sportsbarRugby League hits the USA
January 16th 2008 01:14
Rabbitohs Air-born
South Sydney will today fly out on their historic venture into the USA. Who knows how they will be received? With Russell Crowe set to make a tv appearance to promote the game, there should be at least a very small ripple in the American sport landscape.
The Rabbitohs will play Super League Champions the Leeds Rhinos on the 26th January.
This is not the first time Souths have ventured overseas… In 1929, South Sydney became the first Australian Rugby League side to tour neighboring countries - winning two of
their three tour matches in New Zealand.
Now we know that Russell Crowe has some considerable clout in Hollywood – but how will the Rugby League experiment go? Will it be a flash in the pan, will anybody even know its on? After all – the Superbowl has everyone in a spin and it would be hard to imagine the Souths Leeds game attracting much attention after the circus has hit town.
But – if there is a chance that the game can be spread, we must take it and this could be a huge moment in the history of Rugby League.
America do have a national team and a national competition, but with only 8 teams competing, it is hardly making headway in an overcrowded landscape. Rugby League could be huge in the states – Its quick, exciting, end-to-end and easy enough to understand. The game is similar to Grid-Iron – but the concept is fairly similar. Try to get over the oppositions line, and then kick at goal.
In my opinion, League is tailor-made for the USA. The big hits are still there, you have the celebrities – the big name players and it’s all over within 80minutes. You can relate to a player more in league than in NFL - one simple reason for this
In Australia we have soccer, Rugby, League and AFL all competing and still fans manage to keep track of all of these. Honestly, I don’t know how we do it… It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.... we wouldn’t have it any other way!
In America it is a little different in that, its not similar codes. Where we have a million football codes, America has a collection of “the World’s best” sports– NBA, NFL, NHL and MBL. Or if you are not up with your alphabet in translates to– Basketball, American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball.
They are the big 4 and then you have your Rugby and Soccer also trying to get a foothold and trying desperately to make an impression.
Oh and let us not forget the supercharged, bodyslammin, lycra wearing wrestlers that make up the WWE – who seem to steal all the athletes who don’t quite make it.
So how does Rugby League make an impression?
In honesty, it probably won’t. But the one way it might is the other great American pastime… Through Celebrities.
Russell Crowe has the appeal and creates enough interest that he could bring the game into lounge rooms across the States. If nothing more, at least might get people watching – even if they don’t understand the rules.
In a World Cup year, I for one was disappointed the USA Tomahawks failed to qualify – it could have been a huge co for Rugby League. If only…
I would love to see this game one day become a true World sport. But then again, every sport would love to emulate soccer.
Soccer (Football) is the only sport – a part from perhaps running that can truly claim to be world wide.
We will watch with interest to see what happens, I just hope they put on a good game…
To see more about it Click Here
South Sydney will today fly out on their historic venture into the USA. Who knows how they will be received? With Russell Crowe set to make a tv appearance to promote the game, there should be at least a very small ripple in the American sport landscape.
The Rabbitohs will play Super League Champions the Leeds Rhinos on the 26th January.
This is not the first time Souths have ventured overseas… In 1929, South Sydney became the first Australian Rugby League side to tour neighboring countries - winning two of
their three tour matches in New Zealand.
Now we know that Russell Crowe has some considerable clout in Hollywood – but how will the Rugby League experiment go? Will it be a flash in the pan, will anybody even know its on? After all – the Superbowl has everyone in a spin and it would be hard to imagine the Souths Leeds game attracting much attention after the circus has hit town.
But – if there is a chance that the game can be spread, we must take it and this could be a huge moment in the history of Rugby League.
America do have a national team and a national competition, but with only 8 teams competing, it is hardly making headway in an overcrowded landscape. Rugby League could be huge in the states – Its quick, exciting, end-to-end and easy enough to understand. The game is similar to Grid-Iron – but the concept is fairly similar. Try to get over the oppositions line, and then kick at goal.
In my opinion, League is tailor-made for the USA. The big hits are still there, you have the celebrities – the big name players and it’s all over within 80minutes. You can relate to a player more in league than in NFL - one simple reason for this
In Australia we have soccer, Rugby, League and AFL all competing and still fans manage to keep track of all of these. Honestly, I don’t know how we do it… It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.... we wouldn’t have it any other way!
In America it is a little different in that, its not similar codes. Where we have a million football codes, America has a collection of “the World’s best” sports– NBA, NFL, NHL and MBL. Or if you are not up with your alphabet in translates to– Basketball, American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball.
They are the big 4 and then you have your Rugby and Soccer also trying to get a foothold and trying desperately to make an impression.
Oh and let us not forget the supercharged, bodyslammin, lycra wearing wrestlers that make up the WWE – who seem to steal all the athletes who don’t quite make it.
So how does Rugby League make an impression?
In honesty, it probably won’t. But the one way it might is the other great American pastime… Through Celebrities.
Russell Crowe has the appeal and creates enough interest that he could bring the game into lounge rooms across the States. If nothing more, at least might get people watching – even if they don’t understand the rules.
In a World Cup year, I for one was disappointed the USA Tomahawks failed to qualify – it could have been a huge co for Rugby League. If only…
I would love to see this game one day become a true World sport. But then again, every sport would love to emulate soccer.
Soccer (Football) is the only sport – a part from perhaps running that can truly claim to be world wide.
We will watch with interest to see what happens, I just hope they put on a good game…
To see more about it Click Here
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
Desperately?? Hey come on now... Soccer might be desperate but Rugby gave the Americans their idea of football. Big girlie skirts in their helmets and padding...who needs them?
Didn't The Rock (Dwayne whathisname) really like League when he was in Australia?
Maybe Russell could get some of his Hollywood pals together for a celebrity v Rabbitohs game! Should be a riot!
...Robin Williams organises Rugby matches. He was a big fan of Jonah Lomu.
I thought Soccer was gaining ground in the US...hence why Beckham gets paid what he does.
What is it about soccer that makes it a globally popular sport? Post Andy post...!
Hope you're well buddy...
Dusk
ps. That whole "world series" gets me! "world"??
Comment by Anonymous
Rugby has a bigger profile than league in the US, but even that is minor. The problem is the size of the country. I believe that with the right promotion league could have had a bigger profile. Doesn't much matter now because rugby is professi9nal.
The problem with Americans, and maybe Canadians too, is they have an arrogant attitude towards their sport which they regard as a world sport; which of course it isn't except for basketball. American football is to put it politely - very strange! Mind you, baseball can be an exciting game, but it is minor - softball is more of a world sport than baseball.
Comment by Anonymous
Remember that soccer was the first football code - its really Association football. Rugby union is the foundation code of all the other football codes. Kiwis brought league to Aussie. The All Golds founded league down under. So after rugby came league, American football, sevens etc. Aussie rules though is an offshoot from Gaelic football, but influenced by rugby originally.
Cheers