Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Kings! Brooklyn KINGS

Aside from the teams added in the south to complement the Axemen, Another big splash in the USARL universe was the formation and addition of the Brooklyn Kings. In pervious posts I would normally ask the questions and handle the difficult task of creating questions to send over, seems easy but in a way its not especially when you want to ask the RIGHT questions. so for this Q&A I decided to turn this chance over to the Fans and those interested in  knowing more info from the KINGS. Thanks to Totalrl.com I was able to put up a posting in the Forum section. To everyone who posted there questions I thank you! so with our further-ado here is your questions and answers , Big thanks to Mathew Bailey from the kings organization for taking the time to answer all these.


·        What market have they targeted in New York, if any, with regard to promoting the team?
MB- We’ve definitely focused on the Brooklyn borough of New York City, with a broader goal of engaging the entire New York metropolitan area.  This is evident in the club’s mission, “To provide Brooklyn and the greater New York City metro area with the opportunity to play, spectate and engage in the sport of Rugby League.”
 

·        What’s the Castleford connection with the Kings?

MB- Castleford Tigers have played a vital role in raising the awareness of our brand. Nick Youngquest was the obvious link, and both Steve Gil and Brett Cullen have been amazing in spreading the Brooklyn Kings love across the UK. We’ve sold memberships worldwide, the majority coming from Castleford and nearby areas. Cas fans are one of a kind and have really thrown their support behind us. Their messages continue to come in every week, and these are the types of encouragement that make all the hard work worthwhile. Hopefully we can continue to build on this relationship, and one day repay Castleford fans with a friendly match in their home town.
 

·        Given that the rival organization has pretty much folded, have you had any contact with AMNRL players looking for games?
MB- We haven’t actively approached AMNRL players, but since there is no other active Rugby League team in New York this season, we’ve had a few Conneticut Wildcats and New York Knights players come over and play. We’ve welcomed them with open arms, and many of these guys are experienced, talented Americans who have played a huge role in developing the new guys who are playing their very first season of Rugby League. 
 
·        Is there much of a chance of getting the sport into local schools? 

MB- Absolutely.  The school where we play at, Midwood High School, has already approached us to develop a program to implement in 2015. We’ve also had expressed interest from other schools in Brooklyn. We’re working closely with the AYRLA to successfully get this program up and running. We consider grassroots the #1 priority in developing the sport on a national level.
 

·        Do you fancy touring Denmark?
MB- Who wouldn’t? Pastries and Caroline Wozniacki. I’m sold. In all seriousness, tours to various parts of the globe are a dream and are on the radar when funding allows. We have an exciting announcement next week regarding the Brooklyn Kings and other parts of the world. Stay tuned.
 

·        In a city such as New York, with several competing sports, what will be the niche for rugby league?
 
MB- New York loves its sport. Yes, it is a saturated market, but tickets continue to sell out for just about every one of those sports. I believe we will find Rugby League fans in American Football fans, particularly in their off-season, in the same way Australian’s LOVE watching Cricket in the summer, primarily because the footy (NRL and AFL) is on break. I think we can fill that sporting void in summer. There are many similarities between Rugby League and Football, and many Americans comment on how much more exciting our game is once they get a taste of it. We just need to get it in their faces. And we are slowly doing so. Additionally, very few sports call Brooklyn home, so we have a HUGE opportunity to feed that market.
 

·        What growing amateur sports can you look to for inspiration? 

MB- Definitely Major League Soccer. The MLS has soared to success in the last ten years or so, and Rugby League should try and follow a similar model. Following RLIF recognition, funding and media attention will follow, giving us greater scope for grass roots and development, and up and away from there. We’re in a good space to follow the path of the MLS.
 

·        What area of Brooklyn are you based in? 

MB- This year we trained and played out of Midwood High School. Over the off-season we will re-evaluate where we are at and move forward with either renewing our agreement of establishing a new relationship that is more beneficial to the club moving forward.
 

·        What sports do you look for players?
MB- Any and all. This year alone we’ve seen Football, Basketball and Soccer players come over in their off-season, and they’ve all loved it and improved vastly in a short period of time.
 

·        Do you think NYC could handle having another team based in Manhattan/Queens? 

MB- I think so. We’ve seen guys travelling up to two hours for training and games, and we’ve registered nearly 40 players. That’s just year one. I’d like to see the Brooklyn Kings consolidate their place in NYC before further teams were added, but down the track I can definitely see additional teams from Manhattan, Jersey, Connecticut etc. It would definitely be a positive move for the USARL, as long as the time is right and as little disruption is caused to existing clubs.
 

·        What's your 5 year plan?
MB- Our plan this year was to a) be successful off the field as a business and b) be competitive on the field. I 100% believe we achieved this. Moving forward over the next 4 years I want to place key emphasis on building our playing group (skills AND team culture/brotherhood). We’ve successfully built an attractive brand and built hype in the Rugby League world (Australia, NZ, UK etc). I want to continue giving back to these fans abroad by implementing innovative ways to interact with us, both during games and in general. This is a tough challenge, but a fun project for all of us to work on. Hopefully streaming of games is just around the corner, as well as live Q&A’s via platforms like UStream. These fans have been early adopters of the Kings and essentially made this club possible. I also want to put strong strategy into engaging the local community to build a following here in Brooklyn and New York that is just as big as our following overseas. I want to get into schools, attract the students and begin the local King culture.
 

·        I'd be interested to know what your budget is, particularly given the distances you're travelling (Boston, RI, Philly and DC). How much of this is funded by the players themselves. What revenue streams do you have?

MB- Players pay dues/fees of $200. This helps us cover costs for our team kits (which they get to keep at the end of the season), as well as travel/accommodation to all away games. Other revenue streams have been via sponsors, Savory Pie Guy, Kent Ale House and Sixpoint Brewery. Without these guys we wouldn’t be here today. We’ve also had to get creative with fundraising nights, membership drives and other events. Our operating budget is quite sizable for a first year team, but we’ve made it by largely thanks to our fantastic sponsor and member family.
 

·        Are you from New York or somewhere in Yorkshire? 

MB- Neither. I’m originally an Aussie, from Wollongong, NSW. I’m 24, graduated from a sports business degree in Sydney, worked for two years in sports sponsorship at the Nine Network, quit my job and travelled to New York on a working visa. Having played here in 2010, I thought this time I’d start my own team with fellow previous teammate, Justin Coffman.

 

·        What impact, if any, did last year's World Cup have on recruitment, enthusiasm, awareness etc.? 

MB- To be honest, very little. Most of my guys are brand new to the game of Rugby League so had little knowledge of the world cup. Although, now they definitely aspire to one day represent their country, which is absolutely achievable.
 
·        Why Brooklyn and the name kings?
MB- Brooklyn, because I live here and it is already a global brand. And the Kings because it is Kings County. Blue and Gold are also the colors of the flag.
 

·        What is the Status of USARL being sanction from RLIF? 

MB- Currently under application review with all requirements fulfilled. We’re looking forward to good news any moment now.


 Twitter: @BrooklynKingsRL
Website: brooklynkingsrugby.com   
 
 
*next up is the northern Virginia Eagles , please submit any questions you have by Saturday: Totalrl.com post listing

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