California Bear in the North East

Rugby League has seen a explosion of clubs and the player pool over the last four years has grown tremendously , and for the first time in a long time the waters have calmed for the 2024 season and all competitions are competing under one governing banner. Anson Jiang is the man in charge leading the newly rebranded Boston Bears into battle for the season. Anson comes from the west coast and union playing background but has a passion for rugby League and pushing the code forward with the cooperation from the North Sydney Bears. The the beasts of the east are preparing to be the flag bearers of a new age for development of rugby league in America.

LLR- Where did you first start playing rugby?

A- I first started playing rugby at San Jose State University sometime around Fall 2012 after seeing a flier at the gym at SJSU.

LLR- How was your time playing at SJSU, any memorable moments stick out?

A- I had a lot of fun playing at SJSU and made a lot of great friends along the way. I think there are too many memories that stood out while playing at SJSU like the UCSC Slugfest tournament, going to Reno to play against UNR and playing in the alumni games.

LLR- When did you start playing Rugby League and for what club?

A- I started playing in 2019 a week after moving to Boston from San Francisco. One of my teammates and coach from the San Jose Seahawks played Rugby League before and asked if I was interested in playing. The first club I played for was with White Plains Wombats at the time and played against the Boston 13s for a game and ended up joining the Boston 13s afterwards.

LLR- How was the transition from playing union to playing league, what was the hardest part coming from one code into another?

A- The transition wasn't too bad since they are both collision sports and requires carrying the ball and tackling. I think the hardest part was learning the rules of the game like playing the ball correctly and having to run back 10 meters on defense.

LLR- The Boston Bears, formerly the 13’s, has been yet another positive factor some may say from the Las Vegas NRL event where new relationships have developed from international sides with a USA based club team. How has the process and any feedback been since the partnership was started between Boston and North Sydney?

A- Our e-board was able to get this setup so all the credit goes to them. The process overall has been amazing and pleasurable with North Sydney who has been nothing but helpful as well as respectful to the Boston 13’s heritage and history. They have worked with us every step of the way. We are excited with this new partnership and seeing what the future has in store for us.

LLR- Where do the Bears hold home matches during the season?

A- Last year, we held our home matches at Mignone Field at Harvard University, but this year we are going between having it at Grellier Field in Newton, MA and Pine Banks Field in Malden, MA. We are welcoming anyone to come practice with us at Newton Highlands Playground on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30PM.

LLR- How many players on the team also play or come from a union playing background?

A- I believe most of our players if not all of them have played or are currently playing union with a club around the Greater Boston area.

LLR- What's your opinion on playing rugby league here in America, can both union and league coexist, do both have something to offer the other for players interested or should it be one or the other?

A- I think they can both coexist in America since they are fun sports to play and some of the skills from both codes are transferable to one another such as tackling, ball carrying and passing.

LLR- What would you say to those who are skeptical about playing rugby league, or to those who think it's a bad idea?

A- I'd say give it a try. You'll never know and you might end up liking the sport instead.

LLR- For the first time ever all four regions of rugby league major competitions are competing under one governing USARL umbrella, RLU (north east), PCRL (west coast), URL (Rockies ) and FRL (south east), How has the relationship been between your team and others around the country?

A- The relationship between every one of the conferences and teams has been great. Although we play each other in our respective divisions we all support each other and want rugby league to grow in the United States. Every team no matter what always has respect for the next team and at the end of the day we are excited and pleased that we are all unified in the same league with the USARL.

LLR- Words of encouragement for anyone considering starting their own rugby league club?

A- I'd say to get as many people interested as possible. The rugby league community has been great and we all are supportive of each other and have a common goal of growing the sport in the US.

LLR- How can fans follow your journey, the Boston bears and show support?

A- Instagram: @bostonbears.rl

LLR- Boston Bears playing a friendly against an Oregon rugby league team sounds like a good time, wouldn't it be a site?

A- I agree since this will be a great opportunity as this will help both clubs prepare for the matches in their respective conferences.

Unity through Rugby

Change is coming, slowly but it is coming. over the last few years the health of rugby League in the USA has been on a decline and then for the most part a sudden blow up. currently there is still only 1 Governing body but now four competitions. Two out west and two out east, its hard to know exactly what is happening and who has the right formula to move the game forward. Over the course of time my plan is to speak with all parties involved to help shed light on where the code of League is going in America. Thus far the Pacific Coast Rugby League has been the only party willing to answer, others have been reached out to such as the USARL , Championship Rugby League and Rugby League United. Championship has responded but still waiting for answers from that organization and when they come in they will be posted soon as possible. I appreciate Ady from PCRL for responding to some questions I hope helps everyone learn a little bit more on they're development and how they are helping to grow the game and improve the National teams, all while unifing players from all backgrounds through Rugby regardless of union or league. 

LLR- How has 2023 gone so far for development of the teams involved?  

A- We have made great progress over the past 12 months. Our original plan was to play a one off game between Los Angeles Mongrel and San Diego Barracudas, however, we had other teams reach out to us with interest of joining our league. We currently have 4 teams with the Los Angeles Bandidos and Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans joining the fold. We expect to announce additional teams in the coming weeks.

LLR- Do any of the teams involved have their own website or social media accounts? 

A- Yes, see below:

LA Mongrel Insta @la_mongrel

  Twitter @la_mongrel

  FB /lamongrel

  Web www.lamongrel.com

SD Barracudas Insta @sd_barracudas

  Twitter @SD_Barracudas

  FB /SDbarracudas

  Web www.sdbarracudas.com

LA Bandidos Insta @bandidos_rl

  Twitter @lBandidosRL

  FB (Search Bandidos Rugby League)

  Web www.bandidosrugbyleague.com

Dead Pelicans Insta @deadrugby

  Twitter @DeadRugby

  FB /DeadPelicanRugby

  Web www.lamongrel.com

PCRL Insta @pacificcoastrl

  Twitter @pacificcoastrl

  FB /pacificcoastrl

  Web www.pacificcoastrl.com

LLR- How can potential players in the various teams markets get in touch if they would like to play ?  

A- There is a signup form on the Pacific Coast Rugby League website https://www.pacificcoastrl.com/contact

LLR- Is there any financial assistance for the teams who have to travel outside their home towns to matches, and if so in what form?  

A- Our model is based around teams being self-sufficient, we provide support to teams in numerous different ways including assistance with sponsorship, formulation of teams including but not limited to creation of their constitution, bylaws, code of conduct, 501(c)(3) applications etc. We have been very clear that the league is self-funded and that teams cannot be reliant on the league to cover the individual team expenses. We have seen that when sponsorship is pulled at league level it has an immediate impact to clubs. We encourage all teams to work with their local business partners to help grow locally and organically.  

In addition we recognize the travel implications for all teams so will be looking to host multiple games at one venue to limit the expense and travel commitments.

If the league secures a long term significant sponsor, then we will review this policy accordingly.

LLR- Where can fans find rosters for each of the teams?  

A- Rosters will be posted by individual clubs through a combination of their websites and social media channels. All players will also need to register with USARL under our league rules.

LLR- On the union side of things players have to register with the Governing Body, are players with the PCRL having to do something similar with yourselves or USARL?  

A- Players are required to register directly with USARL, currently we do not charge players or teams to participate in our competition.  

LLR- Can you provide insight as to what is happening with the national governing body, are players from the PCRL eligible for the men's and women's National sides?  

A- PCRL was sanctioned as an official competition under the NGB and all players who play in our competion who must register with USARL are eligible for selection as long as they meet the criteria for the national team, (and are good enough) the fee is nominal in comparison to the fees paid to USA Rugby Union. The IRL is working with USARL on governance and a new board is due to be voted in for 2024. Teams registered as full members with USARL will hold voting rights and be eligible to sit for positions on the board.

LLR- How has the Pacific Coast Rugby League been received here in America and internationally?  

A- We have had some great feedback from the rugby league community as a whole, our decision to be transparent certainly helps given the complexities and politics in Rugby League in America. We continue to offer our monthly town hall and hold bi-weekly meetings between member teams. We continue to promote the sport across all social media channels and have support throughout Europe and Australasia as well as here in America

LLR- How is the relationship between the League clubs and local union teams, do you think it's a recipe that can be replicated for other markets in the USA?  

A- We have had great success working with local Union teams, this was highlighted in what we believe was a first here in America where both league and union games were combined in a single day event. You may recall we worked with San Diego Legion to host two union games for their development and youth teams against Belmont Shore, sandwiched in between a women’s introduction to rugby league clinic and the league game between Mongrel and Barracudas. Furthermore LA Mongrel have close links to Eagle Rock Rugby Union and the Bandidos close ties to Belmont Shore. The Dead Pelicans go one step further and play both codes under the one name.

LLR- What more can fans expect going forward this year? 

A- We have a number of ongoing projects including a men’s game between the Bandidos and Dead Pelican and a dedicated SOCAL v NORCAL women’s game which will be the lead into our season which is slated to run June through August with all of our games being recorded and then posted to YouTube. Further events will be announced in due course, but per our policy, will not release details until everything is in place.

LLR- Are there discussions for plans on next year, can you share a bit what those might be?  

A- We hope to build on 2023 and continue with our expansion plans. It is important to build clusters of teams throughout the western region to limit travel and accommodation expenses for teams, we will bring them together for dedicated events as well as end of season playoffs. All interested teams should register at: https://www.pacificcoastrl.com/contact

LLR- Last one, if there players from Rugby Union who maybe on the fence or have been told not to play League. What would you like to say to them on why they should at least give it a try, and same for those from other sports.  

A- We are firm advocates that players should play both codes, our season structure will compliment the Union season and we do not want to clash with their schedule. We believe there are benefits for all players learning a new style of rugby and maintaining fitness and keeping skills sharp instead of taking long breaks between seasons. Many of the lessons learned in rugby league translate over to Union and vice versa, you see many former professional and international level league players coaching at the highest levels of the Union game. Similarly, we are keen to see crossover athletes try our sport, many have the dream of say making the NFL after college and completely stop all sports, we know once they try playing rugby league that they will be hooked. We do not want to limit this to football players and welcome athletes from any background to try rugby league.

I hope this has been helpful in some form and I implore anyone interested in playing to reach out to any of the current club teams and the PCRL as well. 

#RugbyforALL

#RugbyLeague

The Battery

The Barracuda Rugby League team are making some big moves ahead of their new League start. They've made connections with the MLR team San Diego Legion and have hosted a women's combine, proving once again that in America rugby League and Union can and should work for the betterment of both codes and player development.  Even though the club is young they have made some wonderful power moves. As founding members of the PCRL they look to help expand the code of Rugby League not just in the city of San Diego but across the west coast and to be stewards of top quality rugby for American players to strive for. Ben Calverley,  head coach, from the Barracudas answered some questions I had and I hope you all enjoy in return. I highly suggest checking out the team store online and picking up some awesome swag, logo is great and color scheme is very unique.  

LLR- The Barracudas recently submitted an application to join the USARL, how soon till we hear news if you along with the others from the PCRL have been accepted?

B-The Barracudas have applied to be a full member of USARL, playing under the PCRL umbrella as an official affiliate league to USARL. We're confident we will hear good news very soon hopefully!

LLR- What other programs do the Barracudas offer besides a senior men's team ?

B- We currently offer both men's and women's teams. We are very keen to build a youth section in the coming years - we have a plan developing, but need to get some more coaches qualified down here in order to start delivering that and creating a sustainable future here. We are a small band behind the scenes, but growing! Now that we are back up and running again this year, it's certainly something we will be looking at.

LLR- Are there efforts being made to spread the game amongst the youth in San Diego and the surrounding area?

B- See above

LLR- What's the reception been with union clubs in the area?

B-We have quite a few of our players who also play union, and I think their union clubs have seen the benefits to their players' skills of playing league too. In our first year, we didn't really have too much interaction with the clubs themselves, but this year we are building a good relationship with the MLR side here, the San Diego Legion - we just put on a full day event with them up in Long Beach on December 10 that was a roaring success (despite the men's game result for us!).

LLR- The Cooney-Calverley cup was last weekend, for those who don't know like myself, how did the name come to be?

B- The Cooney-Calverley Cup is a nod to the two founding head coaches of the LA Mongrel and the San Diego Barracudas, Ady Cooney and Ben Calverley. They are both Englishmen who grew up playing rugby league only about 20 miles apart in Yorkshire - a real rugby league hotbed. There is a lot of mutual respect between the coaches and clubs, but it's a fierce rivalry as we saw at the weekend. Unfortunately we weren't able to get the result this time out, but we're confident the next iteration in 2023 will see the cup come home to America's Finest City for the first time.

LLR- Will any matches be shown live anywhere?

B- All our matches will be available on the PCRL youtube channel (youtube.com/@pacificcoastrl).

LLR- Where do you see the code of League in the USA at in 5 years along where the Barracudas will be?

B- It's no secret to anyone that League in the USA over the years has had a rocky journey. However, we're really excited about the structures and pathways we are putting in place with PCRL, we believe in growing the game and being as transparent as possible about how we do things - all of our clubs are a part of our family and have a voice in the league. We hope that in 5 years the PCRL will be an established league on the West Coast with strong men's and women's conferences (and maybe even wheelchair clubs?) aligned to USARL, the national governing body. That will improve the pool of talent that the national teams can draw on, and hopefully we can start to see that translate to the USA moving up the rankings.

LLR- What are the best ways for fans locally and afar to follow along with the journey?

B- Fans can find us online at sdbarracudas.com, on twitter, instagram, and TikTok at @sd_barracudas, and on facebook at @SDBarracudas. All of our games will be on the PCRL youtube channel, youtube.com/@pacificcoastrl.

LLR- Lastly, will USA qualify for 2025 and what is the PCRL doing to make it happen on their end?

B-We certainly hope so! On the women's side, our head coach Ben is also the assistant coach for the USA Hawks, so we're fully invested in seeing them make it to France in 2025. We're uncovering some talents over here on the west coast in both the men's and women's game, and we believe there are due to be talent ID camps on the west coast this year that we will be getting our players into peak condition for!

Ben C Calverley

Head Coach

San Diego Barracudas RL

@sd_barracudas

sdbarracudas.com

#GrowtheGame #RugbyForAll

Dead Birds Fly Together.

    In one of the hot beds of rugby union in America is a rugby league club that looks to be the first step to also making the Bay Area rugby leagues hot bed. Located in the north side of the San Francisco bay area are the Dead Pelicans. Only a few years old they are looking to make some big moves as they prepare for the 2023 season and beyond, they move over from the California Rugby League and join the newly created Pacific Coast Rugby League and the 4th California team. As someone who was born and raised in the bay area I am excited to see a rugby league club growing the game and having such a impact in their community, I hope there will some day be a club in San Jose (my home town). Along with EPA razorbacks and SF Savage the puzzle pieces are beginning to fall into place. Thank you very much to Robert Beasley from the DP's for taking the time to answer some questions I hope you all enjoy. 

LLR- First thing is first, the name is amazing. How did Dead Pelicans get chosen as a team name?

RB- Thank you! We pride ourselves on being a player-run organization and taking polls amongst our players is how we make most of our decisions. Which is how we got our name and our colors. The Dead Pelican name was created by a player and it was the option that got the most votes by a long shot. The name also made sense because the Nor-Cal Select side for HS, Collegiate, and men's club is called the Pelicans. And our first team ever, had nothing but players who were at some point in their career Pelicans. Thus, we were all Dead Pelicans.

LLR- You are located in the North Bay , where exactly on the north side are you located?

RB- We went by North Bay in the past but we are actually changing our location to be more exact. We will be switching to the Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans. We are located in Santa Rosa, CA, the heart of wine country.

LLR- How often are practices held, and where do you plan to hold matches?

RB- We will be practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Santa Rosa, CA. We will start practices in April 2023.

LLR- Will games be streamed on any platform?

RB- Yes. We have some of our past games on Youtube already. But PCRL will be streaming our matches during the season.

LLR- How many players are currently registered to play and how has recruiting been?

RB- Our player pool in Northern California is about 100 deep and about 150 Nationwide. But for the PCRL season we plan to be very selective in our recruitment to ensure that we put forth the best team possible every round. We will welcome every player who wishes to be a Dead Pelican to participate and have a fair chance at earning their way onto our roster every round as well. 

We have a great core group of players who have been playing together for over 2 years, who have already committed to playing in the 2023 season.

LLR- Will the Dead Pelicans field a womens side also?

RB- We will not field a women's team for the 2023 PCRL season but we will attempt to field a women's side to play a match or 2 in 2023.

LLR- How has the reception been with the local Union Clubs?

RB- All of our players play for union clubs and a good amount of them are officers for their home union clubs and they are fully supportive. We are currently in discussion with For Pete's Sake (FPS) NPO about using the FPS field as our practice and game field.

LLR- You once were associated with California Rugby League and I assume the Commision also, why the move to the PCRL ?

RB- As it pertains to CRL, It just did not work out.

As for the move to the PCRL, their mission aligns with ours in growing the game on the west coast of America.

LLR- Do the Dead Pelicans plan to play matches against teams from the commission for rugby league?

RB- We have very long and tremendous relationships with both the East Palo Alto Razorbacks and the Sacramento Immortals, so we foresee many matches being scheduled and played with them in 2023.

LLR- Are there plans to bring on more teams throughout northern California and western states?

RB- From our conversations with PCRL, the hope is that more teams from Northern California and Oregon join the fold as well.

LLR- What can we expect in 2023 from the Dead Pelicans , how can people interested follow along?

RB- You can expect the Dead Pelicans to play a fast, hard hitting, High flying, and exciting brand of rugby league that is only going to come from a team based in Santa Rosa, CA. Follow us on Insta and also follow PCRL for league updates.

LLR- What's the best way for potential players, coaches and sponsors to get a hold of someone from the team?

RB- They can contact us directly by email at Deadpelicans@gmail.com. They can also private message us on Instagram @DeadRugby.

LLR- What do you say to those who are looking to a club to support , why the Dead Pelicans?

RB- Well as mentioned previously, we play a very fast, hard hitting style of the game. I think we are the closest thing to the Penrith Panthers in the US. I know that is a very bold statement... but we are a very bold team!

NARL... thoughts and opinions (Update 5/20)

Well where to begin. I'm just going to dive right in with my thoughts and opinions on the NARL and what's transpired so far and my current thoughts. 

 Do I wish and hope that the league does get going does succeed yes absolutely. Do I also think that there is a place for a professional rugby league league here, yes. 

 But has the NARL done anything to make me believe that they are the ones to do it, no. From the very beginning the announcement was rushed and very bullish.. To start a new league in the middle of a pandemic let alone with teams stretched across this country was slim to none to mske anyone think it was believable.  The announcement came out of know where, there was no combine,  no out reach to the local communities in each of the markets and also there is barely even a League player pool to choose from. I can say for a fact that being in Oregon and at the time trying to start our own rugby league competition here , I did reach out to the so called Portland team. I got a response to an email welcoming me and agreeing to a phone call so we could try and build a relationship.  The day of the phone call was supposed to happen I realized I never got a phone number to actually call. When I asked again what number should I dial I was met with nothing. To this day I never ever have received anything. Now side note I did have to step away from getting Oregon Rugby League happening due to my family growing and work taking up time. Also I would like to toss out there is anyone wants to try and get League going in Oregon it is doable and there are Union players who want to play. There was enough who showed up in Salem to start a team and potential enough players out there to start 3 or 4 of them. 

As of right now,  5/2/2022 there is no website. No way of purchasing tickets or information on home stadiums. Inactive on social media's. A few individual clubs have shown activity but other then a recent combine by a few nothing concrete. The NARL or its clubs have given me much to want to support the league or throw much support behind them. 

I would like to see the NARL and its members just admit that 2022 will not happen and to regroup and focus on 2023. Give every team a chance to hold combines, nail down home venues  and vendors. Establish a legitimate front office staff. Go to rugby union clubs and offer the players a chance to come out, hit up the MLR player pool and those who aren't selected in the player draft let them know they too have a chance on making one of their teams. Union and League can work together here in North America,  there are great examples of such relationships right now. Those who say no and it's one way or the other are those who want a closed system and of closed minded. That statement goes for both union and league people. 

Games need to be made available and easy to watch. As great as a tool that Facebook live is, it also comes off as tacky and not professional. YouTube is a good step but maybe strive for something more. ESPN + although maybe behind a pay wall is the most legitimate cheap way of getting your product out and seen. But I will say why not approach the folks at The Rugby Network? Yes I know it's all union but they also are in need of more content for the app and if the NARL can show that they can provide more subscribers and potential paying customers then I'm sure TRN will be willing to listen. I would like to see at least the "game of the week" broadcasted there. 

But this all means nothing if the NARL falls flat yet again. Still no form for American based fans to buy tickets, no news of a 6th team, no true broadcaster. The leaks of people saying be patient news is coming means nothing to the majority of potential fans the league is losing out on with every day that goes by. The teams may get those 10 or so hard-core fans to show up but the league will fail with a cheap looking game put together.  

Update- we are here at the start of the competition yet, there is no tickets available to buy. DC team is the only one who played a preseason match. they told us all that the match will be live streamed but day of the match there was nothing. even now there still isnt any footage, the game was against a rugby union team. still no 6th team. i and everyone else would just love to see the whole group come out and just say this year is not happening. they fell behind the 8 ball and this is just not going to happen. i would like to see the NARL do all teams a favor and put together a test season by having the teams play against other league teams from California competition and BC league along with the remaining Northern division from the USARL. get these players a chance to play and newer players a chance to still learn the code, but oh well who am i?

2nd update of today 5/20. Now the NARL is stating that there will be a preseason match on June 4th between Atlanta and DC. 24hrs before the first game of the season and the league has now decided to change the start. But up till now it has been radio silence for weeks! 

Rugby league opinion.

 Now that Rugby League in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have had there champions crowned its time to take a breath and step back and review the season that just was. there was a lot of drama on and off the field. primarily with covid issues stopping and starting play. i for one was very grateful that here in America Fox Sports was able to place some NRL matches on their more primary broadcasting channels in FS1 and FS2, something the AFL has actually been enjoying getting their style of footy out to the masses here. unfortunately Super League was a bit more of stretch to watch. Chris Reid who is the Central American Rugby League founder and also the master mind behind California Rugby League , was gracious enough to answer a few burning questions I had. hope you all enjoy!

LLR- Now that the NRL and Super League have ended, did the season play out the way you thought it would, with the exception of Covid issue. 

CR- The season seemed to be turned on its head after the COVID break. I believe the implementation of the 6 Again rule (where a ref will call 6 again for minor infractions instead of a scrum) was the catalyst for the sudden change in some team's fortunes. The Brisbane Broncos totally collapsed, the Panthers went on a ridiculous undefeated run and the Titans also finished very strongly with their new coach.

LLR- What are some key storylines fans should keep an eye on in the off season?

CR- Hopefully there's not too much controversy this off-season. The Titans are really building a great squad for next year with David Fifita moving from the Broncos. Cameron Smith's decision on whether he will play on or retire will be the big story. I'm very interested in seeing where Benji Marshall ends up.

LLR- There's always great debate on which is better, NRL or SL. which is better and why?

CR- NRL by a long way. The NRL is very competitive. There has only been one team that hasn't made a grand final in the NRL era (since 1998) and 12 different winners. Super League has only had 4 winners in that same period and one of those teams has since been relegated. Super League has an image problem in the UK. I believe classism is still a huge problem they can't shake.

LLR- The growth of rugby league in North America was dealt a significant blow by the Super League in not admitting the Toronto Wolfpack back in for the 2021 season, what is your opinion on the issue, right move or no?

CR- Definitely the wrong move but it's not hard to see why it happened. The structure of giving the governing body a single vote, equal to one club is ridiculous. Then the rest voted on self interest. TWP wanted their fair share of revenue and the clubs didn't want to give it up. It's small minded but predictable.

LLR- I was listening to a Podcast a while back and Sonny Bill Williams was mentioned, the guest they had on brought up that he (SBW) is past his prime and has become an overrated player over the last few years. What are your thoughts on SBW ?

CR- There's not much to say about SBW that hasn't been said. Supreme athlete. Monumental drive. Pure professional. He's obviously a tremendous physical specimen but these days that's only 30% of it. Just to make an NRL squad is something most people will never achieve let alone winning two premierships and playing for your country.

There's no doubt he's past his prime. It happens to just about everyone at his age. It's a tough sport that takes a toll on your body.

LLR- What is one thing that the IRL is doing correctly in growing the game?

CR- Not much if I'm honest.

LLR- The New Zealand and England test match played a while back in Denver was a success , unfortunately overshadowed by the failure of the company that staged the event , should more test matches be played by well known Rugby league nations in developing League nations?

CR- Absolutely. Why not NZ v Tonga in Hawaii? How about Italy v Ireland wherever there are large amounts of expats or strong histories of migration from these nations. It's not rocket science. I believe it could be great.

LLR- Thank you for your time once again, any final words?

CR- Thanks for having me. Get out there and support the minnow nations. That's the future.

Rugby League Passion: Tiffany Salmond

Over the past few years I've been fallowing Rugby League more closely then usual. Like many social media has been a great tool to find stories, learn what's happening and to fallow along with any new developments. Especially since league is very minimal here in the states and the NRL and Super League is not easy to watch or fallow. So when Tiffany Salmond tweets regarding the NRL and the various players involved came across my feed , due to another party retweet , I was hooked as fallowing her for another source to learn more on what's happening. Her passion and willingness to call out how the code is perceived and treated by the media and the players themselves is something I am excited about. I hope you all truly enjoy what she has to share and give her a fallow, she is truly a bright person and knows what she is speaking of. 

LLR- Please share a bit about yourself

TS- My name is Tiffany Salmond and I work for Sky Sport NZ attached to the rugby league team on live NRL games and The Kiwi League Show. My role includes finding interesting rugby league stories around the country, conducting interviews, editing stories and other content for our productions. I have a big passion for growing the game here in New Zealand and giving it the recognition it deserves in the professional game as well as grassroots. I graduated university with a bachelor of communications majoring in journalism in 2018 and have been at Sky Sport now for a year and a half

LLR- With so many options why rugby league ?

TS- I grew up in a rugby league family. My poppa played and has referred for most of his life, and my dad played the game up until he was 50 so it’s always been apart of my life. Almost every Friday and Saturday night of my childhood was spent falling asleep on the couch in front of the late night NRL games and being woken up by the cheering of the crowd every time a try was scored. My dad comes from the old era rugby league days when fans of the game knew the history of the unfair treatment the sport had experienced and how much it had to fight to stay alive in this country and around the world. He’s passed down this knowledge to me which I am very vocal about as I can still see the injustice within the rugby league communities around the country so that also strengthens my passion for wanting to fight for the game.

LLR- You seem pretty passionate about the NRL and the growth of the game in the southern hemisphere, have there been athletes or other reporters who have reached out in support?

TS- No they haven’t. As I mentioned before about the history of the game, not many people (fans included) know the difficulties the sport faces specifically in New Zealand so it gets neglected. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to be so vocal about it and get involved with the communities and do my bit to tell their stories on The Kiwi League Show

LLR- In your opinion how can women's rugby league grow in the south and north regions along with developing regions like USA, Canada and Latin America ?

TS- In terms of growing the women’s game, I think it needs to become more professional for it to develop anymore than it has. From the first NRLW (women’s NRL) season it was great footy but also very amateur, whereas the second season looked sharper and more professional. Within two seasons of the competition the quality of the football improved immensely due to clubs seeing potential in the game and investing in their female athletes in the way of coaches, money and facilities. One thing I have noticed in New Zealand that I think will be a big step in developing the game is creating more grades in the grassroots competition. If I wanted to play rugby league next season there is only one grade I can join, which means as a compete novice I would be coming up against NRLW players and even Kiwi Ferns. It’s a very intimidating reality, which is why I think having more amateur grades would be a great way of getting more girls coming along and giving it a go

LLR- Does there have to be, it's ether Rugby Union or League or can both codes exist at the same time?

TS- They have both existed alongside each other for years now, despite unions efforts to eliminate the competition. In New Zealand rugby Union is our national sport and dominates our media which makes it very hard for rugby league to get any recognition and attention. Despite the disadvantages, rugby league still thrives, has impressive crowds and huge TV ratings. If it wasn’t such a great game I don’t think it could have survived the adversity quite like it has.

LLR- What advice do you give to those trying to grow rugby league in the USA ?

TS- One thing we know is rugby league is a great product so selling it to the masses isn’t the problem, but getting the word out there is the hard part. We know Americans love their contact sports like the NFL and I’ve seen how they react to our league players smashing into each other with no protective gear, it shocks them but they love it! Getting it into the schools would be a great start. Rugby league is a very simple and basic game compared to rugby union with all their rules, which makes our game very appealing to new comers

LLR- Who wins the NRL restructure season?

TS- Every season it can be anyone’s game, that’s the great thing about the NRL’s salary cap restrictions which insures wealthy clubs can’t buy all the top players. This season in particular though could really be anyone’s! With the completion being so rattled and uncertain due to the pandemic, I think there could be a few dark horses going for the trophy. I’ll have to say my NZ Warriors though of course! I always have to back my team.

LLR- What would you like to see done to take the game to the next level?

TS- The end of last year we saw the inaugural Oceania Cup which shook international rugby league with Tonga beating Australia for the first time in history. The international game has unfortunately been neglected through the years as the NRL has taken priority. I think as a sport we need to take advantage in this turning of the heads within the international arena and boost it to the rest of the world because that is a big reason the game hasn’t grown past NZ, Australia and the UK. Unfortunately the NRL/Australia are the ones who have to allow this to happen as they are the heart of rugby league and all it’s talent. There was a lot of discussion about this at the beginning of the year so I hope they realise we have something special right now and they need to allow it to grow for the good of our game and it’s future.

LLR- How can people connect with you and fallow along?

TS- You can find me on Twitter @Tiffany_salmond, on Instagram @Tiffanysalmond and The Kiwi League show now has an Instagram where we will be posting all our local Kiwi content @thekiwileagueshow



* I would like to thank Tiffany for taking the time in responding back to my questions and with the NRL season getting ready to start back up from this horrible virus we have all had to deal with I look forward to see how the NRL and other professional sports leagues around the world play out. Again I hope you all give Tiffany a fallow on her social media accounts and I personally look forward to more of what she has to say. 

California Youth Rugby League

Since the big show case game in December there's been a youth movement , small but still, going through California to introduce rugby league to the young kids. Numbers have been small but feed back has been very positive and with more dates planned , as soon as this pandemic has cleared, CYRL will continue with their mini camps. I do believe there is a place for rugby League in this country and I will keep saying it. League can be a great tool not just for athletes looking for a 2nd sport but also for rugby Union players to play in there own "off season" and keep in shape. I was lucky to connect with Adrian Cooney, director of youth rugby, and be able to have some questions answered about the early development of the CYRL. Big things are coming ,Please enjoy!

LLR- Since the big show case game in December how has interest with the youth level been growing?

AC- The showcase between Los Angeles Mongrel and SF Savage provided a great platform to expose the game of Rugby League in California. We have had a great response from the Rugby community in regards to the thirteen man game.

LLR- Where has camps been set-up at around the state and how has turn out been this far?

AC- We held a youth clinic in Long beach at the end of 2019, It was a great experience for all the kids involved. We will be looking at building on this in 2020.

LLR- Will there be a youth league competition setup soon?

AC- We will be taking a different approach as the state is so large and we wish to involve as many kids as possible. The way we intend to provide an opportunity to play Rugby League is through more youth clinics which tie in with California Rugby Leagues events and to do our own California Youth Rugby League 9's competition for high school players. We are in talks with a number of clubs and schools about an event later in the year.

LLR- Is the focus on just boys or will there also be an attempt to get girls teams up running also?

AC- I have come on board with the USARL women's side to help get the adult women up and running, as for girls at this stage we wish to establish the boys youth side of the game then look to expand on that. We are always looking for new people to be involved in our organization so if someone was to come forward with a vision for the girls game in this state we would be on board with working with them.

LLR- Has there been much rugby union players coming out or is it mostly kids with no rugby experience at all showing up?

AC- The one clinic was a mixture of both. Moving forward we will be looking at giving footballers an offseason sport for their enjoyment and development.

LLR- For that parent who is looking to potentially sign up their child or that potential player who is thinking about giving Rugby League a try, what do you say to that person to get them to come out?

AC- Rugby League provides the opportunity to develop not only skills for on the field but skills we can take into life off the field. The collision provides kids with self confidence that they otherwise wouldn't get from other sports. Also the camaraderie of rugby league is something that is extremely unique and special. There are very few other sports where you have to work as a team non-stop for a full game.

LLR- How can people get in touch if they want to learn more information and how can players sign up?

AC- The best way is through instagram @californiayouthrugbyleague - We do most of our communication through there. 2020 will be a big year for us once this Corona Virus passes, so if anyone is considering it please jump onto the Instagram page and contact us to be involved.