Rugby News from unexpected places

[WorkingClassRugger]

So the mooted availability of 20 or so pro contracts will make all the difference? What about all the other young players who do not have local contracts?

Most squads run 30-35 deep. Those young players will just have to perform in the Fijian Provincial Championship to prove they have what it takes to make the squad. They could still go down the foreign route if they wanted to. But the point is the pathway is now there and its pretty clear. The Drua players actually said as much this season. Everyone now knows that you have to perform at the provincial level to be in with a shot of making the Drua.

This will help Fiji as it will provide them with a core of players that allows for their foreign talent to come in and compliment instead of having to assemble players from different clubs and leagues the week before a Test and then take a couple of weeks to iron out the kinks.

 

[wamberal]

Yes, it will help, but it will not do much to bridge the gap between what is pretty much a third world economy and the tier one nations, who are all pretty much first world, huge economies of scale, sports academies, proper stadia, etc etc.

Ben Ryan famously had to dip into his own pocket for the sake of the Fiji Sevens programme.

And there's always the NRL. Not to mention the Jim Beam Cup (or whatever it is called these days).

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Yes, it will help, but it will not do much to bridge the gap between what is pretty much a third world economy and the tier one nations, who are all pretty much first world, huge economies of scale, sports academies, proper stadia, etc etc.

Ben Ryan famously had to dip into his own pocket for the sake of the Fiji Sevens programme.

And there's always the NRL. Not to mention the Jim Beam Cup (or whatever it is called these days).

Why bother then? They should just accept their place and be happy with it, right? Yes, they do have a third world economy but they also produce more professional players per capita than anyone else. All without the huge economies of scale, sports academies and proper stadia.

They learn and develop the game by actually playing. Which considering our dependency on a small number of schools who don't like playing more than a dozen games a year might seem novel but seems to work for them. They have a HP Unit by the way. Which having a pro squad means that they'll have these guys in the program full time for 7-8 months in a central location as opposed to spread across the country. Big difference right there.

 

[Omar Comin']

Yes, it will help, but it will not do much to bridge the gap between what is pretty much a third world economy and the tier one nations, who are all pretty much first world, huge economies of scale, sports academies, proper stadia, etc etc.

Fiji don't have to have all their best players based domestically. Their very best players will always be elsewhere. And that's fine as long as they can still represent Fiji. The fact they now have a local professional team will probably increase the number of players who get overseas contracts. But their very best players won't have to leave Fiji quite as early as they used to, and the guys who do stay will be at a higher level than they've been in the past, so their depth will be better.

How many professional rugby players in the world are Welsh, Scottish, Italian and Argentinian? Fiji will soon have a similar number of professional players as these nations.

One limitation for Fiji is that with basically all their top players in Europe they're probably never going to be a candidate for the Rugby Championship. But I don't see why they can't be a consistent tier 1 level test side for world cups and the annual world league if it eventuates.

 

[dru]

The only reason that Fiji have the NRC pathway open is because someone is funding. We should ensure this is never RA unless they have solved funding, grassroots and pathways here in Australia.

GRR, if they can sustain funding, is a big opportunity for Fiji.

Whichever way we turn, Wam is correct in that we need to hold commercial common sense to these things.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The only reason that Fiji have the NRC pathway open is because someone is funding. We should ensure this is never RA unless they have solved funding, grassroots and pathways here in Australia.

GRR, if they can sustain funding, is a big opportunity for Fiji.

Whichever way we turn, Wam is correct in that we need to hold commercial common sense to these things.

I understand there are commercial realities to the equation and it remains to be seen if it's sustainable. Much of the expenses outside of player payment will fall on GRR itself from my understanding and I cannot see their wage bill being as large as others due to a number of factors. But, still this is a big opportunity for PI Rugby in general.

 

[Slim 293]

Nice..........

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...-professional-men-s-team-20181130-p50jc5.html

Woman appointed forwards coach of US professional men's team


Former US women's Test captain Tiffany Faaee has become the first woman in American history to lead a professional men's team after being appointed assistant coach of a Major League Rugby team.

It is possible – though not yet verified – that Faaee is the first woman in the world to coach a professional men's team.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Nice....

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...-professional-men-s-team-20181130-p50jc5.html

Lot's on very interesting things going on in the States at present.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Ahead of the Jan 26th season kickoff New York have announced there regional broadcast partner in the form of SportsNet NY. This has pretty much everyone I know in the NY metro area (which includes most of New Jersey and Connecticut) really exicted as this is a very prominent sports channel in the area from all accounts. Accessible in every home and bar.

 

[p.Tah]

An American’s take on rugby

 

[KevinO]

An American’s take on rugby

 

[LearningCurve]

Good article on the US MLR season 2 and the new team in New York:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-new-york-toronto-seattle-glendale-season-two

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Good article on the US MLR season 2 and the new team in New York:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-new-york-toronto-seattle-glendale-season-two

Seattle has had some late preseason changes. Thanks to the shutdown they've had to change coaches late in the game thanks to visa delays. Though it won't effect their structure as their new coach James Walker has been part of the organisation for a while. Kicks off on Sunday with New Orleans taking on Toronto in New Orleans. Kick off is at 7 am and we will be able to view as per last season via the MLR FB if anyone is interested. Three games in a row for Sunday morning.

 

[LearningCurve]

Seattle has had some late preseason changes. Thanks to the shutdown they've had to change coaches late in the game thanks to visa delays. Though it won't effect their structure as their new coach James Walker has been part of the organisation for a while. Kicks off on Sunday with New Orleans taking on Toronto in New Orleans. Kick off is at 7 am and we will be able to view as per last season via the MLR FB if anyone is interested. Three games in a row for Sunday morning.

WCR, what are your predictions for the MLR season? From that Guardian article it seems that the New York team is a bit of an unknown and has quite the road trip to kick off the season - do you know much about how they are tracking and their community support?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

WCR, what are your predictions for the MLR season? From that Guardian article it seems that the New York team is a bit of an unknown and has quite the road trip to kick off the season - do you know much about how they are tracking and their community support?

First of all, this season should be a solid improvement on the last across the board. The general consensus is that Toronto is the likely frontrunner having assembled a formidable squad. NY should be competitive in the very least. Seattle should be a contender. I'd probably go as far as to suggest either one of Toronto (who like NY have a tough away schedule thanks to weather to start the season) or Seattle should be 1 and 2 come the finals. Then there's a bit of a toss up for places 3 and 4 (it's going to be a 4 team finals series as per last season) between Glendale, San Diego, Glendale andAustin. Houston could go either way from their form in the preseason. I'm hoping they go the way I want and are competing for the top 4.

Utah has had a couple of solid hit outs and from all accounts possess the attacking flair of last season but still seem to have some of the defensive deficiencies of last season. Paul Lasike who is now with Quins in the Gallagher Premiership was their marshal in that regard last season (he did his best to chorale them) and it will be interesting to see who assumes or tries to assume that role this season. One their day they can beat anyone by scoring a tonne of points. The issue is, can they stop their opponents from scoring. They'd be my pick for the wooden spooners this season.

New Orleans have had a couple of trials against regional select sides but I really have no idea what those games were like. On paper they'll be fielding a strong side against Toronto this Sunday (7am via the MLR FB page) but I honestly won't be able to pass any judgement until I watch them. Last season they were quite hot and cold but appear to have recruited well. Con Foley formerly of the Aus 7s program will be a feature of their team this season.

NY are a complete mystery. Their squad should be very solid going from what I k now of their signings. Potentially a top 4 contender but they haven't really had much in the way of preseason games. They were scheduled to play Toronto in Buffalo a couple of weeks back but their bus was involved in a crash and they had to cancel.

In terms of my top 4. I think Seattle are likely no. 1 but that all depends on Toronto's first 8 away games. They 5 of those 8 and then the run home should put them over the top. What may impede this is that a significant portion of their starters will be on international duty in the Americas Rugby Championship for around 4 weeks during this period.Glendale would be my number 3 ranked team and I think NY might sneak the 4th place. I think despite their lack of preseason play their squad has enough quality to squeak it. So.

1.Seattle
2. Toronto (but easily could be vice versa with Seattle)
3. Glendale (I've been tuning into the Raptors feed for several years so they are 'my team') and
4.NY (just).

The ultimate winner. Toronto. A full strength squad should get them there. But honestly I just want to see everything across the board ramped up a gear of two from the first season and provide a strong platform for the confirmed introduction of New England, Atlanta and DC in 2020 as well as the mooted other inclusions of Dallas and at least one yet to be announced location for as early as 2020/2021.

 

[Harv]

It may be worth noting that on this March night in New York, it is possible to watch five or more rugby games simultaneously on the telly and internet. (And every Super Rugby game is available). Admittedly a few of the games tonight are crap -- notably, Australia's loss to Samoa in the US Sevens -- but it's a wonderful thing that rugby is no longer a complete media mystery in the US. Major League Rugby in this country is a terrific innovation. I hope it survives for a few years, and it does seem in pretty good health. Meanwhile, the US national side continues to improve and is piggy backing some of the grassroots rugby interest that is a crucial ingredient in the MLR's early success.

It's only a few years ago the only way to see a rugby broadcast was to cough up $20 bucks in a 'rugby' pub to watch a Saturday morning Test -- at least we didn't have to go to Queens and manipulate wire coat hangers in Indian restaurants, as was the practice to watch cricket -- but it was a pain, nevertheless.

It's madness the game is fading fast as it clings to its stupid elitist roots in Oz while it blossoms in other places. ... I'm loving the power of the Brazil scrum ... the speed of the American Sevens game ... the increasing competitiveness of the second tier of European rugby.

 

[wamberal]

Harv, the elitist roots are about the only roots we have got these days. The time to do something about them was probably 110 years ago, when the game should have gone professional, but chose not to.


We are a minority sport now, and for the life of me I cannot see how that situation is going to change, short of some sort of huge injection of entrepreneurial money into the game.

 

[Harv]

Harv, the elitist roots are about the only roots we have got these days. The time to do something about them was probably 110 years ago, when the game should have gone professional, but chose not to.


We are a minority sport now, and for the life of me I cannot see how that situation is going to change, short of some sort of huge injection of entrepreneurial money into the game.

Yes, I share your despair. But as I've said ad nauseam for an age, the key is making the game more inclusive rather than leaning more and more on the private school base. No one wants to destroy the elite roots of the game, just expand the sport to vast majority of the population. They have missed multiple windows to do that since the pro era began (and the game is even less inclusive now that it has ever been in Oz) but it can still be done if the will is there. Trouble is, it's not. Just witness the tone of the exchanges in many of these forums.

While results and structure of competitions at an elite level are important, exposure and widespread knowledge of the sport in the developmental stage is where Australia has let it slide. Rugby IQ is very low, which makes it more of a challenge for spectators to invest in the sport. They have to find a way to build the base and honor the grassroots (not just celebrate the efforts of elite schools).

The model over here and a few other second and third tier rugby nations, while still yet to be proven, is a good example. The game is played through school and clubs and the power and portability of Sevens is a selling/introduction tool. Traditions in the game are important, but the most important characteristic is rugby's fairly unique team-ethos.

There is no guarantee that professional rugby will thrive in the US, but working with a blank slate rather than all the politics and prejudices inherent in Australian rugby provides a glimpse or two of how reinvention (in Australia's case) is possible.

 

[Omar Comin']

Uruguay beat the USA in the US on the weekend. Big win for them, especially given the improvement of the US in the last couple of years. I think the Americans were missing a handful of guys who play in Europe, but not too many.

Uruguay got hammered 68-7 by Fiji in November though so it's hard to pin down their level or what they can realistically aim for at the world cup. They play Fiji first up in the tournament, followed by Georgia 4 days later. Presumably they'll rest their best XV for Georgia, but Fiji will be playing 4 days after their own first game against us so they'll have to play their B team.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Uruguay beat the USA in the US on the weekend. Big win for them, especially given the improvement of the US in the last couple of years. I think the Americans were missing a handful of guys who play in Europe, but not too many.

Uruguay got hammered 68-7 by Fiji in November though so it's hard to pin down their level or what they can realistically aim for at the world cup. They play Fiji first up in the tournament, followed by Georgia 4 days later. Presumably they'll rest their best XV for Georgia, but Fiji will be playing 4 days after their own first game against us so they'll have to play their B team.

It's been a really inconsistent ARC for the Eagles. They've shown periods of play that are world class followed by taking 20-30 minute naps. Last week against Brazil it looked like they were going to blow the Brazilians away only for forget that Rugby goes for 80 mins. Hell, they didn't even show up figuratively speaking in Argentina.

And a lot of that has to do with leadership and trialing young guys. With the likes of McGinty back they'll be different prospect altogether.