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

[Jcb411]

never heard of him before, i do follow the pro12 admittedly not near as much as i'd follow internationals.

 

[dasNdanger]

I hate to sound stupid (not that it's stopped me before...), but can someone sum up what this combine is in fifty words, or less. I haven't followed the thread and there's a lot of reading here...and I'm lazy.

Thankies in advance!


das

 

[goodNumber10]

@dasNdanger

Basically the Combine is open door trials for anyone with a long term elite sports background with a view to converting them/setting them up as professional Rugby players in the USA or elsewhere, they will build 6 pro teams in 6 cities across the USA from those selected.

It's essentially a means of forcing the game pro in USA.

Some guys have already been trialed in the UK.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Basically the Combine is open door trials for anyone with a long term elite sports background with a view to converting them/setting them up as professional Rugby players in the USA or elsewhere, they will build 6 pro teams in 6 cities across the USA from those selected.

That's about as close a layman's description as one can make.

There will also be interested, potential investors at the combine judging whether RugbyLaw not only handles the event professionally (as it did last year), but also to see if the necessary talent is available to fill in the gaps should they call 'all-in' on the NRFL.

In both talent and potential investors, some serious contenders are expected to be in attendance.

BTW, I assisted five individuals from the aggregate top 25% of last April's combine find rugby clubs with adequate coaching to their needs. They have been practicing and playing with gusto in their respective positions. All five will participate at the January combine. Which is interesting because three of them were told they do not HAVE to attend, they are already on the squad. These fellows are aching to compete against the best.

 

[Wendigo7]

Any chance any of these will become short term USA options or more long term Grant?

I will take umbridge with the training thing. I think Fly Half is a bit like the Quarter Back melded with the kicker. It's an IQ position which needs massive work. Very converts I know have become successful 10s.

I agree most other positions can be worked on though!

 

[Grant A Cole]

Any chance any of these will become short term USA options or more long term Grant?

If you are talking about the Eagles, that's a crap shoot, mate. There's no TID in the HP program that is comprehensive enough to be considered viable. so they are likely not even on the radar...

 

[dasNdanger]

@dasNdanger

Basically the Combine is open door trials for anyone with a long term elite sports background with a view to converting them/setting them up as professional Rugby players in the USA or elsewhere, they will build 6 pro teams in 6 cities across the USA from those selected.

It's essentially a means of forcing the game pro in USA.

Some guys have already been trialed in the UK.

Thanks! This is just what I was looking for!

So, after this shindig in April, how soon before we have an actual league up and working, with teams and games and all? Has there been any word on that? (Again, forgive me if it's been mentioned in the thread already, I'm just very pressed for time these days... )

das

 

[Grant A Cole]

So, after this shindig in April, how soon before we have an actual league up and working, with teams and games and all? Has there been any word on that? (Again, forgive me if it's been mentioned in the thread already, I'm just very pressed for time these days... ) das

All are unknowns at the moment.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Facebook update from the NRFL:

"Currently the NFL is filming a promo for their upcoming Super Bowl at the Los Angeles Coliseum, as it was the venue of the first-ever Super Bowl. The Coliseum will be home to one of our first NRFL franchises (emphasis mine) and our Combine will be the first-ever professional rugby event held at the Coliseum. The stadium is just shy of 100-years old and seats just shy of 100,000 people."

[h=5]

[/h]

 

[jonny24]

They're playing a 100 000 seater off the bat?

Good side is that they apparently are far enough along to have a for sure franchise and stadium lined up.

 

[Grant A Cole]

They're playing a 100 000 seater off the bat?

Good side is that they apparently are far enough along to have a for sure franchise and stadium lined up.

LA has been after them to place a franchise there since the beginning. Glad they found an investor interested to place a squad there.

 

[dasNdanger]

All are unknowns at the moment.

Thanks for the reply.

Facebook update from the NRFL:

"Currently the NFL is filming a promo for their upcoming Super Bowl at the Los Angeles Coliseum, as it was the venue of the first-ever Super Bowl. The Coliseum will be home to one of our first NRFL franchises (emphasis mine) and our Combine will be the first-ever professional rugby event held at the Coliseum. The stadium is just shy of 100-years old and seats just shy of 100,000 people."

What the NRFL should do is buy some SB time and put out a badass 30-sec commercial promoting rugby to all those NFL fans.


das

 

[Jcb411]

exciting news, i can't wait to hear more. they are updating their social media outlets much more often nowadays aswell, which is heartening.

 

[Jayatron]

I read on FB that is the third team that has been established. LA, Huston and Boston. All very exciting stuff.

I'm hoping, because their defense's will not be as well drilled yet and hopefully these supreme athletes run everything, this could be a great league.

 

[Pockets]

What the NRFL should do is buy some SB time and put out a badass 30-sec commercial promoting rugby to all those NFL fans.


das

But that's crazy expensive and wouldn't get noticed amid everything else that's going on? I'd have thought finding the regular season games likely to be the biggest stinkers and putting spots during those would get the biggest conversion rate :lol:

As to the LA thing, it's great news that they're getting far enough along to make announcements. Does seem a much larger venue than they'd need. If they got a great deal then I can see why they'd go for it, but even a good crowd would look tiny in there.

 

[Grant A Cole]

Texas Athletes going to the NRFL Combine

I only cover Texas and did not have time nor space to list all 240 Athletes in attendance.

 

[LittleGuy]

They're playing a 100 000 seater off the bat?

Good side is that they apparently are far enough along to have a for sure franchise and stadium lined up.

Honestly this just fits in with all my doubts about this project, literally every single thing of it is overhyped or pie in the sky before being either dropped entirely or reduced to a more beliveable level.

Very surpised that a more intimate MLS type stadium won't be used, a 100,000 seat stadium is going to look dreadful, if the NRFL drew 20,000 fans I'd be VERY impressed and even that will look dire in there. More likely they'll draw less than 10,000 and it will look abandoned. Even CFL crowds in Skydome and Commonwealth look poor when they get 25,000-30,000 in 55,000 seat stadia.

 

[Jcb411]

i think this all depends on the amount of teams and the size of the catchment areas. i'd say in a country the size of america with strategically placed teams, filling a stadium with 40-50000 won't be so difficult. there are over 300million in america, 6 teams with 50000 spectators is 300000, that's 0.1% of the population, i'd say with cheap tickets and good advertising this won't be an impossible achievement.

 

[LittleGuy]

i think this all depends on the amount of teams and the size of the catchment areas. i'd say in a country the size of america with strategically placed teams, filling a stadium with 40-50000 won't be so difficult. there are over 300million in america, 6 teams with 50000 spectators is 300000, that's 0.1% of the population, i'd say with cheap tickets and good advertising this won't be an impossible achievement.

Years(and I mean like a decade or two) from now possibly, but look at the MLS for example, crowds are generally more in the 20,000 range(with a couple of exceptions Seatlle comes to mind). With soccer having a longer tradition and more general public awareness here than rugby. 40-50,000 is virtually impossible in the first few years of this league. A more realistic target is something like lacrosse, Minor league baseball or 2nd division soccer draws, something between 5-15,000. Likely the league will need around 7-8,000 a game to be financially viable unless they secure a good broadcast agreement.

 

[MunichRugger]

Thanks for the reply. 
There were go. So they held thw combine at the coliseum because the nfl (with they are associated with) has rented the stadium for a commercial and the "sub"-lease might be a bargain.