NRFL Combine in United States Ready to Roll on April 5-6th

[ORothlain]

As a rugby, league, and NFL fan; what a confusing acronym.

I've had the same thought!

Yeah mate... they don't want anything to do with Unions - hence why they can't organise a game with anyone!

EX-FREAKING-ACTLY!

 

[psychic duck]

In the states it seems 7's is just as big (if not bigger) than proper rugby - they actually need to differentiate.
The seniority of the full game isn't ingrained from what I can tell.

Been any 60,000 sell outs for 7's in the US lately?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ever read any american rugby blogs/media?

Much more prominent than it is over here.

 

[LittleGuy]

XV's is certainly the bigger sport over here bar possibly within the very casual sports media and fan, though I do agree Rats that the 7's variety does get more attention here than it does in Europe. I'd put it down to three reasons...

1. The recent addition of 7's to the Olympics.

2. Relative strength of the 7's programs compared with XV's vis a vis the global picture. e.g. Canada finishing 6th in the 7's series last year.

3. The IRB 7's series events taking place at a time where there is limited to no rugby going on in North America. With the exception of some of the West Coast e.g. British Columbia, Washington, California. You can write off large parts of the year for playing rugby in North America. The 7's events fill a bit of a void. I find myself falling into this category a lot, I'm not a huge 7's guy but the Men's 7's side is often playing when I have very little Canadian rugby to get interested in therefore I pop in and have a look at the series' events.

 

[psychic duck]

XV's is certainly the bigger sport over here bar possibly within the very casual sports media and fan, though I do agree Rats that the 7's variety does get more attention here than it does in Europe. I'd put it down to three reasons...

1. The recent addition of 7's to the Olympics.

2. Relative strength of the 7's programs compared with XV's vis a vis the global picture. e.g. Canada finishing 6th in the 7's series last year.

3. The IRB 7's series events taking place at a time where there is limited to no rugby going on in North America. With the exception of some of the West Coast e.g. British Columbia, Washington, California. You can write off large parts of the year for playing rugby in North America. The 7's events fill a bit of a void. I find myself falling into this category a lot, I'm not a huge 7's guy but the Men's 7's side is often playing when I have very little Canadian rugby to get interested in therefore I pop in and have a look at the series' events.

Can think of a dozen or so USA players from he 7's circuit off the top of my head who quit to focus on XV's within the past 2 years alone, you would struggle to get a list of players who quit XV's to focus on 7's. It's not 'as big if not bigger' than XV's. Certainly not now at least, XV's is the one that carries the prestige and has the big leading names.

 

[LittleGuy]

Can think of a dozen or so USA players from he 7's circuit off the top of my head who quit to focus on XV's within the past 2 years alone, you would struggle to get a list of players who quit XV's to focus on 7's. It's not 'as big if not bigger' than XV's. Certainly not now at least, XV's is the one that carries the prestige and has the big leading names.

Oh I certainly agree, in fact I think the whole "7's will be bigger than XV's at some point" argument is the most tiresome one trotted out in rugby circles these days, and it does get trotted out here in NA a lot from people who overvalue the Olympic participation aspect(I'm hardly seeing hordes of friends heading to the Dressage arena or the trampoline gym). The only slight advantage is broadcasters would like it since they can stuff in commercials between matches.

That being said I do think Rats was probably correct that in relative terms it gets more attention here than it does in Eurpoe, but I would say this is mainly down to the three factors I mentioned and a lack of XV's at times here. If a proper pro league of XV's ever did actually get fired up here, I think 7's would drop to around it's spot in the other rugby powers.

 

[Draggs]

Ever read any american rugby blogs/media?

Much more prominent than it is over here.

Only for televised tournaments, owing to Vegas 7s, and also collegiate 7 tournament. The vast majority of the RFCs in the U.S. are XVs focussed, and maybe participate in a weekend 7s tournament in the summer, if at all.

 

[Pockets]

Plus another combine in mid January.

I'll hold my breath on their starting date juts seems so ludicrously optimistic. My guess is the talent that showed up to their last combine wasn't up to snuff(though we don't really know since it was closed to media) and that's why they are running another one.

Dowd as director is a postivie sign but they've already had a few big names pop in for a cup of coffee and leave quickly.

Talent is never a show stopper of an issue. I would expect they don't have enough people with deep enough pockets.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Haven't been around in a while due to a residential relocation.

BTW, 'twas I who connected RugbyLaw and Craig Dowd. Geoff Alley had sent me an email introducing the talent management company (Aurum Professional Management) that he, Dowd, and Callan Walker had formed. I asked if they wanted to connect with Mac & Mike and he confirmed. A few emails and calls later, Aurum and RugbyLaw have an agreement.

I've put Aurum in touch with a few other clubs stateside, too. So, this isn't something out of the ordinary.

A couple or more of you seem to think this is a scam. It's not. Others seem to think that Mac & Mike are fools for their ideas. That's an opinion that has yet to be proven accurate. Mac & Mike are two American ruggers who grew tired of trying to bring professional rugby to the USA the old fashioned way - by building a professional club. They both spent a few decades trying to do this in their old clubs. Once they figured out that the old way didn't work in the USA (primarily because of legal & marketing reasons), they thought to educate themselves on what was proven to work stateside. Their model is not one used in the rugby world, but it is one that has enjoyed plenty of success in other US sports businesses.

Will it work? That remains to be seen. But, it isn't a scam. These two have sunk a LOT of personal wealth into this concept and its various parts. They have received nothing in return, yet. If they succeed, it should be a damn good success story and I'll be there to write it. If they fail, there's many reasons outside of their actions why that happened and I plan to write about those regardless.

Answer me this: What is your personal reason - each of you, not in general - for nay-saying this concept without first talking to the principles and determining their intentions?

 

[Grant A Cole]

From NRFL - "RugbyLaw is pleased to announce that two more athletes from the recently held National Rugby Football League Combine have just been called to Bristol RFC for a test under DOR, Andrew Robinson, OBE. Quentin White and Joel Yogerst are heading off to Bristol, England." This is a one-month trial for both athletes.

Quentin White was a Linebacker at Temple University and has been practicing with the Dallas RFC. Joel Yogerst was a Fullback (blocking running back in Girdiron) in the UWisconsin system. Both of these gentlemen placed in the top five cumulative scores at the NRFL combine.

 

[Draggs]

Has there been any response from USARugby regarding NRFL?
Noticed NRFL logos on some kits this season, so it appears they are getting the message out there.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Has there been any response from USARugby regarding NRFL?
Noticed NRFL logos on some kits this season, so it appears they are getting the message out there.

Melville stated earlier in the year that USAR encourages efforts to bring professional rugby to North America.

I'm curious what kit you observed NRFL logos on other than 2014 combine kit.

 

[Grant A Cole]

RugbyLaw and the National Rugby Football League announced today that former NFL player Deuce Lutui signed on as Director of Player Development.

Lutui was named a consensus All-American at the University of Southern California, he spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee ***ans.

While this may not be big news on any side of the ponds, it is significant for the NRFL because Lutui is an ambassador to the American-based Pacific Islander communities that too oft are over-looked by traditional RFCs.

 

[goodNumber10]

Answer me this: What is your personal reason - each of you, not in general - for nay-saying this concept without first talking to the principles and determining their intentions?

why does it have to be a personal reason?

I would imagine the general reason people find fault in it is that there is very little detail about the event out there. With very small snippets of info leaking out that sound great but indicate absolutely nothing about what is really happening it appears steeped in secrecy, even if that's not the intention.

It might be the greatest thing to happen to sport but the comms so far have sucked in a massive way.

 

[LittleGuy]

why does it have to be a personal reason?

I would imagine the general reason people find fault in it is that there is very little detail about the event out there. With very small snippets of info leaking out that sound great but indicate absolutely nothing about what is really happening it appears steeped in secrecy, even if that's not the intention.

It might be the greatest thing to happen to sport but the comms so far have sucked in a massive way.

This!!!! ^^^^^^^^

Even the comms that do come out seem to be hopelessly optimistic and a little pie in the sky. Timelines seem too close, flaws papered over. Crucial problems dismissed. No North American leage has ever tried to start in this fashion, it dosen't reflect the model of starting niche sport leagues at all.

Not sure why I need to go and call the potential NRFL directors directly to put an opinion on this out there.(Though perhaps that was addressed to those that think it might be a scam, which I don't). In fact when James Walker started asking them pointed questions about the combine contracts back in April they threatened to sue him within about ten minutes.

 

[Draggs]

Melville stated earlier in the year that USAR encourages efforts to bring professional rugby to North America.

I'm curious what kit you observed NRFL logos on other than 2014 combine kit.

Looking over the NRFL logo again, I don't think it was. It was small and on some shorts, and only saw a passing glance. Didn't even register at first, looking back, I can't see how it was considering they haven't linked up with any clubs.

Grant, do you have any contact with NRFL? We've done Q&A sessions here before, I think this could be a good opportunity to find out some more about NRFL.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Grant, do you have any contact with NRFL? We've done Q&A sessions here before, I think this could be a good opportunity to find out some more about NRFL.

Draggs, yes I do. Conducting interviews this weekend with a Lutui and Quentin White to present their experiences. I cannot promise answers to every question, but I will entertain any questions that folks think need answering, if I don't already have such on my list.

Littleguy & goodNumber10 - excellent reasons and questions! I will present, although I can say that many will be surprised to see the names on the list of investors when it emerges. Such things are kept quiet for legal reasons. Also, I have cautioned Mac about the "pie-in-the-sky" rhetoric because, I think it is off-putting to many. To me, it was just a reason to dig deeper because I always view such spin as bait to pull the otherwise disinterested into the discussion.

 

[goodNumber10]

Draggs, yes I do. Conducting interviews this weekend with a Lutui and Quentin White to present their experiences. I cannot promise answers to every question, but I will entertain any questions that folks think need answering, if I don't already have such on my list.

Littleguy & goodNumber10 - excellent reasons and questions! I will present, although I can say that many will be surprised to see the names on the list of investors when it emerges. Such things are kept quiet for legal reasons. Also, I have cautioned Mac about the "pie-in-the-sky" rhetoric because, I think it is off-putting to many. To me, it was just a reason to dig deeper because I always view such spin as bait to pull the otherwise disinterested into the discussion.

to be honest grant i expect people here are less interested in the investors and more interested in the practicalities of this, such as;

how will they take athletes with little or no background and turn them into competitive rugby players in such a short time (10,000 hour rule seems to be out the window here)?

How will the league work, franchise system?

Will the aim be to affiliate with the IRB long term or is this another Packer scenario where the end result will be IRB completely cut off...?

Will they bringing in European talent to supplement the american talent, ala a reverse the NFL World League/NFL Europe?

 

[Tony Manx]

New to this interesting thread that seems not to be going very far but will wait for further news but....

There is one guy Thretton Palamo who played for Biarritz briefly........

Never played for Biarritz but was in their academy in 2008/9 when he was about 20?

Typical to see Eddie O'Sullivan there.....

Presumably not still involved for, as Rats pointed out, he is now at Biarritz where he has a monumental job to do and cannot see him having time to spli across the Atlantic too often.................

 

[ratsapprentice]

Will the aim be to affiliate with the IRB long term or is this another Packer scenario where the end result will be IRB completely cut off...?

This is the big one.

From what they've said so far - they want absolutely nothing to do with unions.