Major League Rugby

[rowan]

Highlights of the final:

[rowan]

LA confirmed. I believe Ontario is also confirmed, while DC and BC are likely to be added within a year or two...

LA Coast Rugby today announced it has secured exclusive negotiating rights for the first Major League Rugby team (MLR) in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. The team will make its debut during the 2019 season.

Rugby has rapidly gained popularity in the US. In recent years, it has actually claimed the title as the fastest growing sport in America. More than 100,000 players are registered with USA Rugby, and there are nearly 800 college teams.

The City of Los Angeles has over 4 million locals and the metropolitan area has almost 19 million. The expansion of LA Coast Rugby comes with excitement for locals, and especially rugby lovers. By bringing the sport to Los Angeles, LA Coast Rugby founders Stuart Proctor and Patrick McCullagh aim to add to the city's sports renaissance. In 2017, Southern California Youth Rugby (SCYR) had the largest concentration of youth rugby players nationwide. It also has 2 PAC-12 collegiate programs and 3 D1-A collegiate programs, with Belmont Shores RFC making it to the senior national club championship final.


http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2018 ... l?spref=fb

[Puja]

Average attendances for the season are in:

Austin-1029
Glendale-1651
Houston-1628
NOLA-1200
San Diego- 2200
Seattle-3760
Utah- 3650

Considering Houston were in a temporary home in a school field (with no tailgating or alcohol allowed on site! - they'll have their own stadium next season), and NOLA were a completely new team with no pre-existing fanbase, the only ones that are really disappointing are Austin and Glendale. Austin are hoping to move somewhere more accessible next year and had the disadvantage of being slightly crap this season, but Glendale need to take a long look at themselves given that they had a pre-existing crowd, topped the league table, won 8/10 games, and have their own purpose built stadium. I still think the name's a problem; they could call themselves Denver very easily, but the stadium was built by the town of Glendale with a lot of political support and funding around trying to make the town famous as "RugbyTown USA" and I don't think rebranding would go down well.

Still no news on RUNY's permanent home or where LA Coast are due to play, although the latter's got a lot more options.

Puja

[rowan]

Glendale, as I say, should move to Denver and change its name accordingly. Does Texas need two teams when there are other cities champing at the bit? Let Austin go and bring on BC, Ontario, NY, DC & LA.

[Puja]

And Ontario Arrows are now in: https://ontarioarrowsrugby.com/2018/07/ ... -for-2019/

Another potential option for you to go see games Mells?

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Another ‘local’ derby. The north east is starting to take shape.

Initial plans for a rugby watching trip for the new year are in place, ie my brother has said I can have the spare room for the price of a match ticket. Detailed planning will begin once the fixture list is out. The only major obstacle in the way is getting permission from the long suffering Mrs Mellsblue. Which is a bit like saying the only major obstacle in Brexit negotiations is the Irish border - a history of violent confrontations and a sensitive issue not based on a wholly logical and dispassionate train of thought. Initial thoughts were a ‘local’ team, which really meant Washington but could now include Ontario, or the first home match.

[rowan]

Ah, yes, Ontario. Remember it well. I crossed the bridge from Detroit into Windsor, had lunch in Macdonalds and went back to Detroit again. Thus was my somewhat unadventurous two-hour tour of Canada.

[Puja]

Another ‘local’ derby. The north east is starting to take shape.

Initial plans for a rugby watching trip for the new year are in place, ie my brother has said I can have the spare room for the price of a match ticket. Detailed planning will begin once the fixture list is out. The only major obstacle in the way is getting permission from the long suffering Mrs Mellsblue. Which is a bit like saying the only major obstacle in Brexit negotiations is the Irish border - a history of violent confrontations and a sensitive issue not based on a wholly logical and dispassionate train of thought. Initial thoughts were a ‘local’ team, which really meant Washington but could now include Ontario, or the first home match.

A word of warning - while the season will be running January-June, I don't expect New York or Toronto to be hosting any home games until April onwards, with Texas, California and New Orleans having the reverse.

And may I recommend the Boris Johnson approach to your negotiations, if only so the rest of us can have a laugh at your expense.

Puja

[rowan]

800 kms apart and in different countries. That's a local derby??

[Mellsblue]

Another ‘local’ derby. The north east is starting to take shape.

Initial plans for a rugby watching trip for the new year are in place, ie my brother has said I can have the spare room for the price of a match ticket. Detailed planning will begin once the fixture list is out. The only major obstacle in the way is getting permission from the long suffering Mrs Mellsblue. Which is a bit like saying the only major obstacle in Brexit negotiations is the Irish border - a history of violent confrontations and a sensitive issue not based on a wholly logical and dispassionate train of thought. Initial thoughts were a ‘local’ team, which really meant Washington but could now include Ontario, or the first home match.

A word of warning - while the season will be running January-June, I don't expect New York or Toronto to be hosting any home games until April onwards, with Texas, California and New Orleans having the reverse.

And may I recommend the Boris Johnson approach to your negotiations, if only so the rest of us can have a laugh at your expense.

Puja

You could be right on matches being later in the season. That said, I was out there in Feb last year and it was tshirt weather. It was very surreal wandering out of an Irish pub late morning after watching a couple of 6N games to be greeted by hot weather and glorious sunshine.

I fear Mrs Mellsblue will be play the Boris role and will get to have her cake and eat it.

[Mellsblue]

As to our previous conversation about €50 tickets being expensive. My brother has just booked us tickets for the Giants this fall. Yes, fall. I am now €300 poorer. Top tier, front row on the 25 line. I know it’s THE NY team, playing THE US sport but it shows just how expensive sports tickets are compared to the U.K.

[rowan]

[rowan]

I used to think the US-Canadian border ran somewhere along the same latitude as the England-Scotland border, but it's actually level with central Europe, while the southernmost point (and the only part I've visited) - Windsor - is level with the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona and Istanbul. It's also the same distance from the equator as Wellington. Not exactly the tropics, but there's more to Canada than glaciers and polar bears...

[rowan]

Mind-blowing latitude comparisons:

[rowan]

Here's your chance, lads!

If your dream is to play professional sports, a new opportunity opens this summer as NOLA Gold rugby holds open tryouts around the region.

NOLA Gold is the newest professional sports team in New Orleans, and is a member of Major League Rugby. The team is recruiting athletes from a broad range of backgrounds who share the drive, talent and passion for professional sports.

“For athletes who have dreamed of competing at the pro level, this is the chance of a lifetime,” said Tim Falcon, team owner and founder of NOLA Gold. “Rugby is growing fast in the United States and with Major League Rugby we are building something incredible.”

Major League Rugby held its debut season in 2018, and NOLA Gold was among its first teams across the country.

Take the jump to read more. http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2018 ... l?spref=fb

[Mellsblue]

...

[rowan]

Meanwhile debate rages north of the border on whether the new Canadian team will be known as the Ontario Arrows or the Toronto Arrows. I'd go with the latter.

[Mellsblue]

Any news on when the next seasons fixtures are being announced?

[Puja]

Any news on when the next seasons fixtures are being announced?

Imminently is the call. There's been a bit of movement on teams for next season - looks like LA Coast have not yet ponied up the full cash and are deferring to 2020, Dallas, Chicago, and Boston are still all-mouth-no-trousers, and Vancouver have two groups arguing with each other over who's in the best position to be the official bid. There's 8 teams confirmed for next year, but the season ticket sales details for Utah and Seattle say there's 8 home games in a round robin, so it's expected the fixture list is waiting on the official confirmation of Ontario as the 9th.

On New York, they're still searching for their stadium for next year. Gaelic Park in the Bronx has been ruled out as being too small and too dilapidated, so rumour has it that they may be playing in Staten Island. TBC, as a lot of it is at the moment.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Any news on when the next seasons fixtures are being announced?

Imminently is the call. There's been a bit of movement on teams for next season - looks like LA Coast have not yet ponied up the full cash and are deferring to 2020, Dallas, Chicago, and Boston are still all-mouth-no-trousers, and Vancouver have two groups arguing with each other over who's in the best position to be the official bid. There's 8 teams confirmed for next year, but the season ticket sales details for Utah and Seattle say there's 8 home games in a round robin, so it's expected the fixture list is waiting on the official confirmation of Ontario as the 9th.

On New York, they're still searching for their stadium for next year. Gaelic Park in the Bronx has been ruled out as being too small and too dilapidated, so rumour has it that they may be playing in Staten Island. TBC, as a lot of it is at the moment.

Puja

Excellent. I want to start planning my new year trip stateside - yes, stateside - before the Xmas money vortex starts kicking in.
One of the rumours on a (permanent) stadium is a joint build with the GAA in Yonkers. Obviously, that might not quite be ready for next season!!

[Mellsblue]

RUNY sign 26yo Irish flyhalf Cathal Marsh. 8 caps for Ireland u20 and 26 appearances for Leinster.

[Puja]

RUNY sign 26yo Irish flyhalf Cathal Marsh. 8 caps for Ireland u20 and 26 appearances for Leinster.

New York are looking to have a very handy team building there. I wouldn't be surprised if they were in the conversation for the Championship next year.

I think they will be missing a trick if they don't go for their final branding as "New York Irish". There's enough Yanks who think that they're Irish that it'd be a selling point and they're already leaning into it by scouting the AIL for talent.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

RUNY sign 26yo Irish flyhalf Cathal Marsh. 8 caps for Ireland u20 and 26 appearances for Leinster.

New York are looking to have a very handy team building there. I wouldn't be surprised if they were in the conversation for the Championship next year.

I think they will be missing a trick if they don't go for their final branding as "New York Irish". There's enough Yanks who think that they're Irish that it'd be a selling point and they're already leaning into it by scouting the AIL for talent.

Puja

Even the owner is Irish. Plus there is the rumoured ground share with the GAA. If they don’t go for the Irish nickname I’d imagine one of Boston or Chicago will if/when they pony up the $$$$$$ to join.

[Mellsblue]

Haskell name checks the MLR as a possibility when he can’t pick up a Prem contract. It’s obviously Haskell, so who knows how serious he is being, but it shows the league really is on top players’ radars.

[Puja]

I just posted that on the MLR reddit. I reckon he'd love the idea of being a founding member of a new franchise and pretend like he's David Beckham. Washington are in for 2020 and quite probably LA as well - would've thought either of those would be prime Brand country.

Puja