with the recent news of YET again another rugby game that
was suppose to bring in big media attention and potential start of a PRO-LEAGUE
we all want being postponed or delayed, how ever you wish to read it, i feel
like i should write about some reactions including mine of when i heard the
news at first and now that time has passed how feelings are now.
now some may say when RugbyLaw first came out with the news
of a game in august against London Irish
that there is not enough time to bring in the 30k they wanted. We now see that
they to realized that. My question is then why did they even break the news
with so little time if they knew it would have been hard to bring in that many
people. at first I was just as mad as many of those out there that this game
was postponed , but now time has set in i am happy that rugbylaw has seen the
writing on the wall before it goes too far and blows up in everyone’s face of
it being a total failure. they claim that everything is still in place for next
year and they will go with the game, there main point really is to make sure
they can sell those 30k butts in the seat.
i have a few issues with all this. First why target a NFL
stadium, Why not a MLS stadium? I understand the main target for potential
owners is deep NFL pocket owners to use their own stadiums in the off season,
but do you really need a 60-70 thousand seat stadium to show that? To be as ambitious
as to think 30k will be the norm is outrages. Super rugby and Aviva barley get
over 20k on good matches. So what makes us think we can do so much better?
With both back to back big showings
in Huston now with last year’s match and now this year’s 20 thousand crowd you
have to think that it has to have gotten some attention amongst the few
wealthy. What of the so called 10
million investor from New York who poured her money into the supposed Grand
Prix 7s, or why not target mark Cuban.
He has not been quite about his college playing career and how rugby has
helped shape him. With being in Dallas also I sure hope someone is busy trying
to get his attention.
One issue everyone doesn’t really
see is that by having the game one the nfl network you actually limit your
audience. Not everyone and not every provider have NFLN. Besides lining up the
nfl network there should also be a push to get the two matches shown on the NBC
(since they seem to be the only ones interested in showing any usa rugby games)
or why not shoot after fox sports 1. The further you toss your net the more
people eyes you’ll catch.
My last problem I have with
rugbylaw is the recent “bashing” against USA rugby and Nigel. If you are a follower
on twitter you are able to see some exchange between the two. It is not very
professional to call out the CEO of the sport you wish to professionalize, let
alone attack him for the public to see because you never know when both paths
may have to cross down the road. Rugby maybe my number one sport I am
passionate about but like many of you I to have other interest, soccer being
the other. With Rugbylaw constantly putting down the MLS and stating they
are/were a developmental league and that the Rugby League they wish to start
must be full on professional from the beginning is also a bad move for those of
us who sit on both sides of the fence. Regardless if you are a soccer fan or not
you can’t deny then fact that what the mls has done for usa soccer is what we
all wish any rugby league can do the same for the Eagles.(soccer in the USA has
three tiers, MLS,NASL,USL PRO and each are slowly every year gaining more and
more fan support and better deeper pocket owners) Developmental or not there
should be rules set in place to cater more toward the USA/Canada rugby player,
such as it is in northern and southern hemisphere. It took MLS almost 15 years
before more than one club was profitable because even they knew that bringing
in big players from the beginning was a big mistake, then and only then when
there was a clear set path to pull each club out of the red did they start to
give the okay for clubs to sign major stars. To say that each club will have
that right from the get go is not only crazy but horribly wrong decision for
owners. What if said owner of franchise team C is only getting 8k a game and he
already has three or four players signed up for 900k to 2 million. That owner
is going to fold. Start slow and build your way up.
Regardless what all your opinion is
of Rugbylaw, this is the best we have so far the, the closest we will have. The
best thing we all can do is when and if this game is played next year gather as
much people as you can and attend the game. And when the league gets going
support as much as you can, because if the league fails a few years in then you
bet it will be a huge setback for any future development of any other start up
rugby league. Now I am a little sad that this will only take place on the east
coast but after thinking I would be open to a 2nd league starting on
the west coast with obvious potential of merger, and to a small degree welcome
Super rugby to the west coast. It’s just
getting to the point where a majority of us just want something already!
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