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It’s hard to tell what is the greater highlight. Surprising everyone by making the quarter finals of the Rugby League World Cup, or being immortalised in song by The Wiggles.
(Not to mention having your face engraved onto Mount Rushmore).
But for USA Tomahawks’ back Taylor Welch, who will take on Australia in Wales on Saturday, growing the game back home might just be the side’s biggest achievement.
“It will be good for rugby league back home. There’s already rumours that there will be more international games, with France on board to tour the USA [next year],” Welch said.
The performances have already started to build awareness of the side, and rugby league itself, in NFL-obsessed America. Welch, who turns out for the Connecticut Wildcats in the American National Rugby League (AMNRL), knows that success is the best way to boost awareness of the side.
“Any publicity for the sport is huge, and it’s great that the newspapers are starting to cover games,” Welch said.
“There’s a lot of people working very hard behind the scenes to build the game and get some big sponsors on board.
“I think as a nation Americans would get behind rugby league more than rugby union (due to its similarities with American football). We have come here to help raise the game in the States and we are doing that.”
After surprising the French in the warm ups, the Tomahawks went on to beat the Welsh in Wales and a Cook Islands team full of NRL and Super League talent. In their final pool match they went down narrowly to fellow RLWC surprise packets Scotland.
The Tomahawks overcame a severely disrupted lead-up, which saw them go through three coaches in less than three months. But current coach Terry Matterson has managed to get the side together and playing for each other.
“Terry’s done a great job to get us together as a team,” Welch said. “Personally I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew some of the players were coming from the NRL but we didn’t know how we would bond as teammates.”
As for taking on the might of the tournament favourites, the Kangaroos, Welch said the side isn’t getting concerned about their opponents – probably a good thing considering he is expected to be marking Greg Inglis.
“If everyone’s on the same page and everyone’s trying, the scoreline is gonna come. [As for Inglis] hopefully I can sneak past him for a try.”
While the side hopes to upset the Kangaroos and go all the way to the final, Welch also hopes the increased exposure will help him gain a new Super League contract. Welch previously played for Warrington in 2008.
“We are all humbled to be here in the quarter finals. It’s definitely one of the amazing Cinderella stories [of the Cup].”
The Cinderella story is even more Cinderella-like considering many players have saved for the trip and most will finish out of pocket.
While the Rugby League World Cup final may have little chance of overtaking the Superbowl anytime soon, the Tomahawks (and perhaps to a greater extent, The Wiggles) have given rugby league a boost in the US of A.
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