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Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2023 11:27 pm
by Mellsblue

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2023 4:57 pm
by Puja
Rugby ATL have been bought out and moved to Los Angeles: https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/majo ... svWZgg3OdU

Sad, but ATL has been an utter basketcase for a while. Management failing to engage with fans, that stupid name, rebrand that everyone hated, poor marketing - it was coming and better that it's been rescued and moved elsewhere than just allowed to die.

Puja

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 10:59 pm
by Mellsblue

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2023 12:50 am
by Puja
That's a good signing for the Legion - he'll do well there. Frankly, if he settles, I don't see any reason why he couldn't be playing for the US in 5 years' time.

Have you seen the latest news from the league though? Toronto Arrows have folded after the founder and owner died and his heirs didn't have the same enthusiasm for bankrolling a rugby club.

ETA. But in good news, have just seen Seattle have signed Tevita Kuridrani - hell of a signing!

Puja

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2023 8:19 am
by Mellsblue
Hadn’t seen that. Another example of how precarious the finances are.

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2023 8:13 pm
by Mellsblue
Here’s the answer to my question ‘How can Nordli-Kelemeti not get in to this terrible Newcastle team?’

https://x.com/nefreejacks/status/173100 ... MV3j-SK8yQ

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:10 am
by Puja
Ooft. New York's just folded as well. Not great for the league as a whole to contract this suddenly and across two very big markets.

Puja

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:41 am
by Mellsblue
If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere…

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:56 am
by Puja
Mellsblue wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:41 am If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere…
And apparently rugby can't, at least not now. Mind, RUNY/NY Ironworkers always seemed to be a bit of a muddle. I say this having no money of my own with which to buy and run a professional rugby club, but it always seemed like they tried to do it low-key and on-the-cheap, which just isn't going to attract any attention in New York. Open with a fanfare, playing at the Red Bull Stadium, advertise this brand new exciting attraction bringing this big-time sport to New York and, while it would be bloody expensive to run, it would at least stand a chance of catching enough attention to become self-sustaining. It'd be glory or bust - sure you'd need 10k crowds to make it work, but with the population of New York, that's not out of the question.

Playing in penny-hapenny stadia in Hoboken and Coney Island, scrabbling with crowds of 1-1.5k - might've been cheaper to run, but it relegated them to being "that little weird minor sport" to anyone who came across them, assuming anyone outside of the rugby community did even actually hear of them.

Puja

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:24 am
by Mellsblue
https://x.com/usmlr/status/173329552090 ... MV3j-SK8yQ

Toronto and NY players exempt from the salary cap.

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:26 am
by Mellsblue
Puja wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:56 am
Mellsblue wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:41 am If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere…
And apparently rugby can't, at least not now. Mind, RUNY/NY Ironworkers always seemed to be a bit of a muddle. I say this having no money of my own with which to buy and run a professional rugby club, but it always seemed like they tried to do it low-key and on-the-cheap, which just isn't going to attract any attention in New York. Open with a fanfare, playing at the Red Bull Stadium, advertise this brand new exciting attraction bringing this big-time sport to New York and, while it would be bloody expensive to run, it would at least stand a chance of catching enough attention to become self-sustaining. It'd be glory or bust - sure you'd need 10k crowds to make it work, but with the population of New York, that's not out of the question.

Playing in penny-hapenny stadia in Hoboken and Coney Island, scrabbling with crowds of 1-1.5k - might've been cheaper to run, but it relegated them to being "that little weird minor sport" to anyone who came across them, assuming anyone outside of the rugby community did even actually hear of them.

Puja
Reading replies under official statements, there’s plenty of moaning about moving around stadia. There’s a couple that say that Hoboken was by far the worst facility but the easiest to get to and had the best atmosphere, and that they team should’ve stayed there whilst building a solid supporter base.

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 8:56 pm
by Mellsblue

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:49 am
by Puja
8 team playoffs in an 11 team league seems somewhat over the top.

Puja

Re: Major League Rugby

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2024 7:08 am
by Mellsblue