Toronto CEO predicts super league $$ turnover greater than NRL in the coming years

[Stormwarrior82]

Don’t get me wrong Perez seems to do an amazing job and is clearly smart and knows what’s he’s doing. It’s great to see someone making stuff happen. Maybe a RLIF job is his future. The Australian market however is a completely different beast and I think anyone would get pulled back a peg or 2, even Perez. Let’s hope he keeps going because there clearly must be a market over there for league.

 

[Coparugby]

New York wants in
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/ne...n/news-story/a29d346f2d7fa60b9f1f1fe2f04aadb0

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

New York wants in
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/ne...n/news-story/a29d346f2d7fa60b9f1f1fe2f04aadb0

And apparently Perez has nothing to do with this one...

Bit of competition between the North American RL franchises will be great. Each should push the other to improve

 

[Coparugby]

And apparently Perez has nothing to do with this one...

Bit of competition between the North American RL franchises will be great. Each should push the other to improve

Some info on who they are would be good. Perez did groundwork for years leading up to the Wolfpack but these guys have done nothing and want to go straight to a great stadium with a completely unknown sport.

 

[T-Boon]

New York Bears

 

[Perth Red]

New York Bears

Stallion will be happy lol

 

[no name]

Stallion will be happy lol

No, no, no, the team colours are all wrong.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

About time Rugby League really took off in the Americas

 

[Jatz15]

He was referring to the near future, not today.
Today he has live nation wide broadcasts on both pay tv and the Canadian equivalent of our ABC, 7000 plus crowd and and Airline sponsor.

On a podcast an official with the Wolfpack recently that companies in the UK have also invested around £250,000 into the club to try and get North American exposure for their companies.

Interviews on some of Canada’s biggest sports shows.

Publicised attendance by political leaders.

Weekly Canadian media attention during the season in a wide range of Canadian publications.

A queue of millionaires wanting to invest in more professional teams.

Yet you’ll still write that because AFL has a few dozen unknown pub teams in Canada it is well ahead of rugby league?

No, I agree RL has much more money, and is much more organised than Australian football in Canada. However, its long term success depends on growth and public support. Neither is guaranteed, and they are coming from a long way back. Australian football in Canada is very much park sport, but participation numbers stack up well to RL.

I dont think adding more money and organisation to Australian Football in Canada is going to make it a success, and I do not think that RL in Canada, in having more resources and organisation is any likelier to be a success, if you judge success by what is talked about here.

By more realistic standards of success, it already is a success.

 

[POPEYE]

If it’s successful (a big “If” too) then they won’t be after just players from the NRL. They’ll want coaches and other staff too.

They'll need established coaches more than they will established players. If the game catches on the mind boggles, the consequences almost beyond imagination . . . might ask my doctor if he's into Cryonics

 

[titoelcolombiano]

If Perez continues his successful moves then north American rugby league will recruit more quality Aussies and turn the NRL into a feeder league for the north American clubs.

Then maybe the NRL will wake up about the need to expand in NZ and PNG, not to mention Perth.

This is actually no joke for the NRL. All it takes is one game changing TV deal in North America. Perez is already speaking about 6 clubs within 5 years all with financial backing to be self-reliant and not require central funding from the RFL. If interest really takes off paying an athlete $500,000 to $1M in the North American sporting market is nothing - even for a niche sport. The NRL's hand will be forced by Rugby League, not by Rugby Union. Bring it on. Whatever makes the game grow.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

This is actually no joke for the NRL. All it takes is one game changing TV deal in North America. Perez is already speaking about 6 clubs within 5 years all with financial backing to be self-reliant and not require central funding from the RFL. If interest really takes off paying an athlete $500,000 to $1M in the North American sporting market is nothing - even for a niche sport. The NRL's hand will be forced by Rugby League, not by Rugby Union. Bring it on. Whatever makes the game grow.

If both Toronto and New York are very successful (and Toronto is almost there) then there will be no stopping rugby league growth in the USA. Watch out for plans for Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

 

[Perth Red]

If both Toronto and New York are very successful (and Toronto is almost there) then there will be no stopping rugby league growth in the USA. Watch out for plans for Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

Lol,could we eventually see the SL dream become a reality. Global big city league?

 

[Chook Norris]

Forgive my negativity here, but isn't everyone being a bit too optimistic and unrealistic here ?

This is rugby league we're talking about here; a sport which has suffered constant mismanagement. If this Perez guy doesn't stuff up there are a million other ways to screw up the American teams.

Such large and quick growth being talked about but I think people need to be a bit realistic.

I don't see league in America launching into anything big anytime soon.

 

[Pedge1971]

They'll need established coaches more than they will established players. If the game catches on the mind boggles, the consequences almost beyond imagination . . . might ask my doctor if he's into Cryonics

Yep RL needs purists, the rough crowd, Golden Girls and Ann Frank. All on viagra please...

 

[Canard]

This is actually no joke for the NRL. All it takes is one game changing TV deal in North America. Perez is already speaking about 6 clubs within 5 years all with financial backing to be self-reliant and not require central funding from the RFL. If interest really takes off paying an athlete $500,000 to $1M in the North American sporting market is nothing - even for a niche sport. The NRL's hand will be forced by Rugby League, not by Rugby Union. Bring it on. Whatever makes the game grow.

6 clubs in 5 years with players on $1M salaries.

I think your in for some massive letdown mate.

Its great that everyone is keen, but a little bit more realism is needed.

 

[POPEYE]

6 clubs in 5 years with players on $1M salaries.

I think your in for some massive letdown mate.

Its great that everyone is keen, but a little bit more realism is needed.

C'mon ol' mate, get with the swing, could be the greatest pisstake in RL history

 

[Stallion]

If both Toronto and New York are very successful (and Toronto is almost there) then there will be no stopping rugby league growth in the USA. Watch out for plans for Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

As rugby league is not mainstream in most areas of the world it does deserve long overdue recognition and presence. These pioneering efforts are to be embraced and welcomed for a code that deserves much more relevance and presence than it has to date.

 

[POPEYE]

If both Toronto and New York are very successful (and Toronto is almost there) then there will be no stopping rugby league growth in the USA. Watch out for plans for Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

If North America does take over RL because player offers will be too good to refuse the US not making the Soccer World Cup should give Australia a ray of hope . . . we still might remain top of the tree

 

[Coparugby]

Forgive my negativity here, but isn't everyone being a bit too optimistic and unrealistic here ?

This is rugby league we're talking about here; a sport which has suffered constant mismanagement. If this Perez guy doesn't stuff up there are a million other ways to screw up the American teams.

Such large and quick growth being talked about but I think people need to be a bit realistic.

I don't see league in America launching into anything big anytime soon.

I’m happy to just sit back and enjoy the show. If they succeed it’s great, if they fall at least they tried.

RL doesn’t have to be big in the US. A small niche sport in the US can still bring in great money.

When I lived there they had remote control car racing as a televised sport in addition to a large range of other sports making money off TV.

There are more sports and more money these days and they only have to capture a small share to get decent money.