International United States Rugby League

[gostk86]

FAST forward to America's Independence Day, 2010. Fireworks light up the sky, The Star Spangled Banner blares around the field - and a game of rugby league breaks out. And not just any game, but the first US Grand Final featuring players who are household names in the NRL.
This isn't a pipe dream, it's going to happen, with a US professional rugby league competition to be announced within weeks.
After almost 40 years of trying, rugby league is about to kick off in the Land of Opportunity.
Competition commissioner and former St George halfback David Niu told The Daily Telegraph that the US league would kick off on March 12 next year and the championship final would be played on July 4, Independence Day.
It will involve eight teams from eight different cities and each club will have a 22-man playing roster for a tournament to be played over 14 weeks - seven home games and seven away matches.
Franchises are already set for Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Jacksonville and Boston.


"We want to build a comp and we might only have one chance here to develop a professional game," Niu said.
"It would give players the chance to play league outside Europe.
"We would be looking at players towards the end of their careers, players who have maybe been internationals. We could offer a new experience. They could help grow a new sport in a different country."
Niu believes attracting top-level coaches from Australia was crucial.
"We want world-class coaches," Niu said. "The players over here have tremendous raw talent but some of the skills are missing. But there are athletes everywhere."
Brian Lowe, from American Rugby News, believes rugby league would be a hit in the US after rugby union's failure to break into the market.
"The fact of the matter is that while league possesses all the qualities the football fan craves, it's also a much faster game with fewer stoppages," Lowe said.
"Although those purists might not like to hear it, rugby union is way too stop-start, it's way too over-officiated, and it has become a kick-fest. Rugby league, on the other hand, offers end-to-end action, big hits, and for the most part is played at breakneck speed."
Bulldogs halfback Brett Kimmorley would love to play a season in the US.
"A lot of blokes would jump at the chance to play in America," he said.
"It would be awesome."

They've done the right thing with 8 teams in 8 cities. The rivalry in sport in the states is city vs city.

Other bits have to be worked out like sponsorship and how the competition will be funded and also a salary cap, quota of international players etc, but this is a huge step for the game.

 

[CumberlandsAshes]

They've done the right thing with 8 teams in 8 cities. The rivalry in sport in the states is city vs city.

Other bits have to be worked out like sponsorship and how the competition will be funded and also a salary cap, quota of international players etc, but this is a huge step for the game.

Pat Crose, a former president of the Philadelphia NHL side and Commissioner of a 'made for TV' sport called 'Slamball' is apparently one of the brains behind this. It appears that, as it is in the UK and Australasia, it will be funded by television money - and probably marketed as some kind of similar 'extreme' sport (if you look on the Slamball website http://www.slamball.net/ you'll see a lot of stuff about "hard-hitting action" etc. all things which are in common with RL marketing parlance.)

Aside from this I don't think much else is known by anyone outside of the AMNRL circle - though it is real and pretty exciting.

EDIT: Here's the website for the competition http://www.nrlus.com/

 

[Tex_21]

It sounds a little like the spin which accompanied the launch of hockey's WHA in the early 70's, and that was moderately successfull, with some aspects which were total failures (Miami Screaming Eagles-classic example). For what its worth, I hope it gets off the ground.

 

[gostk86]

Promotion should involve a few NFL players..a great quote from Sean from RL1908 is Rugby League and NFL..brothers in arms.

I think its exciting for the game and cant wait to see what news comes next.

Philidelphia has adopted the rabbitohs colours and already have buddy partnerships with esl clubs and french national team

 

[CooperCronk]

We shouldn't make light of this because if this was an afl site, people would be very excited.

Certainly going to keep an eye on hows things pan out...well done to all concerned.

 

[scotty88]

I think rugby league, out of all the sports in the world, has a better chance at being successful in the States coz of the similar traits it has to American football. The concept of advancing the ball by gaining "yards" also applies in rugby league, they're both very high contact sports and the actual fields look very similar. The fact that the season wont coincide with the NFL season means that they wont really be competing against each other. I reckon it would be treated as a novelty the first time round but as or if it continues year after year, I think people will be more passionate about it.

 

[Exe Gesis]

....

 

[gostk86]

Looks like they wont go with a LA based team

Dallas will be as far west as the comp will spread too with most teams on the east coast.

New York
Philadelphia
Jacksonville
Boston (New England)
Washington
Miami
Chicago
Dallas

Are teams that most likely

Cleveland
Charlotte
Tampa
Pittsburgh

Places as well Id say are possible

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Read all about it Here

 

[gostk86]

i was way off with a few teams lol

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I be happy if they averaged 2,000/4,000 to start off with if it gets off the ground.

Last I heard, all they are waiting for is the Lawyers and TV executives to put pen to paper

 

[CumberlandsAshes]

There's an interview with one of the people behind the scenes of the NRLUS in this month's Rugby League World magazine. The juicy bits are detailed in the LU thread linked in post #9.

 

[0497]

Don't discount the NewsCorp's influence. And there must be enough current or former college (they don't get paid to play) gridiron players to make it work. Both gridiron and RL have similar histories; both are repackaged from rugby to make it simpler. Simple rules, little start up costs. Good luck.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

On LU and a couple of other sites they are stating David Nui as saying they are expecting a crowd average of between 5k and 10 each match straight away

 

[ManUtd]

That article is an insult to Americans. Rugby union didn't take off because it was too stop start? I would love to know how gridiron is considered fast and free flowing. People have to understand that just because something is supposedly "hard hitting" or "fast" or "high scoring", it doesn't mean it will have any impact on the crowd thats watching it.

I won't mock it until it starts up and has a few weeks behind it, but I fail to see how this will gain any traction. A sport with zero history in any given country is doomed to fail. Soccer is carving out a niche for itself, but there would be no way it would still be running if there wasn't some form of history or allegiance to it through its European or Latin American connection, and high participation rates.

Nonetheless, if it does get up, then thats sensational news for rugby league.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

That article is an insult to Americans. Rugby union didn't take off because it was too stop start? I would love to know how gridiron is considered fast and free flowing. People have to understand that just because something is supposedly "hard hitting" or "fast" or "high scoring", it doesn't mean it will have any impact on the crowd thats watching it.

I won't mock it until it starts up and has a few weeks behind it, but I fail to see how this will gain any traction. A sport with zero history in any given country is doomed to fail. Soccer is carving out a niche for itself, but there would be no way it would still be running if there wasn't some form of history or allegiance to it through its European or Latin American connection, and high participation rates.

Nonetheless, if it does get up, then thats sensational news for rugby league.

No history?

What have those local teams been playing for the last 12 seasons?

 

[ManUtd]

Fantastic, those local teams. There are lawn bowls clubs in Melbourne too. When I say history, you know exactly what I mean. And I won't elaborate on that.

 

[CooperCronk]

Fantastic, those local teams. There are lawn bowls clubs in Melbourne too. When I say history, you know exactly what I mean. And I won't elaborate on that.

Got to start someway I guess....and good luck to them.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

That's their beginning so it's their history.

 

[CumberlandsAshes]

but I fail to see how this will gain any traction. A sport with zero history in any given country is doomed to fail.

I take your overall point - but the USA is the kind of country where you can find a niche in the most unlikely of places.

It's a big, diverse market - with certain sports with no particular history in a region sprouting new and successful franchises (ice hockey and lacrosse away from their traditional heartlands). Also, think of the new wave of extreme 'made for TV' sports.

Sure, there are lots of challenges (potentially insurmountable) but also huge opportunities and lots of sporting ogranisations and franchises there are taking advantage.

Nonetheless, if it does get up, then thats sensational news for rugby league.

It would be fantastic to see, yes, but if it doesn't happen then the game will continue to live without it.

 

[CumberlandsAshes]

Full interview with David Niu from Rugby League World about the NRLUS...

http://www.nrlus.com/nrlnews/23-rugbyleagueworldarticle