US Professional Rugby League Coming Soon!!

[roopy]

What do you think will be the reaction of the Evil Empire :evil: to the news of this proposed professional Rugby League? :?: Surely they are aware of it, and may be ready to strike back. My impression is that they see the US as a "sleeping giant" :sleeper:, with many potential followers to take over to the dark side. We can't allow this to happen. May the Force be with Rugby League. :f:

Union has carved out its niche in America and they can't break out of the mould.
Most of their players quit the day they finish college, and it is always going to be a game for guys who can't play American Football and like getting drunk more than playing.
League has to distance itself from Union in the US, or risk being branded a joke sport.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Message to Pat Croce:

Comments: Hello Pat,

You are rumoured to be linked to the start up of a professional American Rugby League competition in 2010. Is this a substantiated rumour and can you tell me more on the project?

Regards,

XXXX

Reply was

Thanks for your email. Contact David Niu at dniu@nrlus.com for any info.

 

[Copa]

http://www.google.com.au/search?q="@nrlus.com"&hl=en&start=10&sa=N


http://www.advance.org/en/dir/587/

NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE: Sport New York in Aston PA 19014
For more information contact David Niu at dniu@nrlus.com or Marc Cerceo at mcerceo@nrlus.com. For Additional Information, Please Contact: David Niu ...
www.advance.org/en/dir/587/ - 28k - Cached - Similar pages

 

[joshreading]

Yeah that was where I got my first info from. The response does tell you he is atleast aware of what is happening.

Atleast there appears to be the contacts to make it a chance.

 

[joshreading]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tlg/1089773772.html

 

[DINGb@T]

Yeah, I think I'm convinced.
But let me qualify that...

I'm convinced League in America is about to take a big step forward. Just how big and how sustainable that step will be is still up for debate but I'm thinking that we're gonna see a new front opened in League's world of professionalism that should benefit the game immensely wether it's up there in lights or just a good solid domestic competition that slowly builds the game in the US. From what I've seen the new comp wants to be part of the World League community, not just an exhibition sport, and it looks like it has a plan, a sense of business strategy, good corporate connections and acheivable expectations. I'm a little surprised to be honest but it looks like it's gonna be a decent little package. Very tidy.

Saying that however I'm pretty sure we (the World League public at large) will probably have to adjust our expectations. I think they're doing it the American way, which is sensible, and they will definitely add some new aspects to the world of Rugby League wether they mean to or not and we're just gonna have to enjoy the quirky difference of it all when compared to the British/French or Australian/Kiwi versions of the game.

As for the expats- I dont know if they're actually going to go looking for overseas sourced players. If they're holding draft camps they may just let overseas players come to them rather than go chasing for them. At least that's what the website suggests. If they get a whole lot of expats coming over then fine but I get the feeling they're just going to open the gates to any 'athletes' that want to play and see how they go. This could lead to an ecclectic mix of players, and perhaps not the standard of competition we're all envisioning whereby they start scalping the Darren Lockyers and Rob Burrows of the other 'professional' comps. I suppose it will all depend on wether word about the potential paychecks get out and wether they'll be big enough to entice overseas players to make the expensive flight over to try their hand. If there's no rumours the risks may be too high and you'll get no one bothering to go over. If someone starts high rumours though...

And the involvement of that Croce guy seems to be a bit of a boon for League. He seems to be the sort that would respect the game from the perspective of the athlete rather than say the tv exec or marketing company if his background in physical training is anything to go by. I could easily see him getting into the game because of its athletic qualities and then trying to bring it to America because of what it is- a tough, fast, hard game that American athletes and fans can apreciate. And the wording of the website kinda backs that up. Having him on board should be good.

But perhaps the most interesting thing from the stuff available is perhaps the way they'll be placing League in the American sporting landscape. It's definitely not challenging gridiron but instead riffing off gridiron's place in American culture by essentially becoming the 'oldschool' gridiron, like some sort of primordial version of the game Americans all know and love before it became big business. In a way it will be supporting, and being supported by, gridiron which I think is a great place to be.

In fact I can picture the marketing campaign now- a thickly fog covered landscape, Gaelic in appearance, and out of the mist (as if stepping out of a much older age) walks a group of rough, strong, vaguely ancient looking Celtic, Aboriginal and Polynesian League players who take up a patch of turf and start playing League with all its big hits and running (shot in a way to show it's uncannily like gridiron... but not quite). Several gridiron players (on their way back from training in uniform carrying their helmets and padding?), intrigued and bemused, wander over to watch this 'ancient' game from a distance seeing the hard running etc. After a few shots of the game the League players stop and wordlessly look at the gridirons players (the Americans). Lined up opposite them the League players look the Americans up and down, see that they're big tough athletes like themselves, and, in an act of athletic brotherhood, the League player with the ball hands the lead American the old and worn League ball as if to say 'you're worthy. Join in'. At this point the gridiron players show the League players their helmets and padding as if to say 'Look we're ready to play- we've got helmets and pads'. The League player looks at the helmet handed to him then looks at the others confused; the gridiron player who was handed the ball looks at them as if to say 'What?'. Then 'he realises'.
Next shot is the gridiron players (Americans) playing League with the others, sans padding and helmets, taking the big hits and giving them back just as hard. They're playing the game as equals, just as tough and just as athletic.

Fade out to black screen with prominant NRLUS logo and the caption:
'Same strong heritage, but a different game.
Rugby League has come to America.'


Grandiose I know but I got a major in creative writing, a Bachelor in Popular Culture and I'm not afraid to use it when the mood takes me.

 

[***MH***]

I just jizzed in my pants

 

[taipan]

They said we couldn't have a pro game of rugby league in the good old USA, as the game is only played on the east coast of Oz and a couple of English counties.
I say categorically " yes! we can", with apologies to the President.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

This was posted at TRL

http://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=169332&st=0&gopid=1721903&#entry1721903

"The American National Rugby League is getting ready to kickoff it’s twelfth season. In what shapes as being the most exciting and significant year in the development of the sport of Rugby League in the USA, a number of major announcements are to be released.

The news of a developing professional tier of rugby league that will be managed in support of, and in conjunction with the AMNRL has the rugby community in America and abroad buzzing in anticipation. Detailed information of the NRL America’s plans to present a national professional television league is to be released shortly, and fans throughout the world of rugby league look forward to developing news.

Associated to the progress being made with presenting professional rugby league, the AMNRL Club competition will welcome the addition of the Boston 13s RLFC to the domestic competition. The Boston club will be making an official announcement, along with an unveiling of the team uniform and club website in the coming weeks. The expansion of rugby league into the New England region is further proof of the growing footprint of rugby league development in America.

The USA Tomahawks will be preparing for a number of 2009 internationals, with plans developing to play home and away internationals against Jamaica along with interest from a number of Pacific Island nations to tour the USA also.

The AMNRL will announce the 2009 Schedule in early April."

 

[Ike E Bear]

I immigrated to Australia from the US when I was almost 10 in 1986.

I arrived in Australia in August and before the end of the season I was an Eels fan (not much to cheer about since hahaha).

Rugby League had massive and immediate appeal to me and my education in the game was quickly provided by a father who loved the Rabbitohs and family friends who worshipped at the altar of the Balmain Tigers.

I think it's all about the collisions. Rugby Union just doesn't have the same dynamic, and won't appeal to a broad audience in the US (in my opinion).

If the Americans promoted the toughness of the game first and foremost I think it would find an audience - and players - in the US.

I wish these guys every success. It's exciting.

 

[RL1908]

That "old school" point I think is the way to quickly get the idea of RL across to an American.

I've got no insight into what is happening in the USA at the moment, but here is something that I wrote (in a slightly modified form) back in 2007 for the North American pre-publicity of "South Side Story".

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]American Football (Gridiron) and Rugby League [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sean Fagan of RL1908.com [/FONT]​

In comparing American football (gridiron) and rugby league, legendary coach Jack Gibson summed it up as: "Same game, different rules".​

Both codes were born from amateur rugby union in the last quarter of the 1800s, forging themselves into the 20th century's ball-carrying professional football codes.​

Modern "football", in all its forms, has its roots in the Public Schools of 1800s England - each school and town had their own unique variations in rules.​

Most allowed handling of the ball to varying amounts, but all shared the common objective of kicking the ball through the posts to score a goal.​

Like-minded clubs formed alliances to codify their preferred football laws - soccer in 1863 and rugby union in 1871. ​

American football began with the laws of rugby union in the 1870s, before quickly evolving under the mentoring of Yale's Water Camp, into a distinctly different form of ball-possession based football.​

Rugby league was first played in England in 1895, then in Australia and New Zealand in 1908, after rugby union players, dissatisfied with the old English regime, struck out and formed the world's first professional rugby-based football code and club leagues (25 years before the NFL was founded in Canton, Ohio, in 1920).​

While American football reduced its teams from rugby's 15 players a-side to 11, rugby league went with 13. ​

Both games soon removed the rugby union rule which called for a scrum, maul or ruck after every tackle, replacing them with the "scrimmage" and "play-the-ball". ​

Both codes evolved into becoming games based on maintaining possession and advancing territory.​

Rugby league today has much in common with the rawness and spontaneity of "old school" American football - the footballers play both offence and defense, wear minimal protection, have six "downs" to advance the ball, and re-start play with a "play-the-ball" - a stream-lined version of the line of scrimmage. ​

The primary objective in rugby league is to carry the ball across the opponent's goal line to score a try (the equivalent of a "touchdown").​

In simple terms, rugby league is American football devoid of the forward pass, while having much more frequent lateral ball-passing between team mates.​

American football and rugby league – footballing brothers.​

Source: http://www.RL1908.com/History/gridiron.htm​

 

[taipan]

I think one of the advantages is the 6 tackle rule,which the Americans for this exercise is easily translated to what they use in gridiron as "downs".
From what I have read,when the rabbitohs played a trial over there at Jacksonville,the locals who were interviewed described it fast,cool and the hits were wicked.
Playing in 4 qtrs as did the old Amco Cup,provides the essential advtg time.
I hope this goes ahead and is successful.There has been so many false dawns in the US.One with Mike Mayer.
We had a SOO played on the West Coast years ago,but in typical rugby league fashion,there was no follow up.

 

[***MH***]

I think we're due for SOO again in USA. It would be a good way to kick off pro-rugby league in the US. Where would you play it?

 

[Big Picture]

Playing in 4 qtrs as did the old Amco Cup,provides the essential advtg time.

You're mistaken there. When American football is televised, there are commercial breaks between quarters and after every scoring play and after most changes of possession. They never miss a single moment of the play either, which is also the case with every other sport shown on TV in this part of the world. To fit the model of televised sports in North America, I predict they'll have to stop the clock every time the ball goes dead and points are scored to allow enough potential commercial breaks in the broadcast. It should work OK in a 2-1/2 hour time slot.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

That "old school" point I think is the way to quickly get the idea of RL across to an American.

I've got no insight into what is happening in the USA at the moment, but here is something that I wrote (in a slightly modified form) back in 2007 for the North American pre-publicity of "South Side Story".

I saw that on the NRL US site. You're getting around mate.

 

[Dave The Maori]

That "old school" point I think is the way to quickly get the idea of RL across to an American.

I've got no insight into what is happening in the USA at the moment, but here is something that I wrote (in a slightly modified form) back in 2007 for the North American pre-publicity of "South Side Story".

love your work on this rugby union website bro . especially the natives tour to uk .

http://www.colonialrugby.com.au/

 

[photomarv]

DINGb@T,

Very nice on the marketing campaign feature!

 

[krudmonk]

You're mistaken there. When American football is televised, there are commercial breaks between quarters and after every scoring play and after most changes of possession. They never miss a single moment of the play either, which is also the case with every other sport shown on TV in this part of the world. To fit the model of televised sports in North America, I predict they'll have to stop the clock every time the ball goes dead and points are scored to allow enough potential commercial breaks in the broadcast. It should work OK in a 2-1/2 hour time slot.

Soccer here has not made way for added commercial breaks so I doubt RL will have to. The reason American sports do it is because there's no significant, existing, international standard.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Bah, who says the games have to be live anyway?

We've had delayed games out here for years so all the networks can pump their ads.

 

[deluded pom?]

Bah, who says the games have to be live anyway?

We've had delayed games out here for years so all the networks can pump their ads.

Exactly Parra. I'd hate to think that a live game over there could last up to two hours because of adverts.