American Rugby on the Rise

[Rit Hinners]

The USARFU have poor priorities when it comes to spending.

I remember when Steinlager was the major $ponsor of USARFU. The national budget for HS rugby was $300 and the Eagles were staying in Hiltons.

After a few years Steinlager took umbarge at the wastage and mis-spending, took their money and went home.

However, money properly applied could solve many of the games problems here.

 

[DrSTU]

Money goes where money is....

The bank?

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

This is an interesting article. I am assigned to a 7th/8th grade state championship on Sunday. As more kids enter the game we will only get better. We do have that Olympic gold medal to defend.


http://www.rugbymag.com/news/national-teams/men/eagle-squad-breakdown.aspx

At what minimum age does Indiana cease to have state championships? I would suggest H.S. is probably approriate based on what the school systems do, afterall they are run by educational professionals

One swallow doesn't make a summer ... and as long as these individuals pop up in positions outside the spine of the team, the sleeping giant will continue to get his zzzz's in.
./QUOTE]
Agreed

If all goes to plan (not my plan) the college rugby game will be THE big game here. We have the rugby college 7s elite coming up in Columbus soon and that is being broadcast live on NBC (MAJOR breakthrough).

The college teams have also formed the college premier league for next season and they have a really good product to sell to the TV people.

Select teams participating at a higher level will create good players temporarily, but in the long run will have fewer participants overall and eventually less interest.

College teams provide a tax payer supported non-profit minor league sytem for professional teams. Title IX ensures that tax payer money is appropriately dispersed. To remain non profit college athletic departments must comply to Title IX requiremnts. This makes male Varsity rugby an unlikely candidate to achieve status to benefit from tax payer money. So it is left to get $ elsewhere, not always from the best of sources.

Bud Light is a cosponsor of the collegiate 7's in Cowlumbus, OH. To the best of my knowledge the NCAA does not permit alcohol sales at its events, at least one on the teams in the 7's is a varsity program.

Cultural ethos and consequent local bragging rights have normally been the drivers for acheivement. In almost any field.

Discuss in no more than 3,000 words -(8 Credits at Level 1)

Not sure what you are saying, but I think my country (US) is too soft to grasp rugby. Sure there are some tough individuals, but most of them aren't playing rugby. It just ain't in our fiber.

Being good at something that most of those who share your culture admire is probably more of a spur to greatness than earning loadsamoney doing something no one else you know gives a toss about.

Or at least that's the essence of my cultural thesis.

Apart from the subculture of enthusiasts, few here are giving rugby a toss.

Money won't make the sport popular. That's backwards. Popular sports are a way to make money.

And most do not make money and wouldn't without taxpayer support. That is why the Senators and Congressmen have interest in college atheltics currently. Many see to think the gov't should butt out, but without non profit legislation and overseeing appropriately money for sport would dry up.

I do think Mark Cuban would yell at the refs. I would have him become a ref coach if he still lived here. He keeps all kinds of stats and trends on the refs.

I knew the answer, of course he would yell at refs. Look at the amount of cash he has paid in fines to the NBA. I'm sure you are thrilled with the $ he has given to IU. Who is going to tell him to STFU at an IU game and protect a ref? My guess, No -one. You can't be chosey when your looking for a sugar daddy, but you do not have to have a sugar daddy.

 

[OB..]

My recollection is that some minor sports in US colleges benefit from a rule that to have your football, baseball, basketball etc teams allowed to enter the appropriate level national competitions, you must fund a certain number of minor sports. Perhaps rugby needs to aim at becoming one of those?

 

[didds]

What's soccer!

I live in the 8th largest US city and 1 hr away from the 2nd and between us we can only sustain 1 MLS team and that only attracts 20,000 people on average.

A lot of people may DO soccer but very few care about it.

Thanks for that DrSTU... it brings it into context.

I suppose the question that raises to me is why aren't the 1st and 2nd generation soccer/football (as in what it means in the UK attracted to soccer in the US? maybe its that football from their "culturally" attached country is available on cable/satellite so they watch that rather than a home grown, US based product. I would be amazed if the soccer franchises haven;t looked at this of course

Even so, DrSTU's point rather underlines what I said about rugby... if the US with its "heritage" of 1st and 2nd generation "immigrants" cannot make soccer sustainable, how on earth is rugby ever going to be more so?



didds

 

[didds]

Soccer is very big among kids. Two of mine play. But, most drift away by the time they are teenagers. That is when we just get them into Rugby.

That's inetersting, because I read somewhere (wish I had a source) that "most" people have a ten year interest cycle in something... so if you attract a kid of 7 into (say) soccer they are topping out generally from it aged 17... which could be perfct timing for rugby. the "problem" then (and i saw this in Germany back in the 80s/90s) is that the recruitment age group is such that as they quickly grow into adult playing ages they haven't had any longevity at the sport and thus the playing skill levels and knowledge is very low. catch 22 :-(

This alleged 10 year thing we see in rugby here... mini/midi rugby is bustliong along generally with lots of players between ages 7 and 12. It thins out a bit at age 12 as secondary school and full size pitches enter the equation... and by the time players are 17 the loss of players typically from the 7-12 numbers is immense, and often those that are playing at 17 are those that joined much later in the continuum year groups IME.
This 17 year old drop off is of course also boosted by motorised transport options, beer and lurv!


didds

 

[barker14610]

At what minimum age does Indiana cease to have state championships? I would suggest H.S. is probably approriate based on what the school systems do, afterall they are run by educational professionals

We let all the kids play for it. We start in 3rd/4th grade. There are only about 6 teams at that level and state championship is a misnomer but the kids get a big thrill out of it. No harm.


Not sure what you are saying, but I think my country (US) is too soft to grasp rugby. Sure there are some tough individuals, but most of them aren't playing rugby. It just ain't in our fiber.

Hockey and football are not soft sports. Just different than Rugby.


I knew the answer, of course he would yell at refs. Look at the amount of cash he has paid in fines to the NBA. I'm sure you are thrilled with the $ he has given to IU. Who is going to tell him to STFU at an IU game and protect a ref? My guess, No -one. You can't be chosey when your looking for a sugar daddy, but you do not have to have a sugar daddy.

I am indifferent to Mark Cuban giving money to IU. They seem very happy. I am the referee for many of their matches. If he was there and yelled at me I would ignore him. He probably hasn't read a law book in a very long time. But, we should ignore everyone who yells at us.

 

[barker14610]

You are underestimating the money effect. The $ is in football, baseball and basketball. Also, if a kid plays those in high school, he will have big crowds at his games and be the BMOC. BMOC= hot chicks. In college it is even bigger. A top college football game may have 100,000 people at it. I did a collegiate game that had a "big crowd" of about 500 people.

 

[Donal1988]

What is the standard American rugby season? Is it a summer or winter sport.

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

You are underestimating the money effect. The $ is in football, baseball and basketball. Also, if a kid plays those in high school, he will have big crowds at his games and be the BMOC. BMOC= hot chicks. In college it is even bigger. A top college football game may have 100,000 people at it. I did a collegiate game that had a "big crowd" of about 500 people.

I'm strongly suggesting that w/o public funding (non profit college athletic depts, and public schools) at a minor or developmental league level those sports would not have nearly the $ involved or the problems that come with professional sports i.e. gambling, performance enhancing drugs, cheating.

I do not want that for rugby. I like being fringe sport.

Baseball, once a national pastime, drew crowds probably because it was the only thing available. I do not know what the % of players are American in baseball, and I see basketball has followed along with internationals. The same would be said about rugby.

Can rugby in the US enter the school system and duplicate the success of the other sports? I doubt it. Primarily because, as I suggested, we are a soft society. A wealthy nation that prefers to protect our children with equip and watch others play the game. We, of course, must play sports with protection from injury because we could leave ourselves open for a lawsuit if we suggested a game played w/o it.

 

[SimonSmith]

What is the standard American rugby season? Is it a summer or winter sport.

There isn't a set season - it varies by region

 

[OB..]

There isn't a set season - it varies by region

Yes, indeed. In Maryland we had a split season: August to October, March to May.

 

[Rit Hinners]

Yes, indeed. In Maryland we had a split season: August to October, March to May.

Pretty much the same in Colorado.

Colorado Youth Rugby was only played in the spring.

 

[Dickie E]

Yes, indeed. In Maryland we had a split season: August to October, March to May.

why didn't the season continue from Oct to March?

 

[SimonSmith]

College teams, which accounts for about half the rugby in Virginia, are not available.

Also, there is a finite number of teams and players. There aren't enough to sustain that long a season.

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

In Ohio 15s from Last week of August to maybe 2nd week in Nov, then mid March to end of May. June, July, Aug is mostly 7's - to hot for anything else

Dickie E - The break from Nov to March is for unplayable conditions due to weather, generaly cold rain/snow w little sun. In the South they can play through the winter and break for holidays, but the heat is unbearable either side of summer months.

 

[OB..]

why didn't the season continue from Oct to March?

Snow.

And even if there was no snow, it got too cold with frozen pitches. Some times we had a beautiful Indian Summer in November, but you could not plan on it.

 

[woody]

In the Northwest, there is a split season. End of August to end of November and beginning of February to end of April. By the time a team gets a couple of practices in before the first game, the season lasts from August to May. For the non-playoff bound teams, things have to wrapped up for Maggotfest

Youth rugby is limited to the spring. :clap:

One of the challenges of youth rugby is many teams have less than 25 players. Game time is guaranteed, regardless of effort. When players move to the college (or for those who must go straight to senior), the notion of competing for a spot is too much and they quit. It also doesn't help that so many 20-25y/o don't have health insurance but I won't go into politics now.

 

[Deeps]

Pretty much the same in Colorado.

Colorado Youth Rugby was only played in the spring.

Rit, I seemed to remember that we played pretty much all year round in Charleston except we took about six weeks off during the Summer?