Rugby's Future in America

[Sguse1]

Let's face it... The NFL is changing to a less violent, PC rules-based league in attempt for player safety. Many fans have said that they will not continue to follow or the sport if it eventually turns into the National Flag League (Though I do doubt that people will actually follow through with this).

As a sport, rugby is exploding with popularity in America and is experiencing a similar growth that lacrosse saw in the early 2000s. Rugby has 2 varieties that can appeal to American consumers and with the future of the game relying heavily on the 7s variety that will be featured in the 2016 olympics for the first time.

A 7s or possibly 15s league beginning in April and ending in August could be a huge opportunity for the sport, especially if someone such as former rugger Mark Cuban backing the financials of the league.

7s can appeal to many rural areas as it only takes 12 players for a side, the cost of equipment is extremely low and facilities already are in place with football fields being utilized.

Obviously this will rely heavily on marketing and a competent talent pool to choose from. I think that there is an tremendous opportunity for rugby to cement itself into the American sports scene as a competitive option to the NFL. There are claims that the NFL has become over-saturated and over-marketed while rugby full embraces open advertising and the un-stopped, flowing nature of the game appeals to consumers that there is little opportunity for networks to take commercial breaks that we have become accustomed to in the NFL i.e. TD, Extra Point, Commercials, Kick-Off.

Do you think with proper exposure and a formal professional league the sport can be a viable player in the American sporting landscape?

[walby2]

Does rugby have the same issue with widespread concussions that gridiron football does? If yes, then it is probably doomed to the same fate. If not, then it could potentially one day become a viable replacement.

[PacificCoastRL]

I'm not so sure about rugby union taking its place in the hierarchy of North American sports, but I do believe rugby league could become a huge player on the sporting landscape of Canada and the United States. Rugby union has been played on this continent for over 100 years and has made very few inroads into the upper echelons of sport. Rugby league, which is relatively new to North America, is beginning to gain some traction and I feel the sport could launch a full-fledged pro league within the next ten years. League is actually on off-shoot of Union, but it has surpassed its older sibling because of rule changes made to attract fans. The National Rugby League in Australia has the highest television ratings of any sports in the "Land Down Under", even surpassing Aussie Rules Football.

[Gothamite]

As a professional league? It'll never advance beyond a niche sport. Look at the trouble we've had establishing a pro soccer league as a major sport, and that has a huge built-in audience.

As a college sport, I can definitely see it growing. Amateur sport? Sure. But pro? The ceiling is very low there.

Let's face it... The NFL is changing to a less violent, PC rules-based league in attempt for player safety.

Let's face it... You don't seem to know what "PC" means.

Besides, anybody whinging about the rules "wussifying the game" to the point where they won't follow it, or other such nonsense, is just spewing bluster.

There's this mistaken notion that fans are really looking for the hard hits above all, but recent years have made that contention hard to support. The NFL has never been more popular even after all the work its done to make the game less dangerous.

[Gothamite]

One additional thought:

here are claims that the NFL has become over-saturated and over-marketed while rugby full embraces open advertising and the un-stopped, flowing nature of the game appeals to consumers that there is little opportunity for networks to take commercial breaks that we have become accustomed to in the NFL

I don't think that your hypothetical start-up league would be made more commercially viable by removing the things that make the NFL commercially viable.

Football is king because its tailored to fit television. Free-flowing games (like soccer) are much more fun to watch in person, but much harder to package and sell.

[The_Admiral]

Does rugby have the same issue with widespread concussions that gridiron football does?

Just an issue with widespread brohams.

[Foxxtrot44]

One additional thought:

here are claims that the NFL has become over-saturated and over-marketed while rugby full embraces open advertising and the un-stopped, flowing nature of the game appeals to consumers that there is little opportunity for networks to take commercial breaks that we have become accustomed to in the NFL

I don't think that your hypothetical start-up league would be made more commercially viable by removing the things that make the NFL commercially viable.

Football is king because its tailored to fit television. Free-flowing games (like soccer) are much more fun to watch in person, but much harder to package and sell.

This is the key advantage that 7's holds over 15's- Plenty of time for ads...and "Let's face it..." if ANY form of rugby were to start to make noise in the American Pro sports market it would be 7's. Although, I'm not holding my breath. I do see 7's as the next big Olympic sport that American's will love though

[Gothamite]

Now that's a possibility.

[Sodboy13]

Rugby 7s sucks hard. It's borderline unwatchable. The arena football of rugby. NBCSN shows Sevens international competitions quite a bit, and the profound lack of interest at the venues is stunning. The last two events I've seen were in Queensland, Australia and South Africa - both rugby-mad locales - and the stadiums looked like they were hosting UFL games. Just desolate.

I know they're trying to give Sevens a pre-Olympic push, but I just can't see it taking root. Anywhere.

[-kj]

I think I enjoy sevens more than union or league, honestly.

[wildwing64]

I didn't know there was a Rugby Sevens until I opened this thread.

[jr79]

Neither rugby code has concussion-related issues on the same scale as the NFL, and there's probably 3 reasons, 1) none of the so called "protective equipment" that allows you to use your body like a weapon to attack your opponent, 2) strict rules banning contact above the shoulders and 3) better focus on player safety and welfare, especially in Rugby League since the late 1980s and in Rugby since it turned professional in 1996. I get the feeling the NFL really only started worrying about these issues in the last 2-3 years, and only then because it was in the media?

There is ongoing research by the IRB into the effects of the many repeated small impacts to the brain from the g-forces in normal tackles, scrums etc. But there's not exactly an epidemic of CTE breaking out in the former rugby player community and the rules have been essentially the same for decades now.

And neither code will ever be more than the nichest of niche sports in the USA. Rugby League with its limited tackle count and more rigid play-by-play structure would perhaps be a simpler game for followers of American Football to understand, but is itself a long long way behind Rugby in terms of exposure worldwide so its not a hope of catching on.

[Gothamite]

I think you're right about the concussion issue. Without all the body armor, there are fewer injuries of that type.

I've been saying for years that the only way football can ultimately survive is to eliminate helmets. Or return them to something more akin to a rugby scrum cap.

[Sguse1]

Keep in mind a game of 7s is only 14 minutes long... They could run a league with series competition style where every team competes every weekend and points are on a running tally over a season with a final match series between the top 4 or 2. A network could air the entire league's contests in a 3 hour block with plenty of time for commercial breaks... think of how long it actually takes before they cut to break in the NFL and I'm willing to bet they run well over 7 minutes. The commercial viability is there, I believe it is a matter of someone willing to take a risk.

Keep in mind, I would NOT have rugby competing directly against the NFL. I think a spring/summer league would do wonders for the doldrums experienced after MLB opening day, the NFL draft, NBA/NHL playoffs and before NFL training camp and the MLB postseason races. I also think that a weeknight time slot, say Thursday, on a major network (NBC currently airs much of the rugby coverage nationally) would be best.

The concussion issue doesn't affect rugby as much as football. You don't have the superman effect where guys launch their bodies at each other with reckless abandonment and fighting for every inch on the field doesn't matter as much as possession of the ball does.