Baltimore Blues USARL Team (Rugby)

[kmccarthy27]

They just announced the new Baltimore USARL team. This is the new logo.

USARL

I like it.

[Luigi]

They just announced the new Baltimore USARL team. This is the new logo.

USARL

I like it.

KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

[Sodboy13]

This is a logo for some sort of tourist-district seafood restaurant, right?

[nuordr]

I did not know there was a Rugby league in the United States. As far as this logo, it is not as bad as some of them in that league. Check them out at http://www.usarugbyleague.com/

[dgthree]

I am actually friends with the owner of the RI Rebellion Rugby team. The league was formed last season and broke off from another semi-pro rugby league. Jacksonville is obviously the largest program in the league, but the league is growing and putting together a fine infrastructure.

[Bleujayone]

They just announced the new Baltimore USARL team. This is the new logo.

USARL

I like it.

KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

...And then serve them up in some crab cakes!!!

[Rampart]

The league has made a lot of progress in it's first year and this is a great addition. The teams have really been raising the bar and getting more and more fans to the games. Since the season runs from June and July with August playoffs, it's a perfect summer sport. I think once people start to understand the rules and terminology, they'll be hooked. I find the league code much faster and more spectator oriented than the union code. If the league ever got some serious cash behind it, it could be something more mainstream.

[cornettored]

They just announced the new Baltimore USARL team. This is the new logo.

USARL

I like it.

KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Yes, before it mutates and turns to a NukaLurk!

[fumbler]

The league has made a lot of progress in it's first year and this is a great addition. The teams have really been raising the bar and getting more and more fans to the games. Since the season runs from June and July with August playoffs, it's a perfect summer sport. I think once people start to understand the rules and terminology, they'll be hooked. I find the league code much faster and more spectator oriented than the union code. If the league ever got some serious cash behind it, it could be something more mainstream.

Serious?

The game is floundering all over the world, in England it is third in line way way way behind football(soccer) and way behind Union, it is played in only a few Counties and is not popular at all in London hence London- Broncos- Harlequins- Broncos. In France which used to be a monster in league standards it is mainly played in the south. Even in Australia the game is falling apart teams are broke and country leagues are collapsing everywhere.

Maybe it could make it in the US as a poor cousin to Grid Iron that is played in summer in front of crowds of a few hundred for two months of the year.

BTW the logo reminds me of the claws.

[Gazzzaf]

^Given the limited resources of the USARL and AMNRL they have done quite well regarding League in the US. The Tomahawks have qualified for the World Cup for the first time and they have a meaningful tournament in the Atlantic Cup with Canada and Jamaica.

Admittedly, the code could be doing better in England but it was in much better shape a couple of decades ago showing that there is potential for growth, a lot of it hinges on the English national team having more success.

France had the potential to be a RL monster if not for the Vichy government banning the sport.

In Australia's case, teams are broke because the game is run my fragmented organisations containing many unsavvy "jobs for the boys" types. It also doesn't help when New Limited, the major stakeholder in Australian League, publishes paranoid garbage about the sport collapsing in order to sell newspapers. Rugby League is as popular in NSW/Qld as ever and is carving out a niche in Victoria amongst body types not suited to Aussie Rules. By following the AFL's (who are the best run sport in the southern hemisphere, incidentally) lead with a unified commission, the sport may begin to realise its potential. Remember that RL had its heart ripped out with Super League less than 15 years ago, the reason it has come as far is that the on-field product is attractive to spectators, particularly for TV purposes.

Since League has a set amount of tackles and a play the ball, analogous to downs and the snap in gridiron, it has a slightly more familiar feel to Americans than Rugby Union which definitely works in its favour.

And yes, good to see Baltimore getting a team...and yes to the logo looking similar to the claws though there are only so many ways to draw a crab.

[Saintsfan]

Admittedly, the code could be doing better in England but it was in much better shape a couple of decades ago showing that there is potential for growth, a lot of it hinges on the English national team having more success.

Not to derail the converstaion, but a lot of Rugby League's success in England was due to the ability of RL to lure Union players. Now the movement is almost entirely from League to Union. I doubt the success of the national team has a lot to do with it, one way or another. The game only beats Union for popularity in Northern England, and in Australia (and even there Union is catching up). The one thing it had over Union, proffesionalism, has long since been equalised, and Union has proved much more effective in pulling in sponsorship and media rights money worldwide.

[fumbler]

Yeh sorry gazzaf i only started watching league when the Storm came in and got addicted to the Cowboys but since the Rebels got let into Super Rugby, league is a distant memory.

Tho it is good to see the US get another sport introduced to thier landscape.

[Gazzzaf]

Admittedly, the code could be doing better in England but it was in much better shape a couple of decades ago showing that there is potential for growth, a lot of it hinges on the English national team having more success.

Not to derail the converstaion, but a lot of Rugby League's success in England was due to the ability of RL to lure Union players. Now the movement is almost entirely from League to Union. I doubt the success of the national team has a lot to do with it, one way or another. The game only beats Union for popularity in Northern England, and in Australia (and even there Union is catching up). The one thing it had over Union, proffesionalism, has long since been equalised, and Union has proved much more effective in pulling in sponsorship and media rights money worldwide.

Union certainly has had the upper hand in England since the 1980's, a stronger international game (compared to the decline in League's international game) has vaulted one over the other. Much higher salaries in Union are becoming more and more attractive to League players such as Sam Tomkins who recently turned out for the Barbarians against the Wallabies after the RL 4 nations.

In Australia's case the popularity of Union is cyclical and hits a high come world cup time (same with soccer, its Australian parochialism), its had an extended run this time around with the Reds winning Super Rugby as well. However, without games played on free to air television and the relative lack of local (Aus vs Aus teams) derbies, the interest in Asutralia can only go so far given the relative obscurity of lower grade rugby to the average audience. The case is reversed in NZ where Rugby is king and League has had a bit of a surge in the past few years with World Cup/4 Nations wins for their occasionally competitive national side and a grand final appearance for the Warriors. Registered players in the country have increased 38% compared to numbers in 2010 and I would say that league is growing at a faster rate in NZ than Union in Aus, though I expect this rate to be cyclical as well; one will not usurp the other in either country.

Yeh sorry gazzaf i only started watching league when the Storm came in and got addicted to the Cowboys but since the Rebels got let into Super Rugby, league is a distant memory.

Tho it is good to see the US get another sport introduced to thier landscape.

No worries mate. Do you get to Rebels games all the way from Rocky?

Edit: Sorry about the big derail as well.

[kmccarthy27]

Yeh sorry gazzaf i only started watching league when the Storm came in and got addicted to the Cowboys but since the Rebels got let into Super Rugby, league is a distant memory.

Tho it is good to see the US get another sport introduced to thier landscape.

Not to sound too much like a noob, I have downloaded, watched and enjoyed English and Australian Rugby League. Other than the amount of players, is there a big difference with Union? Does Union not have 6 downs?

[Rampart]

I love it when Fumbler and Gazzaf start talking about league. You two have your pulse on the game better than I do.

Just looking at it from my (an American) perspective, it would seem that League would be a much better fit for American audiences. The fields both have similar markings (although the league pitch is about 20 meters wider) and the rules are easily understood if you watch the NFL. I'll admit that many more people play Union in the US, but there's no major league like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB. Just like soccer in America; it's the team sport with most participation, yet MLS doesn't attract as well as the other major sports.

Now with League being played in the summer; it's competition is baseball and soccer (neither of which are really contact sports). Judging by the success of MMA and specifically, the UFC, Americans want the type of sport that rugby can offer.

I think part of the problem with League in England is that it needs to spread out. Most of the teams are clustered in the southern part of Northern England. Then you have teams like London and Catalans on the outside. Although League is the top code in Australia, again, the teams are too compact (especially around Sydney). There are no teams in Western Australia (Perth) or South Australia (Adelaide).

[Saintsfan]

I think part of the problem with League in England is that it needs to spread out. Most of the teams are clustered in the southern part of Northern England. Then you have teams like London and Catalans on the outside. Although League is the top code in Australia, again, the teams are too compact (especially around Sydney). There are no teams in Western Australia (Perth) or South Australia (Adelaide).

They've been trying to spread the game in England, and the UK in general, for years now. To almost NO success. The 'magic' weekend (a weekend of fixtures to launch the season) has been held in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Twickenham, next the year the weekend will be held at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City, right in the heart of Rugby League country. The Crusaders team, based in Wales has lost it's Super League franchise. League is contracting if anything.

[RedSox44]

I was initially reminded of this:

But upon further inspection, they're not as close as I thought.

[Sodboy13]

I love it when Fumbler and Gazzaf start talking about league. You two have your pulse on the game better than I do.

Just looking at it from my (an American) perspective, it would seem that League would be a much better fit for American audiences. The fields both have similar markings (although the league pitch is about 20 meters wider) and the rules are easily understood if you watch the NFL. I'll admit that many more people play Union in the US, but there's no major league like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB. Just like soccer in America; it's the team sport with most participation, yet MLS doesn't attract as well as the other major sports.

Now with League being played in the summer; it's competition is baseball and soccer (neither of which are really contact sports). Judging by the success of MMA and specifically, the UFC, Americans want the type of sport that rugby can offer.

Spike TV (the "ultra-manly man's man network for men", for our international readers) aired the 2009 NRL Finals/Playoffs on same-day tape delay, marketing it as gridiron's tougher cousin and airing the Nine Network broadcasts nearly in full. However, they never bothered adding much to the broadcast for newcomers, and throwing in a few pop-up graphics in-game explaining terms like "on the full" or "dummy half", or rules like the zero tackle and the 40/20, might have helped retain viewership a bit. Ratings must not have been to their liking, as they haven't aired any more since. I think Fox Soccer or Fox Soccer Plus may air some NRL contests - I know they showed State Of Origin this past year.

[Gazzzaf]

Yeh sorry gazzaf i only started watching league when the Storm came in and got addicted to the Cowboys but since the Rebels got let into Super Rugby, league is a distant memory.

Tho it is good to see the US get another sport introduced to thier landscape.

Not to sound too much like a noob, I have downloaded, watched and enjoyed English and Australian Rugby League. Other than the amount of players, is there a big difference with Union? Does Union not have 6 downs?

Union has more of a continuous feel to it, when a player is tackled a ruck (controlled fight for the ball) is established, union also has an unlimited tackle count. In league, when a tackle is deemed complete, the attacking player is released and he rolls the ball between his legs (playing the ball) which is similar to a down, as the player is released the defensive side has to get back to the defensive line 10 metres from the play the ball, its in between being continuous like rugby and start-stop like gridiron.

I love it when Fumbler and Gazzaf start talking about league. You two have your pulse on the game better than I do.

Just looking at it from my (an American) perspective, it would seem that League would be a much better fit for American audiences. The fields both have similar markings (although the league pitch is about 20 meters wider) and the rules are easily understood if you watch the NFL. I'll admit that many more people play Union in the US, but there's no major league like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB. Just like soccer in America; it's the team sport with most participation, yet MLS doesn't attract as well as the other major sports.

Now with League being played in the summer; it's competition is baseball and soccer (neither of which are really contact sports). Judging by the success of MMA and specifically, the UFC, Americans want the type of sport that rugby can offer.

I think part of the problem with League in England is that it needs to spread out. Most of the teams are clustered in the southern part of Northern England. Then you have teams like London and Catalans on the outside. Although League is the top code in Australia, again, the teams are too compact (especially around Sydney). There are no teams in Western Australia (Perth) or South Australia (Adelaide).

What the AMNRL/USARL should be aiming for is an audience/participation around that of the MLS, it would be a couple of million I guess. A talent pool that large would vault the US into competition with France/Wales/PNG/Pacific Islands at the least and eventually to the level of the big 3 (YEARS away). In Australia at the least, the NFL gets a niche audience during the NRL/AFL/SR offseason and it would therefore make sense that a similar audience would exist during the NFL offseason.

League and Aussie Rules are the two top codes, I'd say that no code has the upper hand though each would like you to think so. The NRL needs a national footprint, something they had and then threw away after the super league war. Currently West Australia has a bid to return to the league which would begin the return to what the game had in the 90's, Adelaide is further down the track since they have a smaller east coast expat population but should be considered in the next 20 years.

I think part of the problem with League in England is that it needs to spread out. Most of the teams are clustered in the southern part of Northern England. Then you have teams like London and Catalans on the outside. Although League is the top code in Australia, again, the teams are too compact (especially around Sydney). There are no teams in Western Australia (Perth) or South Australia (Adelaide).

They've been trying to spread the game in England, and the UK in general, for years now. To almost NO success. The 'magic' weekend (a weekend of fixtures to launch the season) has been held in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Twickenham, next the year the weekend will be held at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City, right in the heart of Rugby League country. The Crusaders team, based in Wales has lost it's Super League franchise. League is contracting if anything.

Expansion in Britain/Europe has been done poorly so far, with the exception of Catalans. The original Super League introduced a team in Paris where the code is weak as opposed to the south of France where it has popularity. The Wales Crusaders have been a financial mess and the Broncos/Harlequins/Broncos need to settle on an identity and stick with it, ideally they would have kept their links with Fulham FC to achieve some crossover support in the offseason.

[Luigi]

I love it when Fumbler and Gazzaf start talking about league. You two have your pulse on the game better than I do.

Just looking at it from my (an American) perspective, it would seem that League would be a much better fit for American audiences. The fields both have similar markings (although the league pitch is about 20 meters wider) and the rules are easily understood if you watch the NFL. I'll admit that many more people play Union in the US, but there's no major league like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB. Just like soccer in America; it's the team sport with most participation, yet MLS doesn't attract as well as the other major sports.

Now with League being played in the summer; it's competition is baseball and soccer (neither of which are really contact sports). Judging by the success of MMA and specifically, the UFC, Americans want the type of sport that rugby can offer.

I think part of the problem with League in England is that it needs to spread out. Most of the teams are clustered in the southern part of Northern England. Then you have teams like London and Catalans on the outside. Although League is the top code in Australia, again, the teams are too compact (especially around Sydney). There are no teams in Western Australia (Perth) or South Australia (Adelaide).

Actually Adelaide and Perth are campaigning for a teams when the NRL expands in 2013/14. Other candidates include: Central Coast (Gosford), Sunshine Coast, Central Queensland (Rockhampton), Central Corridor (Ipswich, Toowoomba, Logan) Wellington, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.