Jarryd Hayne’s signing with the San Francisco 49ers is a feel-good story for everyone, except Parramatta fans and those Aussies who are tired of hearing what a great rugby player he is.
The 49ers’ own Twitter account looked like most American reports of Hayne’s signing:
This ‘code confusion’ shines a light on just how hard it can be to promote Australian sports in the United States.
The good news if you’re an NRL fan is that at least your sport is being confused with one that is somewhat similar and is only missing the word ‘league’.
In comparison, imagine the AFL fan (or executive) who watches the Aussie Rules drop punt used in an NFL or college football game, only to hear American announcers call it a “rugby punt”.
I cannot defend my countrymen on their lack of awareness of non-US based sports – after all, this is a nation that has been known to confuse Australia with Austria. But the constant use of ‘rugby’ as a default word does actually makes sense and certainly isn’t the result of intense lobbying by the ARU.
Rugby union has been played in the United States since the 1800s and major universities like Cal-Berkeley have strong, nationally known programs. The sport is making inroads into American public high schools and is played at a high level in places like Utah, which has a large Polynesian population.
More importantly, the addition of Rugby Sevens to the Rio Olympics has resulted in games being shown on NBC Sports, which creates a more pervasive overall awareness of rugby among US sports fans.
Which brings us to rugby league. To those in the US, the name of the sport itself sounds like an actual league of rugby teams (‘the rugby league’) and to further illustrate the confusion, if you read the 49ers press release, the headline calls Hayne a “rugby star” but the article itself calls him a “rugby league star”.
Ironically, rugby league is the most similar of the Australian codes to American football (e.g. six tackles = four downs) and those neophytes in the US who are exposed the game often understand it and appreciate it more than Australian rules football. But NRL matches have been tucked away on a channel called Fox Soccer Plus, which requires an extra monthly fee and is mostly for expats and aficionados.
Fox Soccer Plus is also home to the AFL in the United States and that league may have an even harder task than that of the NRL. The acronym ‘AFL’ in the US means many things, none of them relating to overhead marks and hand passes. There’s the Arena Football League, the AFL/CIO labour union, and the defunct American Football League, which merged with the NFL and gave us the Patriots, Chiefs, Raiders, etc.
So can this lack of awareness be rectified? Hard to say. For one thing, I’m not sure the NRL and AFL really care that much about the American market. Anything they get out of the US – including ex-basketballing ruckmen – is a bonus.
I do know that the AFL players who punted in the NFL – guys like Sav Rocca and Darren Bennett – have done their best to promote their game, while Russell Crowe’s appearances on American late night talk shows are often accompanied by Rabbitohs’ jackets and explanations of rugby league.
For now, I’m afraid NRL fans will just have to bite their tongues and appreciate the fact that Jarryd Hayne has taken the first steps towards a remarkable sporting transition.
If he defies the odds and makes the 49ers’ roster, perhaps then he can start educating American folk on the differences between ‘rugby’ and ‘league’.
On the other hand, he’ll have plenty on his plate and being called a ‘rugby star’ will be the least of his worries.
Lucas
Guest
every NRL fan knows which code is more popular but they also know which requires more skill, hence why so many NRL players get straight into the wallabies, how many Union players have gotten into the Kangeroos...
Brian West
Guest
What is the end result of all of this? In fact let's take it further. RL gets some great exposure in the USA albeit for RU. Possibly the USARL gets something out of this but the USAFL has benefited little out of all the AFL punters in the NFL. Possibly Australian Gridiron gets a boost which would attract a few RL players away from their code. The most likely outcome is that the NRL will lose more players to the NFL. The AFL has seen quite a number of their players go to the NFL with one major difference, AFL players have gone to the NFL at the end of their AFL careers whilst NRL players will be in their prime. We might see a situation similar to the A-L where the best players routinely trot off to a more lucrative league.
Jordan
Guest
I just watched Jarryd Hayne's first preseason game as a 49er. As a football fan(atic) life let me just say he is legit. Jarryd Hayne will play in the NFL. How well will he do? He looked like he could be very, very good. I think he was amped to get that first "live play" against another team off his chest. Dude was ready.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Exactly right!! Rugby Union will always be the dominant code outside of Sydney of course.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Actually, I reckon he's got a pretty good shot. He's got really good physical attributes to be a running back, a good combination of agility and power and the ability to spot ways through a line and shrug off tacklers. On defense he could probably make a pretty decent strong safety, but I think it looks like they are more looking at the running back side of things than defense at all. The big thing is that playing NFL is so much more specialised than playing NRL. So training for playing Rugby League involves working on a large breadth of skills, while training for the NFL will be much more focussed. As a running back there are basically 4 things to do, run the ball, run a decoy, run a route to possibly catch a pass, and block for the QB. Though, if he makes it he'll be a good RB to have on the field if there is a turnover as he'll probably be one of the few guys in the offense that's a good tackler!
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
It's obvious which code is more known & played worldwide which is Rugby that's right Rugby Union plain & simple you can't sugar coat the facts!! Even as much as die hard league fans would like to argue this deep down they know the truth!! Rugby Union is making big in roads in America & the sport is the fastest growing team sport in America regular yearly test matches, Rugby 7s in Las Vegas, College & high school Rugby, 2 sold out test matches like Chicago NFL stadium sold out over 61,000 + capacity, broadcast through prime time NBC Network just under a million viewers in America alone not bad for niche sport aye league fans haha!! I can't even remember the Kangaroos or even State of Origin in LA even getting close to this . Now that Rugby sevens is an Olympic sport Rugby Union keeps growing!! There is real evident's to back up Rugby Unions claims in growth in the US & around the world than League fans with their fluff information on how league some how has the same impact on the world stage as Rugby Union. Sadly Jarryd Hayne is their only hope for League to gain any recognition outside of Sydney Australia as always playing second fiddle to Rugby Union. The fact Rugby Union was established first Is why it will always remain the dominant code obviously outside of Sydney Australia of course.
Tom
Guest
There's the IRB 7's, world cup 7's, Commonwealth and we'll as Pan Am games, Asian games and many regional tournaments and many more that will pop up after the Olympics. All a huge benefit for rugby and the development of the game not only in the USA but around that world. That's huge and the Olympics had a part in it. Don't you you agree Ken?
Bondy
Guest
Both Victoria and America have refused to accept English sports ..
Tigranes
Guest
Yes the US has underachieved as a rugby nation, especially when you compare it to say Argentina. In both countries, rugby is overshadowed by other sports (Argentina - soccer, USA - gridiron, baseball, ice hockey, basketball), but Argentina is far more successful due to the following: - The national side has achieved some success and a decent following throughout the country - definitely moreso than the USA -Argentina has produced several world class players, like Hugo Porta, Agustin Pichot - name any US players of equivalent ability or status? -Argentina has a decent club competition and an established national provincial tournament, which the US does not have -Rugby players in Argentina are introduced to the sport at a young age by their dads who played for a particular club - in the US they need to get more players at a younger age
NaBUru38
Guest
How about rugby 13 and rugby 15?
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Don't look to Wikipedia for surcease, league and union are often mixed together as if they were merely different competitions of the same thing. Easy enough to unentangle to those already in the know, but perhaps a little opaque to the neophyte.
Ken
Guest
'Real' Rugby? Is this the original rules from the Rugby school in the early 19th century? Which of course bears only a passing resemblance to either of the modern rugby codes that derive their name from the same.
Ken
Guest
7's Rugby will have something more important than the Olympics? Do tell
Tom
Guest
Those sports you mention has the Olympics as their pinnacle where as rugby, basketball and football have much more than that. It will grow past the Olympics because many more will be expose to it.
Tom
Guest
I believe many Americans are aware of rugby more than we think we know. They just not fans or play the sport just like many of us in rugby countries are aware of American football.
fiddlesticks
Guest
oh yes, sevens at the olympics is going to make rugby huge just like archery, weightlifting, wrestling, synchronised swimming and the pentathlon
fiddlesticks
Guest
thanks for that ground breaking news
Reesy
Guest
Phillnz, Hayne is not on a futures contract he's on a rookie contract, the later comes with some guarantees as I understand (but in Haynes case unlikely to amount to much difference). By the way the two NZ Warriors NRL GF appearances outrated the Bledisloe Cup in NZ in each of the same years.
Kavvy
Guest
Who cares? Sports don't need to be popular in the US to be meaningful
Jeff
Guest
Hi Phill, I think you may find it has been Telstra footing the bill for Mr Haynes visits to the United States. Yes they are the major sponsor of the NRL. Telstra`s frequent flyer points are being utilised as part of the two million put towards a doco. It go`s something like this. Western suburb boy makes good . Club, state, country honours two Dally Ms. " I HAVE a dream " Lets say he makes it with the 49ers Rugby player makes good in the BIG smoke = WIN . Does`nt make it this year, theres always Detroit next year , they are going to drag this episode out . The Hayne plane doesn't get lift off in the big smoke = WIN . This doco will SELL . Ch 9 and Fox will line up for it, Two million plus is a paltry amount paid by Telstra for the good news/warm feeling doco. And what about the man himself ? He`s still only 29 and the podical son returns, the NRL love code crossers .The Parra faithful will welcome Jarryds return = WIN .