For 99 per cent of people reading this story, rugby league’s sole connection to Los Angeles is a 1987 State of Origin game largely remembered as a kind of athletic spoof movie.
There was the overblown promotion, posters featuring a spear tackle, scenes of Peter Sterling struggling to burst on the field after being caught in a banner, and of course, Queensland’s questionable preparation and on-field effort.
On surface value, there doesn’t seem to have been a great deal more to link the sport and the city – despite some valiant individual efforts behind the scenes.
But with the Toronto Wolfpack going great guns this season and the USARL boasting 12 clubs on the East Coast, some riddles for rugby league beckon: Can the sport ever gain a following in the USA’s west? What will it take? What does the sport stand to gain?
One of those with a positive mindset is Charlie Jones, the former Burleigh Bears player and Thailand rugby league pioneer who spent the last few year’s running LA Epic Club Crawls in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
“Most flights from Australia to America have to pass through the west coast,” says Jones, citing more than one million visits by Aussies to the USA in 2016.
“If there was an established rugby league competition, I’m sure there would be a new Aussie crowd every weekend, on top of all the expats already living there.
“Americans love rugby union, but most have never seen rugby league.
“I went to a Toronto game and the crowd was insane, even though 80 per cent of people had no idea what they were watching.
“The big hits, the atmosphere, the booze and entertainment made it well worth $20. I think the West Coast could be on another level.”
So why hasn’t it happened already? And why hasn’t there been a single competitive rugby league game in California this year?
As mentioned, there are USARL teams dotted along the East Coast, from Boston in the north to Tampa in the south.
California is home to 40 million people contained in an area about half the size of New South Wales, with approximately ten million of those in Los Angeles county – the most populous county in all America and with a higher population than 42 US states.
It’s a melting pot of cultures, home to remarkable athletes of many varieties, and attracts extroverts and innovators like bees to honey.
If you were a rugby league strategist (if such a thing actually exists) you’d surely circle it on a map with a big red pen.
Among those drawn to LA has been Brian Lowe, an Australian print and radio journalist who fell in love with the region after visiting in 1994 and found a way to move their four years later.
He became a dedicated American commentators on both rugby codes, but has focused almost exclusively on league since 2010 – an odd occupation to hold in a city without a team.
“Haha, yeah I do a lot of interviews by phone and email obviously,” says Lowe.
“Rugby union has a very strong presence in California, but I do feel there’s a significant number of people who have had enough with the politics that occur in that game. There’s a lot of disenchantment and talk of financial issues.
“I think California’s a great place to expand rugby league, but it does need time, effort and, yes, money.
“The USA and Canada have been given the 2025 rugby league World Cup, so it would make sense to invest there beforehand.
“You can’t do it half-arsed, basically.”
One person you’ll hear Lowe and others regularly refer to in regards to Los Angeles and rugby league is Col Manners, the former Fairfax advertising worker and Coogee Dolphins player who quit his job to help encourage the sport abroad.
After dedicating several years to the USA’s East Coast, he was transferred to Los Angeles for work.
Along with New Zealander Zane Hirtzel he helped form the California Condors and was a key figure in the Remembrance Cup tournament of 2012 that featured not only a team from California, but also sides from Las Vegas, Utah, British Colombia and the Coogee Dolphins.
The Condors have effectively since been grounded, a product of a lack of opposition and what could best be described as a case of disillusionment and ‘volunteer fatigue’ by Manners.
Other sides like the Orange County Outlaws, Los Angeles Raiders RLFC and Bay Area rugby league all started with the best of intentions, but have never competed regularly.
“The biggest issue I had was player commitment,” says Manners.
“Everyone said they were keen, but getting them to turn up to training and games was a real headache.
“When we travelled away I was chipping in 20 or 30 bucks a night per player to help with their accommodation.
“The amount of money I personally forked out so players didn’t have to pay took its toll.
“Aside from that, getting administrators, coaches and managers to get their hands dirty and help build a team and competition was difficult.
“A lot of people like to stand back and say ‘I’m the president or secretary etc’ but you need to help paint the field, wash jerseys, referee and be there at most sessions.”
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Manners and the effort he invested, even after just a short chat.
But after taking some downtime for family, the good news is he now seems to be prepared to give it another stab – provided he can find some compadres to come along for the ride.
“I think it’s definitely achievable to have a rugby league competition on the West Coast of America, but I think the next time I’d concentrate on Southern California and go from there,” he says.
“My concept would be a Los Angeles team, a Long Beach team, an Orange County team and a San Diego team.
“Consolidate those four clubs and then move into North California and the Bay Area, then Las Vegas and Phoenix.
“I’m keen to give it another go, but only if I have help this time.
“Southern California is home to some ridiculously good athletes and there are so many Aussies here…it’s crazy more people aren’t prepared to help out.”
Manners mentions that Los Angeles and San Diego both have touch football teams.
It reminds me to make contact with another touch football fanatic I know with ties to America: veteran rugby league journalist and part-time Georgia State resident Tony Adams, popularly known as ‘The Mole’.
“Rugby union is definitely the big dog here,” says Adams, “And rugby league is barely known.
“No TV coverage is the real killer. If they could get TV, the dollars would come.”
As I continue researching, I’m pleased to hear of several small pockets of interest bubbling to the surface again in California.
I put Manners in touch with a young guy called Randy Chavez, a former college gridiron player, now Burbank radio announcer, who has fallen in love with rugby league.
He and others sometime train for league in a park under the guidance of a Welsh coach-cum-actor, who stars as a spoof super hero in a series of short action films.
That’s the thing – you think of a city built on entertainment and you wonder why it doesn’t play one of the most entertaining, made-for-TV sports on the planet.
TingoTango
Guest
Robert Great article. An interesting side point about RL in California is that I read somewhere that in the late 1930's the California Rugby Union wrote to the English Rugby League about switching over to the professional code. Along came the second world war and the issue was lost. Such a great shame and who knows what may have happened if this got off the ground given American Football was in its infancy. Lets hope the Wolfpack can make something of themselves and see the code move forward in a way as never seen as before.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I read all your stuff on these thread clip.And i know your modus operandi.I thus take your points with a grain of salt. " The majority would be home grown fans" ,that's like saying the majority of the Storm fans are home grown.But you wouldn';t say the Clip ,because you haven;'t done so in the past.You have always pushed the all expats line.Just like some of those clowns in Melbourne who assured people the Storm woudl be lucky to attract 3,000 fans.And SOO would be a failure. You still don't; understand the expat situation in London,any major event involving Aussies ,has the rusted ons, the come once for party purposes, the Northerners. I've been to a rl function in Manchester with Northern fans circa 2003 on Roo tour,and if you believe they don;t watch SOO you have not a clue. You again didn't read my point, the last semi at the RLWC had 60% (not 6% not 16% of people) from the south of England book.Non heartland mate.Makes your 2 states argument flawed. Funny the Storm played Roosters in Adelaide and out of the 21,000,18,000 were local s according to reports.A state who couldn't give a stuff about the NRL. 3,000 from outside SA.
clipper
Guest
Did you read the post I replied to? '- all I heard were passionate fans with Canadian accents' - that sounds like they were suggesting there were no ex pats to me. There would be a percentage of expats at Swans games, but the majority would be home grown fans. Big difference between getting a pile of northerners down to watch teams including England than 2 teams form 2 states in Australia.
The Fatman
Guest
Los Angeles is made for Rugby League. They will get 100,000 every game at the Coliseum or Pasadena. Especially if the Storm play out of there. The LA Storrn. You know it makes sense.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Moderating is an art :)
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Who said there are no expats in Toronto Clip? Perez didn't state so.The point was made by them decent numbers of locals (new to the code) bought tickets and continue to follow them. And you're suggesting there's not a large lump off expats for the Swans.LOL. Bit of pot and kettle your exhibiting champ. Extremely funny. Since you're the same guy with your mate who stated expats wouldn't be interested0 in a SOO in London.When the semi double header got 67,000. The same guy that threw in the London Broncos (which even I would have little interest in,.to use as one example about expats not going to a SOO. Can't have it both ways.
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
Guys, this thread has got well off topic. The Roar is a place for respectful debate about the issues raised in each article, and we want to keep it that way. Please get the thread back on topic, otherwise we're going to have to close comments on this article.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
"Perez says what ."What are you blabbering about Mat? He got the crowds he expected prior to the first game and since, he got the Airline sponsorship.TV coverage in Canada ,he got the financial backing, his team just about undefeated, he got the media coverage print and electronic including the NY times..Show me where any of that is incorrect champ. You got something right (a rarity) rl is barely known in the USA.Yet this barely known sport will be having a RLWC in Canada/USA in 2025.so maybe a few Yanks will find out. Whilst you are playing on your keyboard in Kingscliff or whoever you reside ATT. Gee you are easy meat in a debate,unarmed and fact free.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
First time you mentioned Kingscliff,so it's not the 5th time.Maths out by a long shot. A long way from Sydney,a long way from overseas media by the looks of it. The 4 million is a tad more than the 4 you conjured up here.And pretty much more than other codes, (apart from AFL once) gets in this country. If you love rl so much, it's indeed strange you rarely appear in other rl threads . You don't and you make it plainly obvious.
clipper
Guest
Isn't it funny - the Swans have the highest attendance by far in Sydney, but just about every league fan here says all the fans are ex-pats or Victorians coming up here, but with the Toronto Wolfpack they're all Canadian fans with just about no ex-pats. It's just too funny!
Baz
Guest
Im in Kingscliff Crosscoder for the 5th time. I went to game 1 in Brissy. I bought the ticket. 4 million watched the game 20 million didnt. What are the odds every man in Australia didnt know it was played?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I read the garbage you type Baz/Mat,and you get shot down more than a prop jet over Vietnam. You lost out by ignorant comments re Germany,Tonga,Fiji,Sctoland (having 4 players Scottish born) and the list goes on. You were left to look silly once again making the comment the Wolfpack have not been a success, when all the factors and results and media coverage to date in the North americas and England suggest otherwise.Then you try to pretend it's all Nth england social media coverage.Absolute bollocks.Since when is Canada print and electronic news outlets,NY Times,the Economist and even al Jazeera news outlet social media. Mate, this turkey shoot is becoming embarrassing,I've run out of ammunition due to the easy shots. Everyman here knows what you are all about Baz,I guess 4 million people who watch SOO in oz, may have an idea what rl is about.Do you have TV in Mullumbimby mate?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Your alternative facts do though. And I think I've been consistent on that.
Go warriors
Guest
It is funny you say that because I watched the am show where they interviewed the fans and all I heard were passionate fans with Canadian accents. You really are clutching at straws with your claims.
Baz
Guest
Sure do mate. Have a look at all their supporter sites. They have video of people at the games . Not a whole lot of Canadian accents getting around Go Warriors! If you're on facebook or twitter take a look at their page and try find a single Canadian that posts and supports them
Baz
Guest
Sleiman thats right.i dont have to get into name calling and abusing so there is no need to be refuted
Go warriors
Guest
Sleiman Whilst I admire Baz's tenacity I also wish he would just throw in the towel. As much as he tries he continues to fight a losing battle. He reminds of a boxer who is just completely outclassed that is getting hit at will. Please just stop the fight or someone throw in the towel.
Go warriors
Guest
Baz do you realise how ridiculous your posts are becoming. You say it is only expat thats are attending the Wolfpack games. How on earth could you possibly know that. Do you actually attend all of their home games and speak to all of the 7000 fans in attendance and ask them where are they from.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Yeesh, have you yet had a comment that hasn't been refuted? Got to admire your tenacity for the cause Baz. It's borderline impressive.
Baz
Guest
Crosscoder everyman in Australia doesnt know what Rugby League is let alone the Wolfpack. Take another read as to what i said in regards to London Crosscoder. Please you are too easy