It was with great hope and interest that I stumbled upon news of the first Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft to take place in America on August 19.
When I was growing up, one of my favourite sports to watch was gridiron. Despite being a rugby tragic, my enthusiasm for the American game was high – I even dabbled in the Sydney University gridiron team at the NSW University Games for a few games as running back.
Having played rugby for eight years, I can attest that I probably expected it to be less intense than rugby, and probably approached my first game with less respect than the sport deserved.
This quickly changed after my first rush. I was hit front-on and I was hit hard. The result? Zero yards, with myself lying on my back winded after being hit front on by what I believe was a car (actually, it was a six-foot-plus, 110kg defensive line player – and this was at Uni).
The sport’s intensity, although in shorter spurts, was no less powerful and in same cases even more so. Even with all the padding one wore, you could feel the hits because their tackling technique and objective was very different to rugby – helmet first, and get the man, not the ball.
As my interest and understanding in gridiron grew, I started watching the National Football League (NFL) more.
This was at a time when legendary players such as Joe Montana, Steve Young, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice and Reggie White graced the field. It was certainly a good time as any to be watching the NFL.
I found that the beauty of the sport was the focus of the individual athletes aiming to be, not only good, but excellent, with a ‘goal to perfection’ in the core skills of their chosen position.
And the ultimate glory was getting the sum of the parts, the individual players doing their job, and coming together as a team, pulling off the plays that had been trained at practice. This feeling was not unlike the backs in rugby scoring off plays in set pieces – the feeling is something else.
Similar to rugby, all this extreme talent learn and hone their skills over years, starting at the junior levels and suburbs, through the schools, into college and finally, if you had the physical attributes, mental fortitude, motivation, work ethic and talent, you were into the NFL draft and hopefully drafted to an NFL team.
However, before the NFL draft started, elite only college football players were invited into an event called the NFL Scouting Combine (‘The Combine’).
The Combine is a one-week event in February and is by invitation only. Elite college football players have the opportunity to showcase their physical (size, speed, strength, power etc.) and mental abilities before NFL coaches, scouts and the like. The event impacts their status in the draft and, ultimately, their salary.
The Combine, together with the NFL Draft, is a highlight of the football pre-season, drawing a lot of attention from fans of the sport, building up the excitement for the new talent and coming season, and showcasing the tremendous athletic talent available in America.
The rugby world has always known that America is the sleeping giant of rugby.
If, one day, the sport was to gain serious traction, then America becoming the best rugby nation in the world would not be an unrealistic expectation, given the athletic talent at their disposal.
A scary prospect, for sure, but one that I am sure most rugby lovers would want to see.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Great insight GOS. Can't be good for the obesity epidemic, piling on the muscle when young then losing your main form of exercise.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Nothing against you. I’ve been in the USA since 1983. That’s why I said what I did.
Tree Son
Roar Rookie
That’s basically the old recruitment pipeline for college and men’s club rugby in the states. Tons of guys at college still want to have a run and the rugby clubs try to sign them up. Youth club and high school rugby is growing but I’d bet most men’s players started either in a college club or the armed forces.
Faithful
Roar Rookie
If only we had this pipeline…. “In 2019, of the top 50 most-viewed TV shows, the NFL claimed 47 of them. There are about a million kids playing football in high school and almost 30,000 players in Division 1 college programs. With 53 players on each NFL team’s active roster that means there are less than 1,600 total players across the league. The pipeline of players that feed the NFL is robust, and will be if even it continues to shrink.”
Faithful
Roar Rookie
This article shared by @Pickle shows it’s an impressive pipeline of talent… https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerpielke/2020/01/28/the-decline-of-football-is-real-and-its-accelerating/?sh=4d9bc692f372 “In 2019, of the top 50 most-viewed TV shows, the NFL claimed 47 of them. There are about a million kids playing football in high school and almost 30,000 players in Division 1 college programs. With 53 players on each NFL team’s active roster that means there are less than 1,600 total players across the league. The pipeline of players that feed the NFL is robust, and will be if even it continues to shrink.”
Faithful
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the support!
Pickett
Roar Rookie
Following article seems to agree with your stats: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerpielke/2020/01/28/the-decline-of-football-is-real-and-its-accelerating/?sh=4d9bc692f372 Concussion or the fear of concussion? Real or misplaced? Interesting times for contact sports...
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Every year, like clockwork, we get one of these articles... Eventually, it may even come true.
Thenipper
Roar Rookie
Brett Favre urges no tackle football for children under 14 https://www.today.com/parents/brett-favre-psa-urges-no-tackle-football-kids-under-14-t228384
itsgoodtobelucky
Roar Rookie
This is a great point and a huge opportunity for rugby to gain 'social' momentum in a new market. Millions of teenagers playing high school football. Several thousands still playing college football. But how many pro players in NFL? Imagine tapping into these numbers to play rugby as a alternative competitive sport? Massive opportunity.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Seems to be declining in more educated states and rising in states with lower education standards. So Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas seem to be on the rise.
West Aussie Exile
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the article. I have enjoyed following MLR this year and, as others have said, would be great for rugby overall to see USA (and Canada) competitive and eventually being able to beat the big boys. My team is New England Freejacks as I spent a few months in Boston and Martha's Vineyard many years ago but great places -Freejacks have had a good year. Would love to get to a game sometime -no doubt, an American experience. I think the Rugby Network site has been excellent, streaming games but I liked the content and shows. Interesting that American Rugby Pod nominated their 3 best MLR players of the year -Billy Meakes (even had a game at 7!), Angus Cottrell and Harrison Goddard, all LA. I know the standard is not yet SR but even so Cottrell and Meakes could be worth another Wallabies shot. I don't know enough about Goddard, was at Rebels, I believe. 2031 World Cup for USA would be huge, if they get it. After 10 years of MLR, you would expect they should have a team that could make quarter finals, as Japan did in 2021. If I'm still kicking by then (will be almost 70!) I'd certainly want to see some of those games
JAMES G HASLAM
Guest
Yes US football participation rates are declining, particularly at High School level. The potential for concussion is considered the prime reason. High School squads of 70+ are now often halved, forcing some players to play 'both ways', ie on the offensive and defensive teams
LBJ
Roar Rookie
I'll bet there are some amazing potential 7's players in AFL land out there - Guys who like the contact they wont find in AFL.
Pedro
Roar Rookie
It would be very beneficial for the game if the USA became a power. There needs to be a counter balance to the Home Nations, who do the best they can to hinder rugby becoming a true spectator sport. You'd be surprised how many Americans know what rugby is. A university of 30,000 students usually only has one 'Football' team. That's a heck of a lot of spare athletes.
GOS
Roar Rookie
There is a huge number of talented athletes in the USA who have their gridiron playing careers cut short at a very young age, as there is surprisingly little amateur or "semi-pro" gridiron played in the USA. If you play at High School but don't go on to College, that is often the end of the line playing wise. Similarly if you are a College player and don't get picked up by a professional club that also is often a dead end. So lots of very talented athletes have finished their gridiron careers in their teens or very early 20's. If Rugby USA could find the means to draw on this talent pool then they could be a real force in the future.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Really hope the USA is a sleeping giant. They certainly have a lot of athletes (both men and women) to grow the game. Its amazing how interested they are in the pre season drafts in all their sports - my son talks about the basketball/ NFL draft, I glaze over. Everyone I know who has tried gridiron talks about how hard the hits are. Whilst I’m no NFL expert as you state the players really have a specific role and develop a specific skill set, which is probably one of the differences to rugby where everyone runs and tackles. I have been following the MLR since the start when Paddy Ryan joined the San Diego Legion. More recently there are a lot more Australian players & coaches over there especially in LA. Plus the free steaming of games via Thee Rugby Network has been great.
Faithful
Roar Rookie
Love your idea about a combine for interested non-rugby players! I think they should definitely have one for all the 1st and 2nd XV players at all the high schools also. There’s hidden talent out there, what better way to identify it early?
LBJ
Roar Rookie
Great article - I've really enjoyed the MLR - I hope/ expect it will grow substantially in the US over the next decade leading into the US hosting the world cup. I think they will grow if and when they get a Hawaiian team in particular. It seems to me that US requires a 'tipping point' scenario. They have heritage and numbers, but need momentum, and some kind of dramatic catalyst... then something will suddenly 'click'. | Gridiron is an amazing game with some of the world's most extraordinary athletes - and organisationally rugby can learn a great deal from the NFL. I believe Scott Wisemantle has spent some time learning from NFL teams when under Eddie Jones. | A Combine is an excellent idea as an alternative to the NRC in Australian Rugby. It would be a great way for amateurs/ semi-pros and potential converts from League or even AFL to show their wares in a professional environment to earn a contract (of some description) .
Faithful
Roar Rookie
This statistics website is very interesting. It states that the participation rates for the period between 2006-2018 for American Football has declined over 3million. https://www.statista.com/statistics/191658/participants-in-tackle-football-in-the-us-since-2006/ Interestingly, and encouragingly, over the same period Rugby Union has increased by 1 million! https://www.statista.com/statistics/191684/participants-in-rugby-in-the-us-since-2006/