Will we ever see running backs switch to rugby?

Rugby desperately needs exposure on television in America to both develop a fan base and inspire kids to want to play the game. With the demise of Setanta USA which was in only a tiny fraction of homes in the US, the rugby programming rights (Guinness Premiership, Magners League, Heineken Cup, Super 14) are now with Fox Soccer Plus which is in an even smaller fraction of homes in the US. The leadership running the GP, ML, Heineken Cup, and Super 14 need to find a basic cable channel with wide distribution to run a game-of-the-week from each round of competition. Super 14 would be ideal because the entire competition is conducted during the American Football off-season when Americans are hungry to watch some tackle football. The leadership at USA Rugby should be pushing for this as well.

Its funny because California is the Rugby strength, whereas Florida is Rugby League's strength. I honestly believe both codes need to strengthen a heck of a lot before they go professional. But I think they can help each other out. Imagine a rugby 7's or rugby league 9's competition with all the teams playing a super week/weekend in the strongholds, like a biannual competition. So once in Florida and the other time in California, than they can also move it to Texas, or New York. The money made is divided evenly amongst the organisations, the winnings to the clubs but the organisations have to use a minimum of 60% for grass roots, and the other 40% for advertisement of both their league and the event.

I think the first thing that needs to be done is drop the divisional labels including the Super League. You are right that many of the best teams don't play Super League and some are not even D1. Teams are forced to play at various levels because of money or geography. It doesn't have much to do with the quality of rugby. By dropping the labels, we can start to create some density in certain regions and assess where teams really are. After a season or two, a new division structure can be worked in for the teams that really just want to play socially and the hyper-competitive teams. Maybe mix in a little promotion and relegation. As for the top level stuff, I would like to see USA Rugby (or whoever) establish regional teams. Six to eight regional sides that have contracted, paid coaching staff. Maybe even throw some money at the players. Keep them together for a few months. As the amount of talent grows, you could expand to more teams. I certainly don't have all the answers and considerations for the senior side of the game is not really my focus. I coach high school rugby and my feeling is that USA Rugby (or whoever) needs to put all there eggs into the youth basket. College athletics are big business here in America, so tapping those already existing fans basis is an easy way to popularize the sport with the mainstream American audience. If you have a ton of experienced high school athletes filtering into big name college programs, you fall into a model that Americans understand. No matter what the sport, people will route for their favorite college. After the game is popularized, people will want to watch the athletes out of college and it will be easier to establish as professional game.

Matt, what do you think is the appropriate Elite level to develop U.S. rugby. California is one of the strongest rugby areas in the U.S., and Belmont Shore is a multiple Super League Champion, stacked full of Eagles, but they, as well as Santa Monica, another strong California club, recently pulled out of the 2010 Super League. There has long been criticism of the Super League ... as it has been "invite only" and some strong clubs have not been asked to or decided not to play in SL for financial or other reasons. This means that the SL does not have all of the "best" players (although this is obviously very different for an amatuer sport with players spread all across the country). On the other hand, I do believe the U.S. needs elite clubs, where top players can gravitate to, the learn and improve, and clubs which dont play in walkovers against weak local teams, which quite often happens in local games even in Div 1. For promotional purposes, the U.S. also needs an elite league or elite teams, to showcase the product on tv. What do you think is the correct way to go? Leave things as they are, reformat the Super League, focus more on regional leagues, focus more on regional all star teams, try and get some sort of regional semi pro going .. as with the 2 U.S. teams in the old NA 4 comp ... ? I think replacing the NA4 with the Americas Rugby Championship was an error ... Canada has kept regional teams while the U.S. has simply entered 1 team thereby losing the benefits of more players getting a chance at a higher level. interested to hear your ideas ...

California is probably the largest rugby hotbed in America. It would make sense though, as they have such a dense population and great weather. California, Texas and Florida produce the majority of football talent in the US, so it would make sense to focus much of your efforts in those states.

LT probably wouldn't make in rugby. It was him getting cut by the Chargers that sparked my thought process. I would guess a guy like LT would have to play wing in 15's. However, if the skill set wasn't so steep, maybe hooker? Think Schalk Brits.

Nice one Matt, interesting article indeed. LT has so much tread on his tyres that I don't know if he could make it in Rugby. He has lost his speed, footwork and accelaration. Where would you play him. I know your article goes far beyond this. Some of the Polynesian guys in the NFL have knowledge or may have played Rugby.

Yeah Matt - my remark was intemperate and out of line. It is good to aim high. I just feel though that the horse has bolted in the US sporting landscape. I played a season for Golden Gate in the Super League and had about the best time of my life so I would love to see USA Rugby prosper...but. I dontthink it will. Keep dreaming though brother.

JF Definitely. In fact the model Lacrosse uses would be an indeal blueprint for Rugby initially at least. I still believe there would be immense room for growth after that level but it would be a good start. As I have already mentioned there is a move toward League structures within the College game at the moment. I provided the examples above. Expanding this move could lead stronger more professional college rugby in the future. Using these League's to form similar State Rep teams participating in conference's for the National Titile could be worth investigating.

Nevertheless, there are still only four major professional sports in the United States and a monstrous gap between one and four. For the majority of NCAA sanctioned sports, the Olympics is the pinnacle of achievement.

Do you think Rugby in the US has the ability to Rival a sport like Lacrosse? In that it has a significant college presence and then a relatively small North American pro league drawing around 5000 av crowds. I would like to think this is the type of presence nth american rugby should be aiming for.

OJ Very true. But at the same time Japan and the US are completely different cutlures. Having serious and successful College programs in the US tend to lead further into the Pro arena. The best examples are obviuos in the NFL and NBA. Both have highly successful College programs. Baby steps. That's what are happening now. Rugby has the potential appeal to draw in the attention of the US public. But it' still a very long way away if ever.

Even if rugby were established in the US as a serious, competitive NCAA sport, there's still a huge step-up to the pro level as is evidenced in Japan by the difference in popularity between University rugby and semi-pro rugby. Rugby lost the chance to be commonplace in America prior to World War 1. I don't think people realise how difficult it is to change the tide of history.

rugby is only going to get bigger in he states. cant wait ot find out where it leads to?

Matt It appears that the good people of the Northern California Rugby community seem to share your sentiment. 11 February 2010 On northern California If you dare call American rugby is a 'sleeping giant,' you've never been to northern California. Despite stormy weather last week, match after match was relocated, rearranged, and otherwise brought off as countless volunteers surmounted unplayable fields and sundry other obstacles. The estimable Pelican's Beak chronicles a collective response that probably could not be replicated in the Commonwealth countries. Truth be told, such rapid response happens all over America, all the time. But that part of this week's Beak which really belies the blinkered observations is entitled 'Youthquake'. I quote liberally: When did ‘youth rugby’ refer to the high school game? Two years ago? No more. So sudden are the changes it feels like a wormhole opened and deposited a Youth Rugby Quadrant into Northern California. So sudden, at least, to those of us who have not been doing the work for the past five years… NorCal high school freshmen teams will consist largely of veteran players in a few years if what happens on Sunday mornings at pitches around Pelicanland is any indication, and college coaches will be working with players who’ve been living on the oval planet half their lives soon thereafter. But the real story: little kids are playing rugby in great numbers and you need to see it to revel in it. Host Lamorinda put three U12 teams onto the sub-divided Pat Vincent Memorial pitch simultaneously Sunday morning to play Santa Clara, Marin and Danville. I’m told that the visiting teams could all field multiple sides were they playing at home, and in fact their kids were playing intra-squad games among the non-travelers. When we arrived, the U10s were playing in equal numbers. The trouble with cliches like 'sleeping giant' is usually they are out of touch, just as bromides about 'the way forward' come from those who haven't lined the fields. NorCal's youthquake phenomenon stems from myriad unnamed locals who know nothing of USARFU's strategic plans, but stop at nothing in their enthusiasm to make a game they have always loved better for their children. Quite evidently they are wide awake and working hard. It is only too bad such industry will not be visible this weekend, as world rugby's elite comes to the USA 7s. Courtesy. www.gainline.us Whatever they are doing seems to be working and other's with the same level of passion for youth Rugby should look into what they are doing and try to emulate that.

Matt Manley Agreed. As I said above USARugby should invest the majority of any funding it recieves from the USOC to accelerate the growth of Junior and High School Rugby. By building at that level they can create alternative pathways for students leading onto college. Having recently read an outline of USARugby prospectus it appears that they are looking to get far more serious with College Rugby. Now I believe that there current movement on this front could very well be in response to the formation of USCRA and their attempt to remain the governing body of that particular level of American Rugby. I've noticed the move toward structured League amongst Colleges recently such as the Carolinas, Texas and Florida Leagues. Which makes alot of sense and could greatly assist in delivering greater competitive levels in College Rugby. While in the outline USARugby want to establish an Elite Div 1 Championship then Div 2 working toward Div 1 then 3 so on. But they could help propagate the establishment of Leagues then use representative teams from each League in a Higher Championship. Feeder system.

Sharminator I started my last paragraph with 'if'. If it happens. While I'm approaching it with cautious optimism I'll only really believe it when/if it happens.

a sport where a samoan boy is 56 times more likely to play in the nfl than any other ethnic group does not auger well for that sport nor the athletic hype of that country..every samoan knows that american samoa is not exactly the hotbed of samoan athletic talent..

joe played rugby at Kings College (Auck)..he's not new to the game..at 29, time is not on his side..

Highlander forward Joe Tuineau (born Fiji) ia a former tight end for the SW Minnesota Razorbacks. From what I've seen of him in the Air NZ Cup, he's another Brad Thorn in the making, in terms of physique (6!8" and 120kg) and playing style. He's played a fair bit of lower level rugby and he's making his S14 debut this year which means he's adapted well to the higher level of rugby.