US Professional Rugby League Coming Soon!!

[Big Picture]

I suppose what I'm trying to get at is that I'm hoping for a club-based league rather than owner operated franchises. Any possibility of this being the case?

I can't see that at all. Consider your figures above: a salary cap of $800,000 and total budget of $3 million for a club.

It takes at least 5 years for a new league to reach the break-even point, so each team in the league would need to have up to $15 million behind it to be sustainable for those 5 years. The only way to get that is to sell franchises to investors with a net worth of at least $15 million, having identified solid target markets for teams to be based in that would set up appealing rivalries that would interest sponsors and broadcasters. There are many people around with serious money who want to be sports entrepreneurs, but you need a solid plan to get them interested.

It could be done for less money with a lower salary cap and expense base, but even that would need to be franchise-based. Jacksonville's budget last year was $50,000 for an 8-game season where they had to fly to all away games. That team is effectively a franchise owned by Spinner Howland and his partner; without their willingness to underwrite expenses
if there's a shortfall in revenue the club couldn't operate.

Let's say the Axemen played a 20-game season in a semi-pro league with Jim Beam Cup payroll levels. Depending on how professional their management, marketing and coaching was set up their budget would run up to $500,000 for the year. That would take $3 million in capital backing the club. For that you'd need an investor(s) with at least $3 million in net worth.

 

[roughyedspud]

well i'm be damned...

 

[roughyedspud]

oh yeah i forgot...


why settle for 8 investors with $3million when you can have 1 worth $1.6billion...


if indeed donald trump has taken his interest further?

 

[DINGb@T]

Isn't he close to filing for bankruptcy again?

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Isn't he close to filing for bankruptcy again?

Yep. Today.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE51G05X20090217

 

[fourplay]

Yep. Today.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE51G05X20090217

Trump, a very public and flamboyant figure in an industry filled with colorful, headstrong executives, said the company represents less than 1 percent of his net worth, and that "my investment in it is worthless to me now."

Mr Trump is still very very well off

 

[DINGb@T]

'Suppose he learnt from last time

 

[Brycey]

Move over NFL

Rugby league is set for its most serious tilt at gaining a foothold in the US, with officials in talks this week with NBC about broadcasting games from a new eight-team professional competition starting next year. Due to played during the North American spring and summer, the competition will involve privately owned teams in different cities each fielding 25-man squads of full-time professional players over a 14-week regular season and play-offs. There is speculation Donald Trump may become involved.

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news...74.html?page=2

 

[DINGb@T]

NBC! That would be massive.

Spring/Summer is good too as that places it in the off-season of gridiron, basketball etc (might be up against baseball?) and 14 rounds is a complete home and away season.

Still, it's 200 full time players they have to find...

Also, do you think the appearance of a professional comp will boost sign ups for this years AMNRL season? There could be plenty of union players and unwanted gridiron players who might start getting interested now.

 

[Chicago Saints]

Move over NFL

Rugby league is set for its most serious tilt at gaining a foothold in the US, with officials in talks this week with NBC about broadcasting games from a new eight-team professional competition starting next year. Due to played during the North American spring and summer, the competition will involve privately owned teams in different cities each fielding 25-man squads of full-time professional players over a 14-week regular season and play-offs. There is speculation Donald Trump may become involved.

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news...74.html?page=2

Aside from the NBC mention there doesn't seem anything in there that hasn't been speculated on already. Can't get the link to work though - has it been removed? That's a big jump from no coverage of Rugby League to NBC!

 

[DINGb@T]

Looks like they've updated the USNRL site with 3 small sections on history of the game (a very poor history) as well as a basic run down of the rules and details about the upcoming season.

Not much new there but a few things- it says playing squads of 22 players, they're holding tryouts across the country in summer/autumn, there's a definite emphasis on 'best players from around the world' and mention in the rules that there's 4-6 substitutes and, get this:

GAME LENGTH
80 minutes - 4 x 20 min quarters

!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Picture]

Looks like they've updated the <A href="http://www.nrlus.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>USNRL </A>site with 3 small sections on history of the game (a very poor history) as well as a basic run down of the rules and details about the upcoming season.

Not much new there but a few things- it says playing squads of 22 players, they're holding tryouts across the country in summer/autumn, there's a definite emphasis on 'best players from around the world' and mention in the rules that there's 4-6 substitutes and, get this:

GAME LENGTH
80 minutes - 4 x 20 min quarters

!!!!!!!!

To get the games on NBC, they obviously have to accomodate commercial breaks since NBC has to sell advertising to pay for the broadcasts. To get Americans into the game, they need to have all the commercials during stoppages in play so the viewers don't miss any of the action, just like every other sport they see on TV. I can foresee the clock being stopped when the ball is dead and re-started when play resumes.

 

[coach]

Move over NFL

Rugby league is set for its most serious tilt at gaining a foothold in the US, with officials in talks this week with NBC about broadcasting games from a new eight-team professional competition starting next year. Due to played during the North American spring and summer, the competition will involve privately owned teams in different cities each fielding 25-man squads of full-time professional players over a 14-week regular season and play-offs. There is speculation Donald Trump may become involved.

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news...74.html?page=2

I will be very surprised if this was to happen. The above link has been deleted so I think that tells us a whole lot about the accuracey of the story.

NBC had the perfect opportunity last year when Souths and Leeds were in Florida. Even with Russell Crowe promoting the game none of the TV networks and that includes NBD touched it.

While I would love for a professional competition to kick off in the US what has been mentioned here will not happen. If I didn't know any better I would swear its April 1st.

 

[coach]

I checked the AMNRL website and the USNRL gets a mention there as coming soon. But considering how rarely that site gets updated (they are still talking about 2008) I am not sure how current any news appearing there is.

I get the impression this is all a put on.

 

[Chicago Saints]

I will be very surprised if this was to happen. The above link has been deleted so I think that tells us a whole lot about the accuracey of the story.

NBC had the perfect opportunity last year when Souths and Leeds were in Florida. Even with Russell Crowe promoting the game none of the TV networks and that includes NBD touched it.

While I would love for a professional competition to kick off in the US what has been mentioned here will not happen. If I didn't know any better I would swear its April 1st.

The USNRL website almost discredits the rumors flying around. I don't doubt the AMNRL board have something in the pipeline but the website for nrlus.com looks amateurish at best. How is this supposed to entice big hitting investors?

 

[Paullyboy]

Can't see it happening

 

[Coastbloke]

Well, it's supposed to be in Spring / Summer of 2010, so that's, what March....??

I doubt that NBC would agree to broadcast a virtually unknown sport on their FTA channel..It's just too expensive there...

On the upside, if the US managed to get a 8 team 'fully professional' RL competition fully funded by privateers, that would turn the WC2013 qualifiers on it's head..

US Sports science would be utilised in which case, they would be able to beat the likes of Sth Africa, Jamaica, Cooks, Scotland, Serbia, Lebanon with ease..

Might give Samoa, Fiji or Tonga a fright if they don't stack their squads with NRL players as well...

 

[krudmonk]

Interesting wording, or maybe I'm reading too deeply:

The NRL will field teams comprised of the best rugby players in America, and from around the world.

No mention of codes, just "rugby" in general. I suspect some poaching.

 

[RedVee]

Hope it gets up, and that we get the games down here on Fox.
Downside is another pressure on the Oz NRL in keeping players. If our guys are willing to play Rugby in Japan, I'm sure some would have a crack at League in the US.

A question though, 8 teams to be spread over the contiguous States? some fair gaps in between! I know currently the RL seems to be an East Coast thing (like Australia!) - in my mind I think of places like Arizona and Texas as being "Rugby League towns" - any thoughts guys, what about places like San Diego or San Francisco ?

 

[Coastbloke]

They say that San Francisco is the gay capital of the US, so I'd say it's a soccer town...