Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
It’s been quite some time since the last Talking Rugby segment and much has transpired since the last one came out in early January. As much as I’d love to hit on every last bit of it… time, space, and my care for your well being is going to keep me from what would certainly be a 10,000 word opus. Instead, I’m going straight after what is happening right now. Let’s do this.
PRO About to Roll
We’re just a couple of weeks away from the launch of PRO Rugby North America. With the rosters, coaches, and team locations finally out of the way the competition leadership seems to have hit their stride with a solid social media led platform for building interest in the league. The buzz has been given a big infusion with the naming of a host of international players to the rosters of each squad. Most of us expected a few international players, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted the quality and depth of talent that is coming to the USA to play this season. While the payout isn’t nearly as much as Japan, the interesting part about PRO is where the season is stationed. It is a great opportunity for overseas players to get paid for a handful of months, break ground in the USA, and at the same time make a case for themselves to pick up another professional contract overseas before competitions kick off in Europe.
Taku Ngwenya is a perfect example. Coming back state side to play for PRO and will be back in France to play for Brive in the Fall. In the meantime, he gets to make some extra money and be a pioneer for professional rugby in the USA. Not a bad deal. Expect even more internationals to try it in Year 2. The great part about it is that it gives the competition legitimacy and at the same time the vastly experienced players bring their knowledge to a whole crop of young American talent. It is a win-win for PRO management, the players involved, and for the fans.
Since the release of the rosters just a couple of weeks ago, the PRO Rugby following on Facebook has nearly doubled. Each individual squad now has a Facebook page and Twitter account. The Ohio squad cracked 3000 likes on Facebook in just a few days and the others aren’t far from behind. This community-centric and grassroots approach seems to have hit the sweet spot in a rugby community that had repeatedly been bashed and overlooked by previous groups trying to launch professional rugby in the USA. Expect it to pick up even more once the season starts and each team opens up the naming process for their clubs.
PRO has confirmed that they plan to double the number of teams in the competition in 2017, which should be a welcome statement to those in the central and eastern USA as well as the fans in Canada who should be in the plans for 2017. I know that there were a lot of people upset by the final teams named. It was inevitable. This is where we need to keep the faith, support the competition as a whole, and be patient. If PRO is a success, there is little doubt that they will expand.
I still hold onto my belief that there are going to multiple professional competitions in the USA before capitalism decides which one is going to dominate the market. Maybe… just maybe, PRO has a chance to get a leg up on the next wave of professional rugby in the USA. Their approach, while questioned for months, is taking hold. Attendance figures will tell the ultimate story, but if what we have seen is any indication, attendance just might surprise some people.
We are living in a monumental time period for rugby in the USA. How many other sports fans alive right now can say that they were there when it all started? Wherever it all leads, know that we are living in history right now. Enjoy it.
What About Texas?
With all of the PRO stuff going on, there are many people wondering what is going on in Texas. In the past year two clubs in Texas announced that they were professionalizing… Griffins Rugby and the Austin Huns. The two sides compete in the USA Rugby Division I Red River Rugby Conference. The latter made a splash just a couple of weeks ago when they announced that Todd Clever was joining their management team. They also released ambitious plans to build a rugby stadium on their current home grounds. Word on the street is that the Austin Blacks and Dallas Reds might not be far behind the Griffins and Huns. If so, then that is four current RRRC members that could be operating at some level of professional rugby. There is a group in Houston also aligning towards professionalism, but it is unclear whether they are aiming to draw a PRO team to Houston or about to start a professional club from scratch.
PRO Rugby has made it clear that they plan to continue to move forward with centralized ownership of their teams, at least for the time being. The estimate is that their long term plan is to prove the concept and then eventually sell off each franchise. Regardless, it would seem that the structure that the Texas teams are operating under would eliminate them from PRO contention.
Could the Red River Rugby Conference be the next professional league to launch? As mentioned before, I absolutely believe there will be multiple iterations of professional rugby in the USA. I also believe that they will eventually align into different levels of play not unlike the levels seen overseas. We may very well be seeing the start of something in Texas. Keep a close eye on it. Given the atmosphere, it could happen.
Could Texas make a go of it? Yes… it is Texas after all.
Eagles Come Up on Summer Tests
Coming off of the ground breaking Americas Rugby Championship, everyone expected the USA to make a splash with their Summer tests. Recent years had seen some good sides coming to the USA during the June Test window. Most expected the USA to get three tests in June, but as of World Rugby publishing the Tier 2 Summer Test schedule, the USA has only managed to draw Russia and Italy to play in June. Both tests are set to be play in California, much to the chagrin of Houston whom had put up some excellent crowds for June tests in recent years.
With the restructure of the Pacific Nations Cup, the USA are also missing out on what was a great competition with a ton of potential. The question is… what happened? Why did the Eagles only get two tests? Did they have to make concessions to get the ARC off the ground? Hard to say.
June 11th is the open weekend on the June test schedule. Both Scotland and France are off that weekend along with the USA. Scotland following the next weekend in Japan and France playing in Argentina. Could the USA have been a good place to stop over for one of those two? Perhaps. Rumors suggest that Scotland was approached, but declined.
Both Russia and Italy will be good opponents. Despite being blasted in regards to their Six Nations performance, Italy is still a decent side and should give the USA their money’s worth. I don’t think anyone is particularly unhappy with Russia and Italy coming, just disappointed that there isn’t a third test in June. After getting a heavy dose of the PNC the last couple of years, fans had become accustomed to more.
Hopefully they’ll be able to work something out with Canada as a year without a test against Canada just seems wrong.
Until next time folks…
