Texas Moves Towards Professional Rugby

While PRO Rugby now holds the distinction of being the first fully professional domestic rugby competition on American soil, it will almost certainly not be the last. Rumors have circulated of various upstart competitions, involving both North and South American teams, one of which was said to be spearheaded by a group in Texas.

The whispers took a more serious turn when the Huns, centered in Austin, announced in March that Eagles captain Todd Clever had entered an agreement with the club as a co-owner and strategic partner. This was followed swiftly by a partnership with French Top 14 club Racing 92. Both moves were driven by a desire to create a professional environment through the exchange of coaching ideas and brand development resources, as well as possible player exchanges between the two sides.

Also part of the immediate plan in Austin is to build an impressive rugby-specific complex on 34 acres of property at the junction of Walnut Creek and the Colorado River. With two fields already in place, a third is planned at the site of a proposed stadium with a capacity nearing 10,000.

Meanwhile in Dallas, the Griffins are also dreaming big. A very young club, founded in 2008 by UK-expats Phil Camm and Bill Bingham, it is now co-owned by the pair along with San Antonio native Dr. Matthew Roberson. The Griffins are negotiating a lease and development deal for land owned by the City of Allen, with plans including a similar multi-field complex complete with a stadium.

Both clubs currently compete in the Red River Division 1 Conference, an amateur competition in Texas but both already employ some of their players as full-time professional players during the season. The Griffins currently boast former England 7s rep and Worcester Warriors flanker Jake Abbott on their roster, while Portuguese international Rui D’Orey plays for the Huns.

Camm, acting as Managing Director for the Griffins, and Huns President Richard Osborn released a joint statement this week to clarify their position:

“Our plan is simply the next step in American rugby. While Doug Schoninger’s PRO Rugby continues to build, the almost overnight introduction of a privately owned and operated new league doesn’t alter the fact that many clubs have been building towards this for years. We want more, quality rugby and don’t see this as a rival to PRO but rather a different approach that stems from the hard work and dedication of the entire rugby community.

“There have been several statements made by people outside our group claiming that we want to challenge PRO legally or object to the manner in which that league has been implemented. This is not our position! We have had discussions with PRO and are open to continue that dialog as we are with any rugby organization or stakeholder that wishes to know more. USA Rugby has had a presence at the majority of our meetings and has expressed support and we look forward to working within the existing USA Rugby structure as closely as possible.

The plan started as a way to move the Red River D1 league into a ‘Premiership’ era but given the overwhelming interest from clubs around the country we are re-examining ways to include a larger geographical area. Our focus is on making rugby a commercial success and our definition of professional is as much about the behind the scenes infrastructure as it is about player salaries.

“Both are important to grow the league to where we can one day rival those overseas. We aim to implement strict development standards and timelines for any clubs involved but equally, we understand the value of a measured and scalable expansion.

“We will attempt to keep the information coming as our development is fleshed out and we value the input of the amazing depth of experience and insight found in the American rugby community, without whom no professional league can succeed.”