The sleeping giant that is United States rugby is stirring.
When it awakes and the transition from niche sport to professional status is complete, most agree it will change the face of the sport globally.
USA Rugby boss Nigel Melville told NZ Newswire a packed Soldier Field in Chicago for Saturday’s Test between the All Blacks and the US Eagles represents a one-off reward for a job well done.
He will enjoy the occasion but says when the hoopla fades next week, the complex task of building a foundation to US rugby will resume.
Attracting a crowd of 61,500 to a home Test would have been a pipedream when he started in the role eight years ago.
And even a year ago the former England captain thought he would face a stiff task selling half that number of tickets, which was needed to break even financially.
No crowd of more than 21,000 had ever watched a Test in the US, let alone be broadcast free to 115 million homes.
He says the uptake underlines the pulling power of the All Blacks and the benefit of hosting a unique event in a sports-mad city.
However, it also reflects considerable growth at US grass roots level.
Melville is yet to see the demographic of ticket-holders, but suspects the majority have come from all corners of the US.
He has funnelled his resources into youth development, resulting in a surge of USA Rugby registered players, from 50,000 to 115,000 over the last five years.
The number of clubs has more than doubled to beyond 1000, with most of them harbouring junior teams – formerly a gaping hole in their structure.
About two million children aged under 12 have sampled non-contact after-school rugby programs.
“It’s significantly bigger than it was, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” Melville says.
“A professional league is on the agenda, it’s just how quickly we can make it happen.”
Until then, the premier athletes in the US are still likely to pursue lucrative careers in American football, basketball and baseball.
The difference now is the cast-offs will have a familiar net to fall into.
“The thing about professional sports here is that they cut players very quickly,” Melville says.
“Those players can now come back to rugby if they played it when they were younger. They know the game and want to play the game.”
Sevens rugby remains at the sharp end of the sales pitch to the American public.
It is shorter, more spectacular and the rules simpler.
If the US qualify for sevens at the 2016 Olympics, it will garner far more interest than the Chicago Test, Melville predicts.
“Sevens every four years will be very special to us.
“Fifteens is our every-year sport.”
The coach of the world No.18 ranked Eagles, Mike Colkin, doesn’t want Chicago to be a one-off.
This week has attracted more media interest than any of their six previous World Cup campaigns, where success has been infrequent.
“If we can follow up with games, maybe not of the All Blacks’ magnitude, but similar, I think that’s important.
“We need consistency and not just one shot and then everyone forgets about it.”
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is wary of how strong the US could become if they get it right.
The potential resources and enormous athlete pool is mind-blowing but they can only achieve it by sticking to Melville’s patient, youth-first approach.
“The big advantage New Zealand has is that our kids play rugby basically from birth,” he said.
“You’ve got 300 million people here. Some of them are going to be pretty good at it.”
oldboyyeller
Guest
Sad to hear all this talk about how USA can be a great rugby country prior to USA v All Blacks . All Blacks of New Zealand taught a great lesson to us . Respect the game first .
dropkick
Guest
Rugby would be very complicated for them great athletes are not allways great at rugby
Boomeranga
Guest
Is NZ even occupied anymore?
Matt
Guest
Just remember folks, no matter how good the USA get at rugby, they will never be able to dominate a healthy international game. The only sport the USA truly dominates at full-strength is basketball, but only tiny Lithuania follows basketball as fervently as the USA; the other basketball "powers" (Argentina, Angola, Australia, Brazil, Russia, Spain, the former Yugoslavia) of the world are still overshadowed by soccer or other sports. Fear of losing in their "National Pastime" prevents the USA from playing baseball consistently against Japan. When they lose at ice hockey, the only real international team sport in their mainstream psyche, they disregard the game as a "foreign, Canadian game" Just like ice hockey, there will be a strong international rugby community (South Africa, NZ, France, Australia, Argentina, the Pacific Islands and the Home Unions) to challenge them. And who knows? Maybe Canada, Romania, Georgia or somebody else will be in that established group also. One thing is for certain, rugby is an international game which takes pride in it's test match traditions; the USA may be able to join us at the top of the heap, they may even attain the position as the best in the world one day, but they'll never be rugby's equivalent of the NBA dream-team, because unlike them, they will have to face real opposition.
Hoppers
Guest
Yeah sure. Once you teach this team of super athletes to pass, catch, kick, tackle, scrummage, pilfer. All the stuff they call playing rugby. Guys like Rodney Blake & Will Shelton show that just being a massive human being doesn't a top international rugby player make.
IvanN
Guest
Just imagine a backline made up entirely of sub 10second 100m runners, a few ronnie colemans in the front of teh scrum few ex basketballers at lock and some WWE wrestlers in the backrow. the potential for the eagles is huge.
Blair
Guest
I would offer scholarships to kids from the islands. Then hire a good coach from Europe or SANZAR nation. Also do exchange programs with high school kids. Most of them would love to play a season in the US if they r from the southern hemisphere.
Buzzard
Guest
Nek Minnut.....74-6! USA don't deserve nothing yet!!!
hog
Guest
But the question has to be asked is this move for Arg about the good of their rugby, or is it simply about making sure they are competitive in the RC to ensure that cash cow continues.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
That's a good point. I haven't seen very much talent coming through the GPS ranks that aren't NZ imports in recent years. I wonder just how light on Australia are becoming with their depth.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
"The sooner rugby league is put to the sword by the weight of money. " As opposed by the ARU being put to the sword by the lack of money.
Emric
Guest
progress is progress. if the numbers are there for this game and next years world cup, its possible the game could go pro in the USA and this will help retrain numbers leaving
So Cal Ray
Guest
Yes, at the youth level. There has been tremendous growth. Unfortunately, granted it is early days, we are not seeing a lot of the kids going onto club rugby once they finish youth rugby. The problem is much worse though at the college level - my best guess is that only around 5-6% of collegiate players play the game after school is done. . But the problem will always be career path and money. This past year the NFL had revenues of $10 Billion dollars, their goal by 2027 is to increase those annual revenues to $25B. That would put the NFL in the top 100 countries of the world in GDP! It will be a great weekend in Chicago though - all the Kiwi boys in my club are back there.
Demark
Guest
No doubt if USA took rugby serious then the IRB will have an emerging super power Bring it on I say the world wide exposure to it all will have international benefits
Mike
Guest
Kenjac, I am surprised Super rugby would even be suggested for USA. I would have thought the potential for your own comp is huge. I know its only a small sport there, but surely there is great scope for expansion? I seem to remember rugby even getting mentioned on an episode of Friends a few years ago :)
Mike
Guest
If they can create a professional league, they could come on very quickly. Even a niche sport in USA can be huge, in money and player pool.
All Bent Out of Shape
Guest
The USA will never ever EVER make the finals in 2027...but they probably have more chance than Aus.
HarryT
Guest
It is interesting that you don't mention the college rugby competitions, Daniel. There are 30,000 players in 900 colleges.
Michael from NZ
Guest
I would rate USA's chances of a RWC finals berth post 2027 a possibility, I think Australia is headed for qualifying school the way they are going. This is the match of the year and could be another stepping stone in turning the USA into a Union super power. May the AB's win but not by too much. Can't Wait.
Emric
Guest
is it really growing like the IRB is claiming