How powerful could American rugby be?

Ian I actually saw that whilst watching the Eagles vs Canada match on the 4th of July. Not bad.

WCR Came across this short promo om the IRB web site http://www.irb.com/mm/Video/Tournament/0/usarugbyball_8757.wmv

WCR That would be nice. I am the faculty advisor for our university men's and women's teams.. Their closest competition is 220 miles away for the women and 140 miles for the men. $$ is a huge issue.

American Football is probably my second favorite sport (go Packers & Crimson Tide). aside from 200 million Americans, it must be just me.....

Oz I never said it had a large presence, only that it was one. In was listening to US Rugby Chat on heavensgame not too long ago about Rugby and the NCAA. Interestingly enough the conclusion of USARugby using its Olympic status to fund College programs came up. Sounds like a solid option. Someone was saying being an Olympic sport in the US could open up as much as $50 million of funding annually. Which would be a good start.

WCR, Fair enough, but 5 NCAA programs in different divisions does not mean much. There is no provision to provide any particular women's sport. I work at a Division 1 university. We just started a women's soccer team to meet Title IX requirements. They could have taken almost anything - including rugby which already has a 33 year history here. aljay's point was that the NCAA does not allow scholarships. They have no control if you are not part of their system. The 5 women's programs could probably have 30 women on scholarship if they had the $$. If there is a limit you just throw in some more on academic scholarships. You can have as many as you can pay for - with or without NCAA permission - in any sport. Most schools cannot afford the sports they have right now. They have trouble earning a penny from so-called 'minor' sports, i.e., anything but football and basketball. Even football and basketball are problematic for all but the top 100 schools. Regardless, they find numerous ways to subsidize all of them so they can say they have full programs that qualify them for membership in the conferences they play football/basketball in.

there's also www.rugbymag.com. probably more US college rugby though

Ian I visit that site regularly. And it does put everything into context. Very informative too.

WCR/Kurt You both might be interested in this site http://www.americanrugbynews.com It seems to give unbiased views and news on rugby as a code including League. Probably puts League into some form of context, in spite of Oikee's continual OTT comments.

I was referring to sports that are official parts of the schools' athletics programmes. But I take your point that these schools have clubs - mind you I also discovered that somewhat surprisingly NC State and UNC both have Aussie Rules clubs too, although they don't appear to have active fixture lists.

Really? I looked at the Athletics programme websites and none of them mention rugby, and in my travels around the various campuses I've never seen nor heard of rugby teams or pitches. But I stand corrected.

It would be an interesting team to run out but some thing needs to be considered. Those huge props would have to lose a good bit of weight. American football is so structured that these guys automatically no where they need to be to make things happen and the QB has alot to do with that. In Rugby the structure is alot looser and they would have to make their own space. Which would be a far more difficult test. In regards to their speed. It in yards. Which isn't that different but when you convert it to metres their speed is no more impressive than many professional Rugny player currently. In the end they'll form a big forward pack likely very similar to the South Africans. And a pretty hot backline. You'd definitely have to be on your game, if not they could inflict alot of pain.

Jez Thanks for the insight. I keep a keen eye on the happenings involving Rugby in the States. But it difficult to gauge some things from afar. I look forward to that day when athletes of the likes of LeBron James run out in an Eagles jersey. I don't think they'll dominate the way people think. What they will bring is a new level of athletism, which would benefit the game as a whole with everyone else working to reach the same level. They'll be very competitive but not all dominating.

i just dont understand their obsession in nfl. how one can watch a complete game is beyond me..

haha, so much like football in the UK then?

WCR, While I agree with most of what you say - particularly that the future of American rugby will surely grow through the colleges, and that the whole set up would massivel benefit from proper college championship. However, your argument that college rugby is already "far stronger" than the RSL is simply not accurate. The NY Athletic Club team narrowly lost to Cal in their first trial game of the season (Cal was 3/4 of the way through theirs) and Life did not win the RSL comp (they lost the final), even though they were allowed a dispensation to the number of foreigners who were allowed to play. Moreover, Life University is not considered a "college" team in the American sense as most of the students are post-graduate chiropractic students. And with regards to LeBron - I'd love to see it, but I worry that in 50 years the US could become so dominant as to turn international rugby into international basketball...

Probably - or they might just set a new standard. Wingers were mostly little quick guys until Jonah changed things, and forward play was a very different thing only ten years ago. The game evolves, but the one constant is that a good big man will beat a good little man even if the definition of good moves on.

I had a look at the link and saw problems from the word go. Props as tall as Victor Matfield and locks heavier than props. But interesting nonetheless. The backline looked ok, the biggest issue being cardio fitness, no-one weighing 140 kg's would last the distance in a test.

Oz Rugby is a NCAA sport. There is a rule in College sports in the States that every male Collegiate sport must have a viable alternative for women. The NCAA uses Womens Rugby as it alternative for women to Gridiron. Which would explain why they are reluctant to allow the men's game in. As for establishing programs. The funding USARugby should be able to attain thanks to the IOC's decision could make proper Rugby programs viable within the near future.

aljay; The NCAA has absolutely nothing to do with US Rugby. If I have enough $$ I can underwrite a team of 100 players at any school I choose. No regulation at all as long as they qualify for academic admission. They can all be foreigners as well. The only real issue is age and prior post-secondary education. So far no one has stepped up with the money.