Professional rugby to land in the USA

Do have more information regarding the teams and coaches. What to do when applying for a coaching position? Frank.

Sharminator, You should read some of Grant Cole's contributions to the thread. He's actually seen their proposal and has consulted on it. You are jumping to some huge assumptions here.] 1. Apart from the similarities in the name the NRFL has NO ties to the NFL. They have stated that they wanted to utilise NFL stadiums during their iff peak months but aside from that, unless they choose to directly invest. There is no link. Its Union. Not League and they are more than aware of the two and their differences. The guys behind have no interest in League. None. This is from a post by one of the big wigs in the US in regards to Rugby League. 2. The guys behind RugbyLaw know exactly what Rugby is. They have been actively involved in the game for quite some time. Well before RugbyLaw and the NRFL came into being. This current combine thats underway at the moment has 240 attendees. The majority are actually rugby players. Of the NFL attendess a number have presence Rugby experience. The likes of Will McGhee have been playing the game for some time now. Others are just giving it a go. Their primary purpose being there is for publicity. 3. The 'Roughriders' will actually have a number of Rugby players specifically in the key skill positions. 4. I've covered this already. Who is this individual? I'd like to see if the name is familiar. But again. The combine has been open to athletes from both Rugby and different pursuits. Sort of negates the argument that they are purely interested in ex-NFL players. Again. The NFL has NO ties to this project. 5. USA Rugby are not taking a "wait and see" approach. They have been actively working on their own Pro League. They have taken steps to launch a commercial wing in the form of Rugby International Marketing. They've been keeping their plans under lock and key but they are working on it. Those with knowledge of whats going on are slating a spring 2016 launch. 6. You're probably right on this one. Some will make the transition others won't. That's the nature of taking up a new sport. 7. The club system has effectively held the game back for a decade now. They operate in defined fiefdoms. No club in the US possess the ability to make the jump to professionalism. The club best suited in the form of the Glendale Raptors who possess facilities beyond anything anyone else has in the nation can only at best reach semi-professionalism. Oh, as they know what Rugby is they will be playing by the Rugby laws.

It's the number the England 7s trainers have quoted. I suspect that is at the high end and it's likely the sweeper in the team as due to the nature of the position you have to be the best athlete on the team as you have to cover a lot of territory. I suspect other players would come in around 3.5km. Aiden, Not yet. But soon.

yes we discussed costs which of course include travel. That's why franchises will need in the region of $75-$100m over 5 years. This money is available. Taking up rugby late does not mean someone cannot play especially if they have high level training in another sport such as basketball, College Football or wrestling. A pro is a pro and passing can be taught.

I don't really see the above as a problem at all. It's fine being skeptical of motives but the outcome is most important. If they have the money, connections and players to give rugby a high profile in the NFL off season. Why complain? With the amount of money going in to this competition, I would notvbe suprized if there weren't investors from Europe who will ensure the rugby standard is high.

Interesting mission statement from RugbyLaw, the company behind the NRFL. I think their use of the Word "RuXVs" instead of Rugby Unión, and of "export the brand worldwide" again points to the idea that these guys are really about setting up a new sport, to "look after" NFL wannabes who miss the cut (as I outlined below), rather than being the way forward for profesional rugby unión in the US. http://www.rugbylaw.com/ "RugbyLaw, LLC is a sports and entertainment company. We are the Alpha and Omega of elite professional Rugby Union XVs in the United States (RuXVs™). RugbyLaw's mission is to boldly take American professional rugby to a level where nobody has taken it before: a major league sport comparable to the NFL. The distinction being, RugbyLaw will not only grow the sport nationally; it will simultaneously export the brand worldwide. Why? Because, the world plays and loves rugby at an elite level. An America based league will have a global appeal. RugbyLaw subscribes to the belief that you are defined by the company you keep. We are defining ourselves by forming partnerships and agreements with the most successful and renowned sports enterprises and individuals involved in professional major league sports on the planet. We welcome interest and input only from the most serious professionals."

I found this on the web “I know someone who is very close to this operation. She is involved in athlete recruiting for them. A few things about the NRFL. They are hand in hand with the NFL. The main purpose is not to promote rugby, but to create a place where they can keep the football players who didn’t get picked by a team, but who still have potential. They basically want to pay them $100k-$150k/year to keep an eye on them. They don’t want rugby players. In fact, she stressed to me that their goal is to have no more than a few players with any real rugby experience on each team. They think that they can take raw athletes and turn them into world class rugby players in a year or two” Most of the funding is apparenly coming from NFL or NFL related sources, and Rugby Law is working with some guy who was an "NFL Franchise Executive of the Year". They have already tied up a televisión agreement with the NFL channel, and have said that franchises will only be in ciities with NFL stadiums, so I asume they are going to align franchises with NFL franchises and hope to use NFL team facillities and stadiums. They have also said their league will be in the US summer, which is when NFL facillities are not used. With only a 6 team league, and a 2 or 3 month season, its a way to make money out of NFL team resources in the off season.

Supposedly most of the funding is from private investors and some former and present NFL club executives. Most of the players selected for the "combine" have no rugby experience, being NFL washups, and the NFL network has committed to showing NRFL games even before the league structure has been announced, which is a Little bizarre. NFL Europe collapsed a few years ago, meanng players who get cut by NFL clubs do not have anywhere to keep playing,apart from Arena Football (a bit like rugby 7s and played indoors). The average lifespan playing wise of an NFL player is only 3 to 5 years, so the need to keep playres who get cut by NFL players physically fit. I found this on the web “I know someone who is very close to this operation. She is involved in athlete recruiting for them. A few things about the NRFL. They are hand in hand with the NFL. The main purpose is not to promote rugby, but to create a place where they can keep the football players who didn’t get picked by a team, but who still have potential. They basically want to pay them $100k-$150k/year to keep an eye on them. They don’t want rugby players. In fact, she stressed to me that their goal is to have no more than a few players with any real rugby experience on each team. They think that they can take raw athletes and turn them into world class rugby players in a year or two” So, it looks like the money is coming from NFL sources. The concern with this is whether they will actually bother sticking to the rugby we know, or start modifying the rules to be closer to NFL, thereby making the exercise irelevant in terms of improving US rugby unión, According to the NRFL The league wil be a summer league, played in "cities with NFL stadiums" which do not get used in the summer

They have actually confirmed Los Angles as their first "Franchise" in a Facebook post last week. "The Coliseum will be home to one of our first NRFL franchises and our Combine will be the first-ever professional rugby event held at the Coliseum." another post said "Currently RugbyLaw is in the process of selling NRFL franchises within major cities which happen to have NFL Stadiums"

For those interested in more info on the NRFL they have a Facebook site, National Rugby Football League, and website. I found the opinions on this site very interesting http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=163931421 Some other articles on the NRFL: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1754943-pro-rugby-in-america-new-national-rugby-football-league-soaking-up-nfl-talent http://vanguardrugby.com/national-football-rugby-league/ http://technosciencepeople.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/professional-rugby-in-the-united-states-should-be-community-owned/ http://rugbyamerica.net/?p=4171

Rugby in the US is complicated, and there have been attempts to start a profesional Rugby Competitio, or to turn American football players on mass into rugby players since the 1950´s when "wrestling promoter and former NFL player Mike Dimitrio assembled a group of football-playing rugby-neophytes, dressed them in patriotic, football-like attire and proceeded to get, unsurprisingly, demolished in a tour against rugby league teams in Australia and New Zealand." Unfortunately most these attempts have been led by people who actually have no interest in rugby, and are jumping on the rugby bandwagon purely as part of a speculative attempt to make money, nothing else. I have been following the NRFL and their statements for a couple of years Their first attempt was to hold a match against London Irish in June 2013. That never got off the ground. Last year they held their first "combine" (an NFL tradition where uncontracted players turn up and do all sorts of physical exercises, generally non football specific, such as 40 yard dash, vertical leap, bench press etc. They were then supposed to have a match in mid-2014, but that match never happend. This week they are holding their second combine, apparently they have an agreement for their team to play aganst Leicester Tigers. "The NRFL “Rough Riders” are slated to take on English Premiership side Leciester Tigers in August at a yet to be announced American venue .... The game is the lead in to what is supposed to be the launch of a six-team NRFL competition in the Spring of 2016 ----- Actually playing the Independence Cup and how that game fares will likely determine whether or not the NRFL gets to go through with their plans for 2016." As everyone knows the US has enormous athletic potential, as well as financal muscle, so moves towards expansión of rugby in the country are a positive for world rugby. But I think there are a number of concerns. 1. The name, National Rugby Football League .... obviously chosen for its similarity to NFL, but lots of posible confusión as to whether the game is rugby unión or league. Apparently the organisers, a company called "Rugby Law" didnt realise there were two dfferent forms of rugby until a journalist asked them the question. 2. Their knowledge of what rugby is seems very limited. You can see their propaganda on their Facebook site, and their website http://nationalrugbyfootballleague.com, but they say some strange things, for example they have defined a Test as a match between an All-National NRFL team and a top European club, and saying that their "combine" is the first example of profesional rugby in the US (most of the players are ex NFL and no actual rugby is played at the combine). The US has had a profesional 7s program for several years, for both men and women. 3. The combine .. rugby is a sport based on very specific, position spefic skills. Your average fly half and prop have completely different body shapes, and completely different skill sets, that can only be judged in game specific drills and situations. 4. The ex-NFL player link. There are suspicions amongst many people that the operation is really an attempt to keep wannabe NFL hopefuls playing sport on the cheap. The NRFL has signed a tv agreement with the NFL (despite having no players or teams) and the majority of players for their combine are ex NFL hopefuls with no experience. I found this on the web "I know someone who is very close to this operation. She is involved in athlete recruiting for them. A few things about the NRFL. They are hand in hand with the NFL. The main purpose is not to promote rugby, but to create a place where they can keep the football players who didn't get picked by a team, but who still have potential. They basically want to pay them $100k-$150k/year to keep an eye on them. They don't want rugby players. In fact, she stressed to me that their goal is to have no more than a few players with any real rugby experience on each team. They think that they can take raw athletes and turn them into world class rugby players in a year or two" 5. Leading on from that you have the question of what sport they will play. Will it be rugby? Will rules be modified? Who knows. Regarding this both USA rugby and the IRB seem to be taking a wait and see attitude, to see if it gets off the ground. Not surprising really as USA rugby do not have the money to fund profesiona rugby. Considering the comercial focus and NFL links of the NRFL I would be surprised if they didnt modify some rules for the American market. 6. The idea that you can turn ex NFL players into competative rugby players in a couple of months seems naieve at best. Most players in an NFL team are lucky to touch the ball in a game, and the only player who passes (albeit usually forward) is the quarterback. I think some players will make the conversión, but many wont. 7. Reading the opinions of American rugby players many are concerned that the NRFL has ignored current clubs and players. There are some home grown US rugby players playing professonally who perhaps deserve a chance more than ex NFL wannabes. I think the NRFL proposal is interesing, but they seem to have Little knowledge of rugby, a focus on NFL players. and I doubt any commttment to playing rugby unión. Taking that into account,I am not sure if it wll benefit US rugby.

The first time this was tried was in the 1950´s, when "wrestling promoter and former NFL player Mike Dimitrio assembled a group of football-playing rugby-neophytes, dressed them in patriotic, football-like attire and proceeded to get, unsurprisingly, demolished in a tour against rugby league teams in Australia and New Zealand." The the early 2000s thee was another attempt, Major League Rugby, which failed, then there was the Super League, which lasted for around 10 years, and was officially sanctioned by USA rugby, but which collapsed two or three years ago. There have also been several attempts by promoters to cash in on 7s being in the Olympics, with various competitions or tournaments set up and lasting a year or two. Amongst the problems in developing a US league are costs (distances are vast, when I played in the US we once had a 16 hour bus trip for a División 1 quarter final), on any normal weekend, if we didnt have a home game, 4 to 8 hours travel by car was normal to get a game. There are few facillities, most clubs dont have their own grounds, and play in public parks, without change rooms of facillities, and the other issue is simply money, how do you fund a profesional league, or entice amateur rugby players, who have full time Jobs, to take a pay cut (and move cities to a club in one of the chosen cities for a national league club) to become professionals. One of the best examples of the problems in US rugby is having a look at the College rugby system. For years people complained about the system, and the fact that there was not a high class competition where the best played the best week in week out (if you were an elite college in your región, it was ard to get meaningful competition until the final 2 or 3 games of the national champinship) so USA Rugby established a College Rugby Elite competition, and what happened, within 3 years the best Colleges had withdrawn, citing travel costs, and deciding to play locally and against whoever they wanted, leading to the same old lopided contests as before. I played a season in the US a few years ago for a División 1 club. The two main problems US rugby has is that first, rugby isnt a first choice sport, kids in high school, and even more so in college, choose fooball, baseball, basketball etc first ... and rugby tends to be a sport chosen by those who miss out on getting in other teams. That means those taking up rugby at a Young age tend to be less athletically talented. The same goes for players who take up the sport as adults, they are people looking for something to do, a bit of fun. The second, related problem, is that most adult rugby players in the US take up rugby either at college or after college. With most players coming from an American football or (sometimes) a soccer background, it is incredibly hard to develop passing and catching skills. I remember in my club, one of the oldest guys on the team told me, that at 35 years old, having started playing rugby at 23, he was finally "getting" the skills, but his athlecism was starting to fall away with age. So these are the main problems USA rugby has, below I will do another post more specifically about the NRFL.

It's hard to believe though. 5 km in 14 minutes means they (each of them) cover about 350 metres every minute. That's nearly 4 full lengths of the field every minute. Considering the (relatively short) slow downs or stoppages for scrums and rucks, that's hard to believe.

Its called the World Series because the ONLY two major leagues at the time finally agreed to play to determine a de facto world champion. The fact that the game was only played in the US (and Canada) at the time meant that it was a de facto world championship. World championship doesn't need to be a test competition between countries. The US is, whether it bothers you or not, is part of the world. Also, attaching "world" to something in the early 20th century was a common marketing ploy at the time. That's where the name came from.

FFS, this again?

That's what I was thinking. Why aren't they looking at players who have played the game not some blow ins "trying their hand at a new sport." How insulting to the players who've been playing the game for years and deserve the opportunity.