Battle of Californian preparation begins now.

Get ready LA !

CRL Pt.2

Apologies for the delay on part 2, here is part two of the Q&A on the CRL.

• It is well known there was a lot of disdain between league and Union internationally but for those of us in the Americas it is like a blank canvas, do you think league and Union coexist on some level?

TS- I have had the same speech over and over again with many people that there is no need to have a league v union mindset in the USA. This school of though is a product of countries with smaller populations who all fight for a market share in a small pie.

• How can people who are interested follow the California rugby league and the developments

TS- Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Website, Emails. We have a focus of promoting our product to the world, which in this day and age is easier then ever.

• Is there a chance to have the game streamed online through some avenue?

TS- The game will be stream online, we are working closely with a production company to provide the best game day experience.

• If players interested is the door still open?

TS- Yes, LA recruitment day is Sept 21st, there is still a chance to impress. SF players will have right up until a week before the clash to stake a claim at playing.

• Will nines be used as a developmental tool?

TS- Not at this stage, we will be looking at sending a team to Carolina this year.

• Many currently club struggle to hold playing numbers will there be a requirement or at least a push to set up some form of an academy system for those clubs involved with the California rugby league?

TS- At this stage our focus is on fostering a positive community where we can all learn the game and develop our skills. The addition of Johnny Manning and Lance Hohaia as coaches has been a great step for us in providing top level experiences for our players. Down the line there will be a greater focus on developing younger players.

• In the episode of a while back on the American rugby league podcast (paraphrasing) there was a suggestion that League can be taught to college players in the union offseason and how both codes can benefit from this is that a possible option?

TS- I have played union and league my whole life and it always gave me a leg up in the defensive side of the union game. Secondly my league game always benefited from the passing and kicking elements of union.

• How can supporters show their support for the California rugby league now and moving forward

TS- Get out to the game on Dec 7th in San Francisco or watch it on the live stream. Merchandise will be available online in the coming days.

• It is 2025 what is the status of the California rugby league? 

TS- in 2025 the competition will extend throughout the west coast. I would love to see teams/games in areas like Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Utah and San Diego.

• Lastly if anyone has any questions or would like to reach out to you or others involve how can they do so?

TS- Social media is a great place to start.

I urge you all to make it out to SFGG home field on treasure island. Be sure to check out the CRL website and purchase a amazing Hat! 

https://california-rl.com/

* Even though I play Union and this site predominantly posts Union articles I'm still a great fan of rugby league and I'm always learning. it is unfortunate that now that I no longer live in the Bay Area that rugby league will be making its debut how I wish I was still there to help make it impact. we need to not look at this as one code versus the other but more as a complimentary to each other there's many great things that has a union player and Coach we can learn and benefit from league and League from union. 

many players after the 15 season is done still do not like to play sevens or only play sevens for fun but would like to play any more serious competition. League would be a great tool for those on the west coast to continue playing in the off-season of Union if they choose to stay with Union as the primary code. And also another avenue which would benefit strictly league players to.

 I would like to make one suggestion that the powers that be from the CRL is to highly look into placing a team in San Jose. A population of 1 million people with limited entertainment from the sport side( sorry the forty niners even though in Santa Clara are still marketed as San Franciscos team) it is a good location to try to place a team and get going but they need to market them not as a Bay Area team but I strictly San Jose's team especially is there is plans to have more then one team play in the area. The Bay Area is a tricky place each corner of the Bay Area see them self's as independent from each other and does not like to be lumped in with just San Francisco.  

I encourage those who are reading this who are living in the Bay Area or close by like Sacramento and Fresno and further to make it out there on December 7th. Take a friend take your team ,men's ,women's, youth and college enjoy the match. you will not be disappointed and you will come way excited and passionate. 

California Rugby League pt1.

Part one of a two part Q&A with Tom Stephenson , the man who will be helping make history for Rugby League in California and the catalyst for something bigger. The big day is Dec.7th on treasure island in the San Francisco Bay Area.

To jump right in here's part 1. 

• Brief history of yourself and playing career and how you came to found California rugby league?

TS- I came to the USA in 2017 to play for the White Plains Wombats in the USARL, I played for them again in 2018. In early 2019 my partner and I moved to California. My good friend and former team mate Matt Walsh was living in LA and I was living in SF. One afternoon I sent him a text saying, "How good would SF v LA be in a game of league". I didn't think about it too much for a few weeks until my friend from Australia, Robert Bergin put me in touch with some people he knew who had been trying to get some rugby league in California. So I took the reigns on it and now have had expressions of interest from 90+ players in LA and SF and a game on Dec 7th.

• The players that will fill out both teams will they exclusively be League players or are there also Union players involved?

TS- Most of the men in the game have a background of Union. Thankfully there is a community of Australians, Tongans and Fijians who all grew up playing and watching the game and now they finally have an outlet to express themselves on the League field. 

• Why San Francisco and Los Angeles, why not San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oakland, San Jose or Sacramento?

TS-Good question, This was a strategic move to undersupply and understate our ambition to gather a larger demand. I have seen organizations grow too fast and teams are desperate for players every week. With the 2 teams and the 1 game in 2019 it gives us an opportunity to build the foundations of a stable competition over a few year period. Oakland, San Diego and Sacramento are all areas that have attracted positive responses and will be pe

• How did you choose the names and color schemes for these teams, were they done intentionally?

TS-People have tried before to get Rugby League in California going and haven't had much success, I believe it's because they play off the typical, 'surfers' and 'palm tree's' look of California. That's possibly only an outsiders perception. The real California is gritty. The California we all know and love and identify with is less Beach Boys and a lot more NWA. The names came from conversations with friends from around the world. The color scheme mirrors the red v blue rivalry we have seen numerous times through history.

• What is the next step after the match is played?

TS-We are in talks with West-Canada for another game in California in 2019. Hopefully this eventuates, if not we will be looking to out together 5 weeks of competition in 2020.

• is a long-term goal for California rugby league to eventually join the USARL or to forge your own path? 

TS-When this was started I was very extensive in my research of the USARL and how our organizations could work together to assist the game in the US. What I concluded was that the best way to assist the growth of the game was to provide this west coast talent a pathway to the USA national side. This has been established recently with the Head Coach confirming he is interested in hearing and seeing west coast talent.

• Have you spoken with any other interested parties outside California such as those in the Pacific Northwest or the Southwest regions to form some type of collaboration?

TS-I have a close relationship with a number of people doing similar things to what we are doing. The boys in the west of Canada, as previously mentioned we are working on creating a few opportunities there. Andy who is running Carolina is someone we have planned to collaborate on building the wheelchair game in California and we are working with Nate the president of the Women's game to aid his vision. I have reached out to people in Hawaii multiple times but never heard back from them.

Part 2 will be out shortly , I highly recommend adding California Rugby League

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