Rugby league to have a crack at the US market
Roar Rookie
By Carl Unger, 8 Apr 2009 Carl Unger is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- National Rugby League, Rugby League
For the past few weeks, there has been a bit of buzz amongst the rugby league online community about a possible televised, fully professional, and nationwide American rugby league competition ready to be announced in weeks.
This new league, called the National Rugby League, will start out consisting of eight privately owned teams spanning the East Coast to the West Coast.
It appears they will be using stadia built for the MLS.
So far only small amounts of details have slowly leaked out through the official website, which means we are still left with many unanswered questions.
Where is the money coming from? How will they get crowds?
Despite this, there is no questioning the potential of marketing rugby league to an American audience. It is perfect for television. It’s more like American football then any other code of football: it’s quick, end to end, and a hard hitting sport with excellent camera angles, especially in those close try decisions.
Another big thing is talent.
There are many highly skilled athletes who get rejected and don’t make the NFL. This is the kind of talent that rugby league could take advantage of.
There is a big chance that this thing could flop, just like Pro Cricket and the XFL. But, if successful, it could be huge.
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Brett McKay said | April 8th 2009 @ 9:07am | Report comment
seriously, they’re calling it the National Rugby League?!?! I’m sure I know that from somewhere already…
Albert Ross said | April 8th 2009 @ 9:32am | Report comment
This is the exact same model that Mike Meyer mooted for the ill fated USRL in the late 1970s – particularly the idea that there are masses of frustrated American Football players jumping out of their skins anxious to play some sort of body contact sport. There doesn’t seem to be.
Arena Football which is even closer to American Football has failed to capture a realistic market.
And one would imagine in wash-up from the GFC that US tax authorities are looking to shut off any remaining loopholes that was the sports franchise rort.
True Tah said | April 8th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
“Despite this, there is no questioning the potential of marketing rugby league to an American audience. It is perfect for television. It’s more like American football then any other code of football: it’s quick, end to end, and a hard hitting sport with excellent camera angles, especially in those close try decisions.”
Why would Americans suddenly drop a game they invented, have an emotional attachment to for a game which you are arguing is very similar, without the infrastructure in the US? American Football is more than just the NFL, many non-Americans probably dont appreciate how strong the game is at college and high school level.
The RL should focus on building grassroots, the US RU has starting doing this in recent years, it will not make them a world power by 2011, but in 10 years who knows? At the end of the day, probably many of the guys playing league or union in the US will also be playing American football as well, and neither league or union can offer a college education or the $$$ of the NFL, but hey if the rugby codes can help these guys achieve that, then I would be happy with that.
Art Sapphire said | April 8th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
I think this scenario is just as plausible – Rugby league to market crack in US.
Get those NRL boyz down in the hood. If successful, it could be huge beatch!!
Dave said | April 8th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Wasn’t April 1st last week?
Add Rugby league to the long list of sports ready to crack the US market such as Cricket, Rugby Union etc
Art
Funny LOL
Luke W said | April 8th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
It would take the ultimate optimist to think this competition has any real chance of penetrating the US market. Look at the MLS. It was created on the back of the most successful World Cup ever (in terms of attendance and revenue both injected and created) and after 15 years it is still not a major sporting code in the US. I understand that this new NRL will use its physicality to appeal to NFL fans, but that is something both rugby league and rugby union have tried and failed.
I really think this competition will be a case of too much too soon. Rugby league should start with more of what South Sydney did in the pre-season by playing some trial matches over there and just exposing the sport. I don’t have the answer to rugby league’s expansion into the USA, but I really don’t think this is it.
Midfielder said | April 8th 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Good luck to them but the question I ask … would you invest any money in it….
Michael C said | April 8th 2009 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Surely niether Rugby code is distinct enough from NFL. And, NFL as we know is derived from Rugby. It’s too similar which means it would be perceived as a direct competitor.
Soccer on the other hand is not so much a direct competitor (i.e. totally different sports, totally different body types, game play etc). That competition is more distinct, where as the Rugby codes might be percieved as trying to carve into the NFL market segment.
I still reckon a Gaelic, or Aust footy or the like could actually ‘break out’ in the US because it would fill that yawning chasm between NFL and MLS that – perhaps is inhabited by basketball, but, not all people are 7 ft tall!! For plenty of reasons, a rectangle field game has a greater chance, unless one day cricket DOES take off.
oikee said | April 8th 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
All i know is that rugby league has to go professional in America. The Tomahawks have history over there and can ride the wave of support off the back of this. Lets face some facts, there is no=way gridiron is ever going to become a world sport.
Theres not enough steriod takers in the world to support this.
So world cup rugby and rugby league is something they need to pursue. As someone mentioned they have a good rugby culture already, but league will be the best way to fast track there interest. A less complicated game for the yanks to enjoy and get them watching with interest. Having the game telecast is the best way forward, if they get interested then maybe some NRL action from here in OZ will get them hooked and into learning about there own history in the game. Thing about league is they have a history in world cups, we can grow more interest off the back of this, come Union world cup, they will want to win both. Good for both codes i say.
Dont forget another possitive, in swimming they have a good rivalry going with OZ, so trying to beat us at our own games are massive incentives.
Crosscoder said | April 8th 2009 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
The thing about rugby league ,it translates to the Yanks a hell of a lot more ,with the 6 tackles and the simplicity compared to the retinue of rules that rugby union has.
Anycase already 5 franchise out of the 8 have private backing. 4 west 4 east teams in 2 conferences.
the programme set out as follows:
2009 NRL pre draft camp.
day 1 Fri Oct 9
day 2 Sat Oct 10
day sun Oct11
2009 inaugural NRL draft
fri Nov 7
2010 NRL season kickoff
fri Mar12
2010 NRL regular season
mar 12 to June11
2010 NRL playoffs
June 18 and June 25
2010 NRL championship final
Sun July4 Philadeplphia
NRL coming announcements
television partnerships
NRL team operators/owners
NRL team head coaches
NRL team locations
NRL reality/documentary seriesto introduce the game of rugby league ,its rules ,theassembly of the teams,and the recruitment of the players.
David Niu (AMNRL) CEO has been planning this for at least 6 years,claimingthere will be the knockers from outside the country but he has some influential Yank on board.They will not be targetting gridiron players who miss the cut,but current rl and ru players and college athletes.
Mike Meyer who tried to set one up years ago tried too soon,without any infrastructure in place,nor the willingness of people in the main to buy franchises.It is therefore hardly the same model as the current one.
The simple fact is there are rl teams already playing in the East and the 11 teams in the AMNRL will act as a feeder to the franchises fo a starter.
I repeat they are not targetting gridiron players who miss out.
If anyone needs to get an idea of rls appeal to the yank man in the street,suggest they see and hear the comments of American people who attended the jacksonville game when Crowe was on hand.
Of course nothing is guaranteed in life,but a fellow by the name of Balachandran a former New York lawyer involved with the NY Port authy and involved in the AMNRL ,is a typical example of the peopl e involved in the game.
Dave
This has been in the pipeline for more than 6 years ,hardly an April 1st joke.
The usual knockers comeout of the woodwork,none surprising.