Probably the most in-depth article on the topic Ive seen. Some really interesting and positive benefits to the local leagues in the US...not just for Sydney Roosters gain. Even the sponsoring of match officials will hopefully help us get to the point of having consistent refereeing, great news.
Fantastic!
So much potential’: Roosters eye fringe NFL players in historic new USA partnership
Kyle Robbins from Fox Sports
June 14th, 2024 1:42 pm
Rugby league’s American expansion has continued, with the Sydney Roosters announcing a three-year strategic partnership with USA Rugby League (USARL).
Fresh from opening their 2024 season with a victory over the Brisbane Broncos in Las Vegas, the Roosters immersion in the US market is set to continue in the coming years.
The club are targeting the signatures of America’s supreme athlete market, particularly those who fail to reach the professional sporting world in other sports, especially American football.
As part of the partnership, which sees the Bondi club act as USARL’s game development partner for the next three years, the club will:
– Establish the Roosters West Coast Rugby League Academy
– Sponsor the USA Men’s and Women’s national teams
– Be the major sponsor of the USA National Elite Youth Team
– Sponsor referees for the USARL domestic competition
– Have their logo on every ball used in training and matches in the USA’s domestic competitions
Additionally, coaching staff from the Roosters will attend West Coast Rugby League Academy camps hosted several times a year, providing support and assistance to local Academy staff.
Roosters CEO Joe Kelly said the club are “extremely excited to partner with USA Rugby League.
“This landmark agreement presents a unique opportunity to expand the reach of rugby league and share our expertise in game development with a passionate and growing rugby community in the United States.
A core aspect of the partnership is the potential for the Roosters to lure US athletes who fail to make college and professional sporting programs in popular American sports, such as American football, into the NRL.
USARL Chair Matt Goschnick explained as much, stating: “This collaboration will create unprecedented opportunities for both male and female athletes, establishing a clear pathway for those involved in or aspiring to join the sport.
“In the US, only 6.8% of male athletes and 9.5% of female athletes transition from high school to NCAA college programs. Moreover, just 3.06% of men and 0.8% of women reach professional sports,” he said.
“This partnership with the Roosters offers these athletes a chance to pursue their dreams of becoming professional athletes through our programs.
“Our goal is to see players from this program secure NRL contracts in the coming years.”
Already, the Roosters have signed a pair of American stars, including the first North American NRLW player, Liz Tafuna. In addition to Tafuna, Michael Woolridge, winner of the NRL’s first combine in Las Vegas earlier this season, has signed a training contract with the Bondi outfit.
Woolridge’s deal, which is a full-time deal that sits outside the salary cap, runs until the end of 2024 and allows the former College defensive back to train with the club, and potentially impress them enough to make an NRL debut in the near future.
Woolridge’s contract exemplifies what the Roosters could gain from their USARL partnership, with Kelly admitting the club envisions reaping rewards from the deal, though not for some time.
“The numbers are staggering, there are one million college football players. This leaves thousands and thousands of extremely talented athletes that are looking for an alternative once they finish college,” he said.
“We are taking a long-term view, but we are confident that we will see US athletes make their way to Australia eventually and play in the NRL and NRLW with the Sydney Roosters.”
Alongside their partnership with the USARL, the Sydney Roosters will enter a team – named the LA Roosters – into California’s six-team Pacific Coast Rugby League Competition.
Roosters chairman Nick Politis confirmed the team has been formed with one eye on attracting some of America’s fine athletic talent across the Pacific and into the Bondi club’s systems.
“We see this as an exciting long-term opportunity not just to grow and develop rugby league in America but to provide openings for tens of thousands of great athletes that don’t always make it in the NFL of college football,” Politis said.
“It is a serious investment into an area where no NRL club has ever been.
“Who knows what can be achieved in the long term. There is so much potential.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...l/news-story/8e30b9d5c1db443f973175dd3cb0a3b1
