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Several months ago, on one of my pieces regarding rugby in the United States, we were joined by a surprise contributor in the form of USA Rugby CEO and Director of Rugby, Nigel Melville.
In his brief visit(s), he provided fleeting details regarding his organization’s interests in establishing a possible Super Rugby franchise on the West Coast of the United States.
He also briefly divulged details on similar prospects on the East Coast regarding the Pro 12 (formerly Magners/Celtic League) and closed discussions regarding prospective investors in a domestic ‘Pro’ Rugby Championship.
(Interestingly enough, on a recent US-based blog, Bruce McClane, head coach of the New York Athletic Club in the Rugby Super League hinted at three individual groups attempting to do so)
In addition, reading the musing of Rugbymag.com editor and primary contributor Alex Goff published this morning about the costing for a small semi-pro league, stimulated my thinking in regards to how exactly to achieve this.
The obvious answer may very well be domestically from within the United States but considering the interest to reach the new markets expressed by NZRU CEO Steve Tew and the very public thoughts of John O’Neill, an alternative could be considered.
By that, I mean that SANZAR should invest in establishing a semi-pro Rugby Championship in the United States using the Alex Goff’s basic structures as a template with an eye on developing the marketplace and an entirely new conference for Super Rugby down in the not too distant future.
Or at the very least, a commercial stake in any future professional structure that may evolve within the United States.
First the details. In Goff’s article, he suggests a seven-team League, competing on a home-and-away basis constituting a 12-game regular season.
Each team would have a roster of 25 players plus five support staff which makes it 30 in total.
A standardized playing fee of $1,000 would be paid weekly to each. This would total around $2,500,000 per season according to Goff’s figures.
Add in stadium hire and travel, he figures a total cost of $3.5 million USD in annual costs before any commercial ventures are entered into. Not exactly enticing to investors looking to return a profit in the short term but potentially profitable in the medium.
Seems reasonable investment for an organization with the appropriate levels of foresight and entrepreurship. One that could provide Super Rugby with an invaluable opportunity.
So, is it possible? And do either of the current CEOs have the necessary clout to push such an idea through? Maybe, maybe not, no?
Here’s how I believe it should be approached.
In association with both, USA Rugby for the sanctioning rights and USA 7s LLC for the commercial contacts particularly with NBC, SANZAR could set up such a small and compact league by providing the finances required to get it up and running.
They could also use the likes of Melville and USA 7s to drive awareness and support within the American rugby community and the in the form of broadcasting support and sponsorship via the current relationships with NBC, it’s subsidiary Universal which will soon merge with Versus to form NBC Sports.
In time, as the league grows to the point SANZAR sees value enough in including it into Super Rugby, it can look to sell the rights to potential investors once the competition is proven.
The US sports manufacturer SGMA recently stated that there were over 1.5 million participants last season, including over 300,000 kids between the age of seven and 12.
This is a number they are looking to elevate to 500,000 in the coming years, allowing rugby in the US to gradually break from its small niche to a wider community presence.
Why not be a key partner in this evolution and provide the necessary finances to ensure when it does happen, SANZAR and Southern Rugby are at the forefront.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.