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Rugby's lesser leagues provide opportunity abroad

17th February, 2013
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Japan's Daisuke Ohata. AP Photo/HO, Japan Rugby Football Union
Roar Guru
17th February, 2013
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While domestically the opportunity to crack professional rugby are fairly limited, with a meagre five Super Rugby franchises to choose from, international opportunities for young players to carve out a living from the game are expanding.

We are all at least somewhat familiar with the big four leagues in Super Rugby, Aviva Premiership, Top 14 and Pro 12 and many fully aware of the emerging Top League structures in Japan.

Astute rugby fans will know of the options in Italy and the lesser tiers of both English (Championship) and French (Pro D2 and Federale 1) that complement the major competitions, but what of the newer fresher rapidly establishing leagues that are currently growing, particularly in Europe?

Here’s a glimpse.

The obvious ‘new’ league would be the Russian Professional Rugby League.

After early teething problem the RPRL is finding its feet moving on from an East/West conference structure to overcome the immense distances needed to be traveled in order to compete (second only to Super Rugby), the RPRL has now consolidated its structure to a home and away schedule and expanded its number of teams from originally eight to 10 and now 12.

Already the league looks to its eastern European neighbours for talented to strengthen its squads but unbeknownst to many, as the budgets of these clubs continue to expand into the millions of dollars, their appetite for talent to elevate the overall standard and competitiveness of the league is growing rapidly.

Romania proved stern competitor prior to the fall of communism only to fall away alarmingly steeply in the 20 years following.

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Numbers were massively down and their domestic structure a little haphazard.

But of late the Romanian national squad has witnessed a surge in competitive standards, helped largely by the re-structured and re-launched Romania Rugby SuperLiga.

A professional structure heading into its third season has been pivotal in the national teams rise from mediocrity.

Receiving pleasing and increasing media support and coverage the league is already witnessing foreign talent from outside of the eastern bloc plying their wares.

The third and probably most surprising is Division De Honor in Spain.

While still very much a mish mash of amateur, semi-pro and even professional players the Division de Honor has been witnessing sustained growth over the past five season that has allowed more and more Spanish players to begin to earn even a modest wage from the game.

Above are the three lesser leagues that many may not be aware of that offer opportunities to young players to get paid to play and experience a different culture.

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Players like former Randwick player Danny Kroll can and have in his instance found the chance to play this great game in a country no one would have thought possible.

In the next few years these three could be very well joined by one or even two North America Pro Leagues currently in the works.

So, while opportunities here in Australia look sparse, if you do a little digging the opportunities for good young players are growing each season without any signs of slowing.

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