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An Oscar-worthy performance may be required from Hollywood star Russell Crowe to pull off his latest assignment – spreading the rugby league gospel in the United States.
Have you enjoyed and admired Rusty’s involvement and promotion of rugby league this season, or is it just all about Rusty?
Crowe has taken on the demanding role in Jacksonville, Florida to promote South Sydney’s January 26 clash against English Super League heavyweight Leeds.
The game will be played under a Souths-Leeds partnership struck up in July in which the clubs will share their knowledge, staff and possibly players.
“This is the first time a first grade professional rugby league team from Australia will actually play a first-grade English professional rugby league team on American soil,” Souths co-owner Crowe told Jacksonville reporters.
But he believed it wouldn’t be that hard to sell the historic game because of the ground work established by local American National Rugby League team, the Jacksonville Axemen.
He predicted a sell out crowd of 10,000.
Crowe was lured to Jacksonville by Axemen player-coach Darryl “Spinner” Howland, who hails from Brisbane but has earned 15 international caps for the US.
The Jacksonville team name echoes the Crowe-sponsored Orara Valley Axemen who host a star-studded sevens tournament near Coffs Harbour each year.
“There are people that have a connection to the game already, so we don’t have to educate everybody from step A,” Crowe said.
But it seems the local media may still need a refresher course.
His arrival was hailed by one local newspaper with the headline “Crowe in town to promote rugby”.
Another had a stab at describing the game to Americans.
“Rugby league differs from the more widely recognised rugby union game in that there is a defined period of offense and defense and there are 13 players on the field, rather than 15,” the Florida Times-Union said.
Crowe gave the thumbs up to the facilities at the University of North Florida where the game will be played.
“Our director of athletic performance Errol Alcott is going to have a puppy over this place,” he said.
And it may not be just Alcott having puppies next year.
“Part of our process of changing the culture in South Sydney is educating the players, bringing them to a place like Jacksonville, bringing them to a university like this with all its incredible facilities,” Crowe said.
“It’s about opening their minds, expanding their worlds and making them stronger and better men.
“Them getting on a plane, travelling this far … it’s just going to be a gigantic event in their lives, possibly the biggest thing that they’ll ever do.”
Crowe believed a “planeload” of Rabbitohs fans would follow the team to Jacksonville for the game.
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