassadors from the sport of rugby league but we are seeking to grow our leadership base over the next five years. We realize the importance of grooming our young athlete leaders on the sport fields and building their organizational skills so they are able to grow in shouldering the future management responsibilities of the game and club organizations here in Hawaii.

Some of our goals over the next 5 years:

Hawaii Rugby League Football Association seeks to grow the number of quality certified coaches and sport officials here on O’ahu and on neighbor Hawaiian islands
Plan to grow the number of clubs in our Hawaii-based competition over the next five years to also include some of the neighbor Hawaiian Islands.
We are building towards a Hawaii representative club to participate in all future U.S national competition.
Hawaii Rugby League Football Association will also manage, liaise and support all games between Hawaii and other Pacific Island teams and all other touring teams visiting any or all the Islands of Hawaii.
We are committed to developing relevant partnerships in the community to promote physical health and fitness, education, family, faith, social and community well-being.

Hawaii Rugby League Football Association

Vice President - Patrick Price Ph (808) 386-7566
pprice@hawaii.rr.com


President - Sean Strickland Ph (808) 366-5006
hawaiirugbyleague@gmail.com

• Location: OAHU - Central/West
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It's dated the 4th of September 2009. I assume the first match will be taking place on the 19th. I might drop this guy a line and see what response I get.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Nice. There has been a few hints at RL being played in Hawaii over the years. There was the WAMNRL which had Hawaii as a likely starter when it got off the ground, which never happened. And there was the possibility of the Pacific Cup that was mooted for about 2002, that was going to include the USA, being played there. That was then switched to Brisbane and then scrapped altogether. But this looks more promising.

 

[mepelthwack]

This is such wonderful news!

I think it can really work.

There is a community of Pacific Islander people living on Oahu whom I suspect will stamp their influences on this competition.

Hawaiin people tend to distance themselves from mainstream America as much as they can. I think given time to grow, they will seriously take to our form of football.

I wish them all the best!

 

[joshreading]

I have never understood why the AMNRL site has not listed the contacts for areas try to get RL up and going.

It is not hard to put a page for different areas

Have all the team contacts then regional contacts eg. Chicago, Bradenton, Hawaii, LA, Dallas etc. There are groups around the US that are trying to garner interest but the primary website for RL in america does not particularly help in anyway.

Think with all the Spike coverage people from LA that see or Texas should be able to get a fairly local contact for trying to get RL up and going. In addition they should have a page encouraging and giving simple steps to starting a RL Club. (this is done on other sporting pages.)

NONE of this is particularly difficult on any level. It is simply giving people the info to grow the game themselves.

 

[coach]

Hawaii is my favourite place on the planet. Would love to see the game take off there.

The game needs to get in to the high schools.

 

[Ryan_N]

Hawaii should compete as a seperate nation as in surfing.

 

[deluded pom?]

Here's the reply I received.

Yes we've been working quietly over the last year building our working relationship with each other and AMNRL and also building and maintaining ties with friends we have in NZRL and in NSW Australia.All have been very encouraging and helpful as we are taking steps forward, so to speak.We are very clear and committed in where we are going and what needs to be done. As you've mentioned we are far removed from the AMNRL competition geographically. This is why David Niu and AMNRL has been instrumental in supporting us move towards our own local competition to help our development in the game. At some point down the road we are certainly aiming to have a Hawaii team in the North American competition.


As far as Hawaii playing other National teams. This is something that HRLFA has been very clear on from the beginning.We are a state of the U.S.A but we also are an ancient island group of polynesia situated in the middle of the Pacific. We strongly identify with our fellow Pacific Island nations. They are our closest neighbours.


We also have very close family ties to many of the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia included. Therefore HRLFA has always believed that for the benefit and success of developing the sport of rugby league in Hawaii (and the Pacific Rim Community) It is crucial that we here, have our Hawaiian Islands representative team play it's Pacific neighbours as mentioned in our list of objectives.

• Hawaii Rugby League Football Association will also manage, liaise and support all games between Hawaii and other Pacific Island teams and any touring teams visiting any or all the Islands of Hawaii.

Hawaii Rugby League Football Association
President - Sean Strickland

Sean is a Cook Islander from New Zealand, and while in NZ played rugby union as a youth and later switched to rugby league to Glen Innes Falcons, Mt Wellington Warriors and after a big gap played for Pakuranga Masters rugby league, touch rugby and flag rugby socially. A graduate from Massey University in Auckland NZ, with a Bachelor Degree in Business Studies, completed a Double Major in Sport Business management and International Business in 2004. Sean had the privilege of hosting and directing a national Fm radio sport show, interviewing many different sport personalities from the Pacific, NZ and Australia including members of the All Blacks, Kiwi Rugby League,and NRL players from both Australia and NZ. While in NZ Sean served in the NZ Navy Reserves.Sean has permanently moved with his family to Hawaii and is living on O’ahu. Sean currently works for an International Security Firm and is also a member of the U.S Navy Reserves. In Hawaii Sean has reached Rugby Union coaches and players who are keen to move forward, playing Rugby League.

Vice President - Patrick Price

A native of Dana Point, California, Patrick is a permanent resident of Hawaii, where he and his family live on the island of O'ahu. He attended college in southern California where he played American football. Several years later, Patrick joined a Rugby Union club from the Southern California Rugby Union (SCRFU), where he played from 1995-2003. He served as club vice president from 1998-2000 and as president from 2000-2003. He was a player/coach from 2001 until his retirement from competitive rugby in 2003. During this time he served as his team's representative to SCRFU and in 2002 was the LAU representative to the other teams in their territory. After moving to Hawaii in 2004, he was asked to coach a local team in the North Shore area of Oahu and was elected vice president of the local area union. In 2005 he founded the North Shore Rugby Club and as head coach was instrumental in the development of not only the men's team but the boys U-19 team as well. In 2008 Patrick left the club on good terms to pursue other interests. He has a history of business successes, including 15 years of owning/operating his own business, Protégé Entertainment in California. He is currently the Hawaii Director of Operations for a California-based mortgage company, Franklin Advantage Inc. Patrick is an accomplished scuba diver and instructor who currently holds the ranking of IDC Staff Instructor from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). He is co-founder and co-owner of Pearl Harbor Divers, a retail scuba diving training and travel operation in Honolulu, Hawaii. Patrick is certain that the expertise of the individuals within the executive body coupled with the athletic talent base here in Hawaii, the Hawaii Rugby League Football Association will be a huge success.
Treasurer - Christopher Pakalani

Christopher grew up in Tonga where he played Rugby League from 1990 to 1999 including playing for the Tongan National team in 1998. The club he played for was Ha'ateiho Crusaders- this team won the championships for 9 years straight (1990 to 1999). In 1999 he moved to Hawaii and currently resides with his family on the island of O’ahu. Christopher has been a coach for the North Shore Rugby Club in Hawaii since 2005. "I am so happy to start rugby League here in Hawaii and we are all excited. We can't wait to just hurry up and start. We are very thankful for Hawaii Rugby League Football Association and David Niu from AMNRL bringing Rugby League here to Hawaii. We love to play and I am happy to help coach the young players and help start Rugby League here in Hawaii. Thank you Sean and Patrick for all you have done to make this happen.”
Secretary - Emil Wolfgramm

Emil Wolfgramm was a college student at the Church College of Hawaii (CCH), now BYU-Hawaii Campus (BYUH), in La`ie serving as their first captain of the first CCH rugby team in 1965. He retired in 1972 to serve as teacher of physics and chemistry when he moved away to the Big Island. He returned to O`ahu in 1981 and helped coach BYUH as an Assistant Coach to Dr. `Inoke Funaki. He then lead teams to 9 consecutive championships as a coach, crowned by taking a Hawaii representative team to New Zealand in 1987 and winning against the Rotorua representative team that had never lost over the previous two years. Emil’s former rugby players utilize his full rugby development system which prepares the players fully for the physical, skill improvements and tactical superiority on the rugby pitch. He brings 23 years of playing experience and 10 years of rugby coaching at the top level.

He is a zealot for the culture of rugby. He believes that Hawaii can achieve greatest through rugby league!

Hawaii Rugby League Football Association







Is anyone familiar with any of these guys?

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

Maybe a new relocation destination for the Sharks An NRL team in Hawaii backed with seppo money sounds good to me.