Trying to get Americans interested in NZ All Blacks

[abebinger]

This is my first time posting, please be kind? I'm not sure if this is the right area.

Anyways, I'm a 21 year old American girl and I lived in NZ last year during the RWC. It was such an amazing experience but coming back home I've realized not a lot of people in SoCal (or at least people I talk to) really care or even pay the slightest attention to the sport.

I know not everyone will agree with me with how great the team is but hey, they are World Champs.

I'm writing a blog for my class and I would really love to get more views and feedback. While I love rugby I know there's a lot I don't know. Critiques/suggestions for new posts would be great.

Thank you! And again sorry if this is totally the wrong place for this.

http://rugbyneversleeps.wordpress.com

 

[admartian]

Welcome to the forums and great to see that you had a good time in NZ.

Good blog I'd say, though I'd disagree that Messam > Neeson (Liam Neeson has a special set of skills...).

Maybe you could cover some of the good differences/similarities between American football - seeing as California has some good college/NFL teams (and a few Polys if I'm not mistaken).

 

[abebinger]

Oh actually I really like that! I go to Cal Poly Pomona.. we have no football team lol. Thank you for the feedback! I'm trying to get the most views in my class by promoting it anyway I know how. Which I know like 2 ways haha.

 

[norcalbuff]

Most Americans like the haka. That's a good starting point. You'd have an easier time getting people into 6 Nations rugby given the time zones, more Americans having some ancestry from one of the 6N countries than NZ/Aus/SA/Arg and one game each week being shown on BBC America (as opposed to All Blacks tests which are shown on a very obscure channel only available on DirecTV). There are plenty of rugby clubs in SoCal, though, with people who, unsurprisingly, like rugby too. Watching games with them would not only be fun for you but would help you learn more about the game. USA Rugby's website (usarugby.org) has a feature to find clubs near you by typing in your zip code.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Have you ever considered making a movie? for instance: A talented but troubled high school rugby player loses his position as the star of a rugby union team when he is sentenced to a boys' Juvenile Detention Center. He ends up playing for the Highland rugby team, coached by Larry Gelwix in the national championships—against his old team, who is coached by his father, Richard Penning.

it could work

 

[abebinger]

I really love the Haka! I actually learned it when I lived there (even though women aren't supposed to) I like your thinking, and I know the game but not in great detail. And I'm trying to make the blog easy for non-rugby lovers to understand Thank you so much for your feedback!

 

[abebinger]

@InsaneAsylum Haha at first I was like "wait what" then thought "oh but I'm not a boy" then it FINALLY clicked what movie you were talking about. Haha I love that movie. And thank you because I will probably use that as a short post now! Awesome!

 

[InsaneAsylum]

@InsaneAsylum Haha at first I was like "wait what" then thought "oh but I'm not a boy" then it FINALLY clicked what movie you were talking about. Haha I love that movie. And thank you because I will probably use that as a short post now! Awesome!

hahah glad you liked it

I wouldn't have thought it would be so difficult, simply from the point of view that the all blacks have one of the most recongisable brands in the world.

good luck

 

[admartian]

If I've learnt anything from watching American sports for over a decade - it's that people love soap-opera styled story lines. I mean just look at the NFL as an example (see: media coverage):

NFL:

- Saints; bounty-gate suspensions and their 1-4 start.
- Manning vs Brady; on how they've 'shaped' the league together.
- Browns vs Ravens; shared history of two franchises
- Two emerging QBs; Flacco vs Ryan - how the top two QBs taken in their draft class are shaping.
- Tebow and NY ('nuff said)
- The Cowboys, Jerry Jones and Romo
- The Harbaugh brothers
- etc etc etc

Every week there's an over-arching storyline that they try to sell.

In the NBA, there's the inevitable Lakers vs Magic games (Dwight Howard) and the Brooklyn team games surrounding that whole trade.

My point is, try and maybe go into rubgy's traditions more and the history between each sides (if you're going to blog about upcoming matchups).

 

[TRF_heineken]

You must also remember to keep it trendy...

Like this:

 

[rusty_lock]

You must also remember to keep it trendy...

Like this:

OMG, That was brilliant!!! LOL