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I was asked to contribute to The Rugby Forum because I write the blog This Is American Rugby, which is dedicated to covering the U.S.A. Eagles at home and abroad. After I agreed to contribute, I soon realized that I wasn't sure what to write about. The first thing that came to mind was whining. Eagles fans often bemoan the fact that we don't have a professional league or that our national team rarely gets a meaningful win, but scolding doesn't seem appropriate for a first post. My next thought was to write about how much potential rugby in America has. After all, we have a large population with some big people, but this topic didn't feel quite right either. Then it struck me, why not just lay out the facts about rugby in the U.S.? It is what I write about on a daily basis, and even longtime rugby fans might learn something new. So here goes:
• U.S.A. Rugby was formed in 1975 and played its first international in 1976 against Australia.
• Former England Captain Nigel Melville is currently the CEO, and former Ireland boss Eddie O'Sullivan is the 15s coach.
• The U.S. has appeared in every World Cup except for 1995.
• The U.S. is the reigning Olympic Champion after winning Gold in 1920 and 1924.
• There are less then 20 American professional players. They range from the well known (Taku Ngwenya, Chris Wyles, and Todd Clever), to the obscure that play in Italy and the lower leagues in France and England. Most American professional players play in the RFU Championship.
• Rugby in the U.S. is split into seven "Territorial Unions" that put together All-Star teams which play each other once a year for a national championship.
• The Rugby Super League is the highest domestic competition in the country, but the regular season only lasts 6 games.
• 7's is up and coming and will soon become the most popular form of the game in the U.S. In addition to hosting a leg of the IRS Sevens Series, the Collegiate Rugby Championship (7's) pits the best college teams against one another. The emphasis on the Olympics will drive more and more resources into 7's.
• College Rugby is the most organized, well attended, and popular form of the game in the country. Last year's national championship game drew 10,000 people to watch the University of California-Berkeley (the most successful team in the history of rugby in America) beat Brigham Young University. However, most of the time, teams consider it a success if they get a couple of hundred people at their matches (for free mind you).
• Rugby is catching on among our youth. In the next two years almost two million youth will be playing rugby. Still, our youth teams have never been terribly successful due to the geography of our country and a lack of funds for assemblies.
• And finally, for some reason, our presidents have been rugby players. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush played the game in college.
I'm sure that many of you knew most of this already, but for those of you that didn't, there you go. Now that we have established the facts, I'll be bringing you more insight into the game in America and how we relate to the rest of the world. Plus, you can always find me at www.thisisamericanrugby.com or on Twitter @ThisIsAmerRugby
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