Sweet Bro

[TNT88]

From USA vs NZ ft. Craig Joubert.

Is this approved IRB communication?

 

[Browner]

From USA vs NZ ft. Craig Joubert.

Is this approved IRB communication?

OMG, for real? He's just juicing the locals, he'll forget and revert to normal dialogue once he's zonked.

All top international refs should familiarise themselves with non-English speaking nations !! ...


Ps .....Yippee ........ My orange boots would fit in lovely in this match.

 

[Phil E]

Exactly Browner......it's nearly as sad as someone your age saying OMG! :wink:

 

[4eyesbetter]

What's the issue? Y'all just need to take a seat and chillax.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_NiVZAjYUA

 

[Crucial]

Joubert was in very good spirits this game. Did you hear him after the lineout move try?

"Remind me where I've seen that before?"

('T-Bag' move as used in RWC Final)

 

[ddjamo]

why not be in good spirits? the entire thing was a complete joke, no?

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

why not be in good spirits? the entire thing was a complete joke, no?

Agreed, I cannot find words to explain the game or even justify its existence. I have lost faith in the possibility of US rugby doing anything more than just providing an opportunity for 2nd tier athletes to feel accomplished in a sport that few Americans are familiar.

 

[Crucial]

why not be in good spirits? the entire thing was a complete joke, no?

Rugby is now a professional game so it's fairly obvious that it will go where there is money to try and get a portion of it.

No one kids themselves that US rugby is going to rise up as a major sport but given the possibility of tapping into marketing opportunities and increasing interest among a sector of the population, why not try and get in there?

The trick will be increasing the interest in the game while their own national side can't compete but that isn't impossible. Look how many countries around the world follow teams in EPL football avidly, buying jerseys and supporting exhibition money spinning games, while their own football clubs and national teams are crap.

Football is a minority sport in NZ and our own teams are rubbish but that doesn't stop jersey sales and pay TV $.

Did you notice that at the captains run the ABs wore a 'special' AB jersey with stars and stripes embossed into the material? adidas have done a sale run of them that have proven to be very popular.

The ABs are a brand. This was a brand promotion.

A mismatch, yes. A complete joke? Not if you are trying to balance the books of NZR

 

[FightOrFlight]

why not be in good spirits? the entire thing was a complete joke, no?

I spent a few months in the states 3 years or so back and ended up playing a bit there. I met an English coach who had been coaching in the college scene for years. His opinion on the chances of rugby catching on in the states was pretty simple:

The psyche of " the greatest country in the world" could never handle playing high profile sports and being beaten by "lesser nations".

He seemed to think it was the same with other sports like soccer etc. The attitude of a lot of Americans is that they are better than the rest of the world and having this challenged on the sports field would not be popular.

Win the Superbowl and you are World Champions!!

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

Rugby is now a professional game so it's fairly obvious that it will go where there is money to try and get a portion of it.

No one kids themselves that US rugby is going to rise up as a major sport but given the possibility of tapping into marketing opportunities and increasing interest among a sector of the population, why not try and get in there?

The ABs are a brand. This was a brand promotion.

Not if you are trying to balance the books of NZR

Not sure there is discrestionary money in the US to be spent on all black gear. AB gear may be understood by 1% of our population, and worn by even fewer.

There are places were a jersey with All Black written on it will be misunderstood. Not sure if you are aware of the "race card" and how it is subtilely played here, especially in regard to voter ID. Turns out we have a big election here on the 4th of Nov, and race has been played. You would be surprised who plays it also.

My guess is they won't be back in another 20 years

 

[Crucial]

Not sure there is discrestionary money in the US to be spent on all black gear. AB gear may be understood by 1% of our population, and worn by even fewer.

There are places were a jersey with All Black written on it will be misunderstood. Not sure if you are aware of the "race card" and how it is subtilely played here, especially in regard to voter ID. Turns out we have a big election here on the 4th of Nov, and race has been played. You would be surprised who plays it also.

My guess is they won't be back in another 20 years

I understand you are there and speaking from personal experience but I do think your personal view is clouding the picture for you.

For starters the ABs would love a 1% inroad into the US. 1% of a lot is a lot.

adidas wouldn't have released the jerseys if they thought they wouldn't sell.

I'll take a $100 of internet credits on your last statement. That game just topped up the NZR bank balance. They'll be back as long as their sponsors also see value in underwriting the game. Once a RWC cycle would be my guess. It certainly won't be a 20 year wait.

 

[FightOrFlight]

There has already been talk of a 6N game being played in the US now, however I would be happier to see a Lions Test played there in 2017. It speaks to a much wider fan base and would be more high profile than a 6N game.

 

[menace]

Bwaa haa haa. Priceless!
As far as the Americans are concerned, NZ must be the 7th Australian state!
View attachment 3061

 

[Crucial]

Bwaa haa haa. Priceless!
As far as the Americans are concerned, NZ must be the 7th Australian state!

No idea how they got so confused. By all accounts the ABs were polite, treated the women well and paid for their drinks.

 

[menace]

No idea how they got so confused. By all accounts the ABs were polite, treated the women well and paid for their drinks.

Though all the cat's were raped and all the thongs were missing!:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[barker14610]

The psyche of " the greatest country in the world" could never handle playing high profile sports and being beaten by "lesser nations".

He seemed to think it was the same with other sports like soccer etc. The attitude of a lot of Americans is that they are better than the rest of the world and having this challenged on the sports field would not be popular.

Win the Superbowl and you are World Champions!!

Way off base. If we started losing in our sports (football, basketball, baseball), that would be an issue. Why play Rugby or soccer when you can be an NBA player? The average NBA salary last year was over $5 million. MLB was $2.5. NFL just under $2 million. Even if you don't make it that high, college scholarships are given for the major sports, not Rugby. And, if like most athletes you just play through high school, you still get to play in front of a big crowd and have a great time. There are high school basketball games in Indiana that draw almost as many people as Bath does on any given match day.

The other issue is the nature of these sports. In football, every play is called. every single one. In basketball, there is often a play called at the youth level. Baseball coaches call pitches and give base runners and batters calls as well. Rugby and soccer are less structured. Our national soccer team has players who grew up playing the game. Why aren't they any good? It is because they are still heavily coached as kids.

 

[SimonSmith]

*sigh* This is a truncated version of what be a multi page essay.

Rugby will unlikely become a sport big enough to command enough money to allow it to go fully professional in the same terms as in other countries. I don't think the interest, or the TV, is there. As referenced above, there's a gazillion dollars in the other sports - as well as other, smaller sports.

(As a side note - if they insist on having halfwits doing the commentary, then we certainly won't grow the game)

This match was horrendously miscast from the beginning - they wanted it only for the $$. Why? because USA R is in a parlous financial situation.

It may be worth grounding the rest of the civilized universe on the reality that I, ddjamo and others on the boards here face.

There is USA R. It's based in Colorado; it's supposed to be responsible for the governance of rugby in the US. Except: there has been a balkanization of the operating structure. Each level of play - adult, male, female, college, youth, High School = each has its own way of operating, with different rules. Hell, different laws. And, in common with a republic like the USA< very often the different States go their own way.

The people at the top - the ones with the paid jobs - leave the volunteers to go swing. Like a lot of the other US posters on here, I hold office. I'm President of my local Society, having been Schedules; I'm the Discipline Officer for my local GU; I'm the Referee Rep to the local Competitions Body (yes, that's separate to the Geographic Union). I don't look for money or reward for what i'm doing. I do it because I'm in a position where I think I can give back to the game.
What I would like is a little support from the boys and girls at Head Office. What do I get? Nothing. Even when I ask. The Referees' Dept want me to run weekly or monthly training sessions. I don't have a dedicated Training Officer. You want to raise standards across the whole US? Get every referee on the same page on every issue? Give us the training and we'll deliver it. And..... silence. As well as being disinvited from local Society Presidents calls with Head Office every month.

USA R is in a bad condition at the local levels. Fractured governance, little power empires being built and encouraged, bad finances...I could go on. This was a headline grabber; the Premiership coming here is a headline grabber. And it is doing nothing, absolutely **** all, to help the game where it needs to be helped.

 

[OB..]

college scholarships are given for the major sports, not Rugby.

To compete at the top level in major sports, colleges have to offer several minor sports - my daughter had a diving scholarship. There is a Collegiate Rugby Championship (Sevens) with a TV presence. Are there really no rugby scholarships at all?

 

[ChrisR]

Except at a very few schools, none.

 

[ddjamo]

agree with SS, my friend in ohio and barker. I could add 10 pages to the above.

I will remain embarrassed by the broadcast saturday...and leave it at that. I am happy to live near the canadian border.