Souths vs Leeds receives funding boost

[miguel de cervantes]

A snippet of news from the Daily Jacksonville Financial News website

The TDC also approved a $25,000 grant to help promote the Jan. 26 rugby match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs of Australia and the Leeds Rhinos of England at the University of North Florida. Daryl Howland is the owner and general manager of the Jacksonville Axemen, the local rugby club that will serve as the host club for the Rhinos and the Rabbitohs. Howland said through very little promotional work — primarily that of Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe making appearances on Monday Night Football and “The Jay Leno Show” — ticket sales for the match are going well. “Without any major public relations, we have sold over 2,100 of the 9,300 available tickets,” said Howland, adding that 631 have been sold outside Florida, 576 in 38 other states and 69 in seven other countries.
Howland said he expects both a big international crowd as well as an international media presence.
“I am confident both the United Kingdom and Australian press will come over for the event in person,” he said, adding there will be a press conference the day of the match at the Landing.
Howland said Jacksonville is rapidly becoming the home for rugby in the United States. He said an Australian police team has talked about coming to Jacksonville to train.
“If the match is successful, I believe Jacksonville could become the site for future (international matches). Jacksonville has the infrastructure and the history,” said Howland. He also said he has partnered with the Jaguars. Through that partnership, the Jan. 26 match is being marketed through the Jaguars’ marketing list. “This is a way to put their brand into the international countries.”
Howland was asked what Jacksonville was getting into with the Rhinos and Rabbitohs. He explained that Crowe grew up an avid Rabbitohs fans and bought the team in an effort to restore it to its glory years.
“Basically, he makes movies to fund the Rabbitohs and his band,” said Howland. “Leeds just won the equivalent of the Super Bowl. It’s one of the most high-profile rugby clubs in the world. There was a large spike in ticket sales after they won the championship.”

 

[Spitty]

Wow. I really hope this gets off the ground and helps the brand grow in america and around the world. Not real happy they keep saying, "Rugby" but at least they're talking about it.

All hail King Russell.

 

[majorblack]

. Not real happy they keep saying, "Rugby" but at least they're talking about it.

All hail King Russell.

I think that is a really valid point as we should be distancing ourselves from rugby union as much as possible and pointing out the similarities with gridiron/football. Hopefully they could see RL as a great alternative as most americans will already know how $hite Union is.

 

[fourplay]

Daryl Howland says he wants to promote it as a "rugby" game and not specifically rugby league.. which is very sad.

 

[roopy]

Daryl Howland says he wants to promote it as a "rugby" game and not specifically rugby league.. which is very sad.

The AMNRL has shown the formulae of a comp made up of union players playing league in their off season is the best way to kick the game off in America. He has people, most likely Union or 'rugby' fans coming from all over the country to see this game, proving very few Americans have an anti league bias.
I hate union as much as the next man, but it is the way to go in America where anyone who follows Union was probably brought up following american football and has shown they will give a new sport a chance.

 

[fourplay]

The AMNRL has shown the formulae of a comp made up of union players playing league in their off season is the best way to kick the game off in America. He has people, most likely Union or 'rugby' fans coming from all over the country to see this game, proving very few Americans have an anti league bias.
I hate union as much as the next man, but it is the way to go in America where anyone who follows Union was probably brought up following american football and has shown they will give a new sport a chance.

Oh ok that makes sense...smart... I take back what I said !:thumb

 

[Sam_the_man]

I hate union with passion but i think you have to remember that the vast majority of Americans have no idea that there are two rugbys and for no i think it's best to get them watching the game before we start to educate them.

And also why can't we ride of unions coat tails for a change, they do it offen enough to us.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

We do ultimately need to seperate ourselves from union though to show we are a different (better) game. To reach the level we want to in the US we have to become bigger than union currently is so just attracting "rugby" fans is not nearly enough. We have to attract a broader range of fans and showing them that league is a great product will naturally mean distancing ourselves from that boring crap otherwise it will hold us back.

 

[deluded pom?]

The AMNRL has shown the formulae of a comp made up of union players playing league in their off season is the best way to kick the game off in America. He has people, most likely Union or 'rugby' fans coming from all over the country to see this game, proving very few Americans have an anti league bias.
I hate union as much as the next man, but it is the way to go in America where anyone who follows Union was probably brought up following american football and has shown they will give a new sport a chance.

But you're assuming that they are American "rugby" fans roopy. Who's to say that they aren't Aussie or Brit expats who are taking the chance to watch two first class sides playing in America? It's not unfeasable to imagine two and a half thousand expats attending this game.

 

[roopy]

But you're assuming that they are American "rugby" fans roopy. Who's to say that they aren't Aussie or Brit expats who are taking the chance to watch two first class sides playing in America? It's not unfeasable to imagine two and a half thousand expats attending this game.

True - and i remember reading some years ago that California has 200K ex-pats from league playing areas in that one state (100k from Aus alone and many more poms and a good number of kiwis), so ex-pats are definately a viable market in the US.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Another tack.

Have any of you thought what the impact might be of Leeds smashing South Sydney?

I suspect that Leeds will win by at least 20 and it will be no contest in the second half. So there will be little drama in the match, if past form is any guide (though past form may not be a guide in the preseason). That is the down side.

The upside is that Leeds will play attractive open rugby league, and they -- particularly Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire -- will likely dazzle the crowd with their attacking play. On the other hand I imagine that Roy Asotasi will make some strong runs and tackles, and the crowd will enjoy that, and the crowd will get behind the Rabbitohs because of Russell Crowe and because of an American affection for Australia.

 

[Big Picture]

But you're assuming that they are American "rugby" fans roopy. Who's to say that they aren't Aussie or Brit expats who are taking the chance to watch two first class sides playing in America? It's not unfeasable to imagine two and a half thousand expats attending this game.

They key is to attract fans of American football, by showing them a faster-paced counterpart to the game they already know with more plays, offense, tackles and touchdowns. A statistical comparison between the two games would be a good thing to put in the game program.