How can we make Rugby a bigger sport in America?

Question

How can we make Rugby a bigger sport in America? Can we make it bigger than hockey?

Answer 1

or bigger than american football......

I think very hard , almost impossible...

Answer 2

The 1st thing is start a campaign to get the USOC to vote for Rugby Seven's to be included as a sport for the 2016 Olympics which may be in the USA. This may play a role in influencing colleges and HS's into including this as a varsity sport. It's a lot faster then Union and high scoring , so it may draw more interest.

I also understand USA Rugby is bidding for the Rugby 7's World Cup , so if they win they better get it on ESPN.

Bigger then hockey no the NHL for all its faults is a well established league that draws well at the gates. New York Rangers get 18,000 per game Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, Minnesota, Denver and Dallas all draw well. Sports Center still includes this sport in their highlights especially during the Stanley Cup.

On top of that Hockey is a NCAA sport for around 60 colleges. Could Rugby ever get 19,000 people to watch a college Rugby championship like the college hockey championship did this year. Frozen Four is on ESPN not some obscure niche pay per view station. Not to mention SI gave this game an article.

Lastly we Americans are very parochial when it comes to sports after all soccer is relegated to being a niche sport. Lacrosse is a bigger deal then say field-hockey. If it's not made in the USA then it better be Canada. We didn't invent Golf or Tennis, but Americans doing well help these sports get media exposure.

Answer 3

Start sending some of the High School kids to NZ to play High School rugby. We used to get some kids coming here but not too many come anymore. Then maybe the NZ schools would reciprocate and send back some players for the USA season.

Get better Corporate sponsorship. NCAA will sanction a sport when enough sponsorship money will flow into the NCAA coffers. It's money baby, money talks in the states. Once it's in the Collegiate level as a fully fledged sport then the pro ranks will begin.

Get an American based team in the Super 14 (but then probably called Super 16), probably in California. With regular top teams on the mainland, there would be a point of focus for growth, rather than basing the showpiece on The Eagles losing to Canada!!! (Not good) Offer SANZAR money and you guys will be in the competition in no time.

Answer 4

Australia is currently in the same situation. Only the elite schools are playing rugby here. Most of the talented youngsters are going to other codes.

What needs to be done is getting the game through at grassroot levels. This would envolve alot of publicity, money and a strong system.

I'm not sure what it is like there, but the other Australian codes are signing players at the age of 13. Rugby signs maybe three 16's each year, this being the youngest age group signed. With another 5 players with exceptional ability go to league, as each team has about 100 players signed to rugbys 30.

Best way to go though is do what my school and all the other private schools do and hold clinics over in Polynesia and bring the best over as there is no money over there.

Answer 5

Having an American girlfriend I have taken to rugby and football games they really struggle to sit through the long half's. she regularly goes and watches American football, Ice hockey and Baseball.

Although impressed more by the way rugby is played, she had never seen anything as violent like it in her life, she was wanting to get up and stretch her legs after a short while.

I would introduce Sevens first, short half's but lots of action, and then Rugby league, more similar to American football than union. Once these have a foot hold then introduce Rugby union.

Answer 6

make the rules alot easier. they should modify the rules a bit like the english super league.
Maybe change the rules to be a bit simpler. Make the sport also a bit more out their by putting it on the radio etc.
Club rugby in Australia eg. Shute shield struggles to pull acrowd for the main reason that they do not advertise it enough.
Maybe bringing in big name or at least has been nfl players into the sport as it has been easy to cross over from rugby to nfl it would most likely be able to change over the other way perhaps.
Such as in Australia with the league players changing.

Answer 7

rugby is getting bigger. Almost all colleges have teams now, and women's teams are starting to become varsity level teams at some colleges. This is my 3rd years playing at my college. I also know that a lot of youth leagues are popping up around the country and that there are also senior division teams all over. It may not be mainstream, but it is still getting pretty big. We played a college yesterday, it was their first game ever. We have 45 girls on our team now, not bad for a division 3 team. Theres even a division 4 for both men and women's college.
it is mostly Union, i really have no clue about league.

Answer 8

i am playing for a South African team rugby.
What u need is people who now how to coach rugby and to promote it at the school in USA. You have all the players that side. If you can form a team from some of the NFL players u will become the best in the sport. but to start it youi need to have the support of the people and also u need the kids to participate in the sport at schools. I have played my whole school carere rugby and i am playing now for the LIONS so start with them from a young age so that they get a passion for it. Don't forget that to play rugby its not to win or kill oneanother but to have fun.

Answer 9

You Can't. The IRB and USA rugby continue to sell television rights to Pay per View and obscure expat tv stations like setanta. The only way would be to get the game on basic cable or network tv. Until then no one can do anything because the IRB and USA rugby are adamant the general public does not see rugby on regular television

Answer 10

Bigger than hockey? No. Get local teams and local media coverage. I am on a team that just formed, and one of my teammates works at the local paper. They will not even cover our games. We are going to form a youth program so there is more interest in the game. Hopefully, it will gain in popularity.

Answer 11

We Import Australians/Kiwis and export Americans.

We ban all sports except for rugby.(this will make it the biggest sport there)

We only play touch rugby, otherwise the americans might hurt themselves.