I watch a lot of rugby in California, and also get to see quite a bit of American football at college and NFL level. Generally speaking, rugby is a growth sport in the US and is supported, monetarily, far better than powerhouses like Fiji and Samoa.
Rugby in the States is played all across the country – from NY to Hawaii, and from Florida to Alaska – and the development people are doing a great job at all levels – grade school, junior high, high school, and college – in both the mens’ and womens’ game.
Nigel Melville who, for those who may not know his name, is an ex-captain of England, and an ex-TV commentator for the BBC, is now president of US Rugby Operations based in Boulder, CO. and seems to be doing all the right things.
Where Nigel has made a difference is perhaps in recognizing that this is a sport foreign to Americans, and not easily learned if you’re not brought up in the game, so he’s instigated a big coaching program – that is, coaching for the coaches.
He recently had 100 coaches from all over the US attending classes in Hartford, CT, at which some officials from the SH enlarged not only on the basics and advanced techniques, but on the ELVS variations as well. The coaches then went back to their various jurisdictions and spread the word.
There’s little problem in getting a fine womens’ team together as there’s not much pro competition from other sports unless you know how to wield a tennis racquet or a golf club. That’s one reason why the US women will challenge at the Dubai World Sevens in March, the first sevens world championship for the ladies.
The potential for American mens’ sevens is enormous. Not so long ago, at the three US Olympic Training Centres (Colorado Springs, Lake Placid and Chula Vista), over one thousand male athletes were timed at 10.2 or even better, and 90% of them weighed around 200 pounds (91 kilos).
If just 10% of them could be inveigled into trying rugby, that’d be a hell of a base from which to shape a sevens team once they were taught how to pass and tackle rugby-style, and, of course, the tactics of the game.
But they’d have to be willing to devote oodles of time, be able to travel, and accept livable but minimal money, and that would cut down the base considerably. But, as it is, the US will still field a formidable team in Dubai, a team that will include, last I heard, the rocket from Zimbabwe, Takudzwa Ngwenya. (For those who missed his copybook in-and-out against Brian Habana, you can catch it on youtube.)
But the picture changes for the 15-a-side game in the 2011 RWC. If you can’t make it in the NFL – 32 teams each with a roster of 53 players – you can try the lower-paying, way-less-attended Canadian League, a similar game only with three downs instead of four.
If you can’t make it there, few are attracted to rugby mainly because few Americans make big bucks as pro rugby players. You can join a club and maybe advance to the semi-pro level if you learn the game fast enough, but unless you’re a player capable of successfully crossing over, like Dan Lyle and a handful of others did, or are super-talented like the above mentioned Ngwenya, you’re not going to get an international contract. So the Eagles are a team of mainly semi-pros (supported in part by the IRB and US Rugby) who’ll be playing the majors in the Big Show.
SPIRO – if Mr. Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, is serious about making the quarters of the 2011 RWC, he should, IMHO, maybe think about getting Charles Saatchi to sell one of his throat-gagging Damian Hirst pieces (recently, Hirst preserved an entire white bullock in formaldehyde, coated the horns in 18-carat gold, and sold it at auction for a cool $18 million) and donate the proceeds to Rugby USA.
Then Nigel Melville could attract some huge, fast guys who’ve been cut from their NFL teams. But that would still leave just two and a half seasons to learn how to play rugby at international level, and that wouldn’t be enough time. However, if things keep on track in the US, it’s conceivable the Eagles could make the quarters in RWC 2015.
JAMES MORTIMER – As an Aussie, I’ll freely admit that, with certain exceptions, radio/TV sports commentary has never been an Australian forte. Maybe it’s an inbuilt suspicion of the show boat, the dislike of the unhumble, I don’t know. But it’s left us with a legacy of no-talent microphone bores.
I listen to somebody like Joe Buck over here in the States who not only calls NFL games on Fox, but also handles baseball commentary. He never stumbles, has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of both sports, and of the players on the field or the diamond, and tells you something of interest all the time. What a difference to “What went on in the scrum then, Kearnsey?” “Awww, I dunno. But sumpthin’ was goin’ on.”
And good for you for writing the IRB. We should get up a campaign to choke their inbox with complaints at their ham-fisted approach.
WHO NEEDS MELON – as for which two sports have the most affinty, I’d say tennis and golf. Laver used to play off 2, Ivan Lendl was good enough to get a pro ticket, Scott Draper can par his home course, and years ago, US and Wimbledon champ Ellsworth Vines played on the pro tour and came within a few strokes of beating Hogan and Snead. The experts say that many tennis players easily make the switch because a tennis backhand is very similar to a golf swing.
JERRY –Not only was James Naismith born in Canada, he lived there for 29 years. When he came up with basketball, in Springfield, MA, as you correctly point out, he was still a Canadian citizen and didn’t become an American citizen till age 64.
Be careful. If you claim basketball as an American invention, Ottawa may send a gunboat.
WESTY – Excellent piece of League history. A pick-up team of ex-NFL players came out to Sydney circa 1950 and played a League team. The Americans were, of course, well beaten, but the Leaguies went home black and blue from the Yanks’ thunderous tackling.
Incidentally, Lombardi may have been great, but he was loathed by just about everybody who ever played for him. I have stories about Lombardi.
THELMA AND TRUE TAR – I saw Lawrence Taylor play a couple of times for the Giants in the late 80’s. A sensational outside linebacker. However for me, and a lot of other fans who go way back, Dick Butkus of the Bears was the ultimate linebacker. He was a monster, a bone breaker who terrified the ball carriers. You probably saw the Ravens’ Ray Lewis in last Sunday’s playoffs. Guns on him like thighs, and he’s fast. But he’s a pale shadow alongside Taylor and Butkus. THELMA, I’m sure we’d all love to read your Ruck Utopia. You have a solution?
DUBLIN DAVE – Swift, Goldsmith, Wilde, Beckett and you? You must have been the odd man out.
COSMOS FOREVER – There is a rugby play in some NFL teams’ playbooks but I haven’t seen it for years.
It’s a series of slightly backwards laterals to eligible receivers as they sweep right or left.
Incidently, rugby borrowed a play from the NFL – the flea flicker. The ABs used to use it with Jonah getting the offload on the reverse.
NashvilleCat
Guest
This is a link to video of a piece about an East Los Angeles youth rugby program which ran on the American Broadcasting Comapny news program "Nightline". The story is done by Nightline host and British expat Martin Bashir: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=5399059&page=1
Westy
Guest
Peta Foxtel have enough trouble getting ratings across the board broadcasting Super 14 (eg.if the Waratahs have a bad year kiss Australia's ratings goodbye) let alone some B grade American rugby. This is not an attack on you or your proposal which I have some sympathy. What it is is a complete failure to understand where rugby sits in the Australasian market place . Super 14 games get outrated by both AFL and NRL and what was even more disconcerting is sometimes by U/20 Toyota Cup in rugby league.Gridiron at times gets reasonable ratings. this is not some television conspiracy. This is Paytv not free to air. The reality is in Australia and even in NZ rugby people seem to have a strong habit of watching some rugby league games and other sports in competition with rugby.. There are some good rugby players in the US and in its college system. However some people always see what they want to. Its overall standard and depth for a television sport makes Sydney club rugby look professional.
Norm
Guest
American Football & Ice Hockey beat US Rugby anyday.
Peta Oahu
Guest
If we truly want to talk US Rugby, let's get Foxtel to air some - and get rid of Foxtel's free-bee American Football, which is taking up time and space at the expense of Rugby Union. And ice hockey?? Come on guys, Give Foxtel an earful. Canadian Rugby is a force - let's have some of their CTV network and CBC footage? If we dont demand it guys, Foxtel will be broadcasting Canadian Football next! Canadians can't play American football. It's a different game. That's why the US is dumping their footage on Foxtel to promote it as an international sport. The Canadian Football field is a different size plus they have different number of 'downs' etc etc. Their big contest each year is for The Canadian Grey Cup. And of course, ice hockey is their religion.... So let's write letters - do something guys. Get this American footbal and ice hockey off our screens; and pressure Foxtel to spend some time and effort into airing rugby instead. We're talking to the converted. Write to the Minister....?
Gatesy
Guest
just today, over at my website (click on my name above) , I published a post (actually borrowed one from an article) - that talks about Rugby in high schools in Los Angeles - you can see that there is a groundswell - if you look at one of my earlier posts about Scott Johnson looking to be a part-time USA coach while still coaching the Ospreys in Wales, you can see that that ignores the huge task that the National Coach has ahead of him. What a fantastic development opportunity that they have - but if I were them, i wouldn't be pitching it at the pro side of things, but continue to develop it as an amateur ethos, with the fun and camaraderie aspect high on the agenda , and then get into the schools, where you can develop the grassroots. What has always been lacking in North American Rugby is that grassroots development, because most guys have traditionally 'discovered" the game in College, when it might be too late to develop the fundamentals. My reading of the tea leaves, (I scan all of the Rugby Sites through Google Alerts) tells me that the groundswell is picking up. I don't think they'll make it in time for 2011, but 2015 might be a different story.
Andrew Logan
Guest
Monty - do you have any contacts or details of the programs in LA etc? If yes, I'd be interested. You can email me at andrewglogan@bigpond.com Cheers...
Monty String
Guest
ANDREW – good to hear from you. While I’m sure we see eye to eye on the marvelous production values of Sturges’ Bad Day at Black Rock, we’re perhaps a little further apart when it comes to the game of sevens. To refer to your analogy, I don’t believe a ranked sevens team collectively needs the amazing talents of a Schumacher or a Prost, both of whom could shave a cigarette while cornering at a speed of 220 clicks. I’ll grant you that instinct plays a big part. The Fijians have enormous success at sevens, but are perennial also-rans at the 15-a side game. The Kiwis, on the other hand, excel at both games, so what do we conclude from this? Why, after all these years, have the ABs mastered the forward game, but the Fijians haven’t? Does it just come down to coaching, or is it more than that? A discomfort with structure perhaps? To learn the ins and out of 15-a side, with its technical scrum and lineout, its cleanouts and breakdowns, attacking and defensive kicking etc, is a very long study, but I don’t believe you need lifelong exposure to rugby to forge a good sevens team. England, SA and the Argentines came very late to sevens. They never used to feature at Melrose or HK, but now they’re genuine threats with some big wins under their belts. The talent was there, their unions just had to get on board, and then the teams had to learn how the game is played, which they did. I see quite a bit of high school rugby over here, plus Canada 21s versus the All-American college team, plus the US Hawks and Falcons in the North American 4 Series, and the forward play is just about always so-so. But when the ball gets out to the backs, bang! zoom! It’s much closer to what they know. Much closer to American football as played at college level where the run is king and deceit and disguise play a major part. I believe that given the proper instruction, and enough games against quality opponents, a US sevens team won’t dwell in the cellar for very much longer. Re. Tod Clever. Todd was a laser beam from the start. Outstanding at high school and college, he’ll learn a lot in SA. He’s six four, 215, and there are a lot more like that where he came from. TRUE TAH - You're right about troubled teens taking up rugby over here. In gang-infested East LA, and East Palo Alto, there's a big program under way to get the kids involved, and they are getting involved and loving the game. No expensive shoulder pads or helmets needed. And the macho aspect of rugby gives them street cred.
matta
Guest
yeah, to assume just because people are big and quick will make them good at Rugby (7s or otherwise) is silly...
Andrew Logan
Expert
Monty....some good points made. The US has perennially been the "next big thing", but it hasn't happened yet. Regarding the raw athletic talent, there is no doubt about the resources the US has. Lifelong exposure to skills is, in my view, very underrated in this argument. We often speak of "just teaching players to pass rugby style" as though it is like teaching someone to drive. There is a big difference between teaching someone to drive so that they make it to the shops, and teaching someone to drive so that they are capable of winning a Formula 1. The level of skill required to compete at a world stage in Sevens is massive, and instinct/option taking under pressure is where the USA fall down in my view. I say this as someone who had a very close look at the IRB Sevens last year. One of the consistent standouts for the USA last year in Sevens and also at the RWC2007, was Todd Clever. He started the try against the Springboks where Ngwenya dusted Habana. He has a contract this year with Super 14 cellar-dwellers the Lions based in South Africa, so keep an eye on him. Compare his skill level in Super 14, and remember that he is a standout for the USA. That gives a good insight into where they are at. My tip is that Clever will go pretty well - he is hyper-committed, a great trainer, manages injury well and is fast and durable. His skills though are nowhere near a George Smith, or even a Stephen Hoiles. This is what the USA battles with. They need kids playing at elementary school level and playing rugby right through. Very few college athletes will convert successfully. Even late high school is getting a bit late. Cheers...
Midfielder
Guest
The Cougar Get Bush involved and you RU is sunk LOL ... but good article good to see some real money being spent as well.
True Tah
Guest
Monty the key area where rugby is growing in the USA is at high school level...a few years ago, rugby was hardly played at all in the US high school system, now it is being introduced, and many young African-American men are taking up the game in the inner city areas, as a compliment to football and basketball programs. Historically both rugby and futbol have struggled to get African-Americans involved in their games to the same extent as basketball and football, as both are perceived to be the white mans games. Realistically, I can't expect these guys to reject an offer for college football (that is if they are good enough) and beyond that the NFL, as for many it is the only opportunity to get a further education. However, I would like to think that if they dont get offered an NFL contract, they might consider playing rugby in Europe/Japan/Australia/South Africa/NZ - whilst we may be effectively getting NFL "rejects", there would many gems to be uncovered. It wont happen by 2011, but give this system at least 20 years, and the US will be beating the likes of Japan and Scotland on a regular basis, and maybe pushing for a quarter final place at the World Cup.
Lindommer
Guest
Biarritz, in the French Top 14. Check their website: http://www.bo-pb.com/comp_equipe_detail.php
The Cougar
Guest
Nice insight Monty. Maybe now that George W Bush - who apparently played rugby at Yale - is out of a job, he can spend his time developing rugby union in the States... US Rugby at the 2011 World Cup: Operation Shock & Awe! By the way, where does Takudzwa Ngwenya play his 15-man rugby now?