oikee:

Sorry mate, i had no idea what was going on over there, at least i got a response from you, and wish you all the luck, sounds like you need it

, but having just explained to me what you have said, yes i am in oz, australia, and even though rugby union is a bigger brand over here than the league, i would say that this year will change all that, and in a sense this makes a huge difference to the powers to be, yes union is riding high at the moment with the six nations, but i still think they need to be, they have already been taken steps for mine,

that is i think they know the crunch is coming from the rugby league guys, you can tell by the increased coverage the papers are giving the sport, and as you say, there is no league in the papers, why? well because there has not been any on at the moment, its only getting the season started now, having said this, we now have a full 10 months of league getting underway, and we both have some of the best talent you will ever see, both in super league and aussie league, and to top it off, the world cup, all this will give the game greater publicity and support, the more a nation fights it the sillier they look, america is coming along nicely, there is no stoping them, once they get into a couple of games against russian and pacific they will be in a better position, and they will start getting attention, and they love the attention.

Wish i was over there to help you fight the fight, but like i have said, it will get easier after this year, are you german , my wife lived there for awhile with some friends and speaks the language pretty well. To cheer you up, if you get the coverage of the world cup i have added some more slang on the site for you to read, most of it is used by ray warren and he is doing the games this year, i just read the news today, maybe they where looking at my blog ,

Gut mit sie zu sprechen, viel gluck - auf wiedersehen.

No wakas mate, its all good, its good to let people know what's going on. Actually this year is looking like a pretty sweet year for german RL. Four full internationals, 3 9's tournaments and a dmoestic league as well as their own State of Origin is a great sign for any country. I hear that the Czechs are going to have a busy year as well, but I am yet to have some confirmed dates on that. Eastern Europe is really starting to pick up on the sport. Who would have thought 8 years ago that there would be RL in germany, Czech Rep, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Holland and Serbia with Russia two established powers. Despite what people like to say the last two are not developing RL nations but are RL nations. Remember just because they don't always win does not mean they are not proper established countries. Russia certainly has a billionare backing two of its teams, has about 8000 players men and women and juniors and a two tier domestic comp and averages several thousand to games. They have been pretty smart in their fan targeting as they have gone for the Ice Hokey fansa rather than RU fans.

... but I digress

RU is not as big a sport as its made out to be, certainly do njot belive all the hype they spin out, though would it not be wonderful id RL had spin doctors like that. the RUWC final did NOT have 4 billion watching it as the SD like to to think, official TV ratings shoiwed only 33 million. And even that is dubious because of the way the European viewers are calculated. I suspect the Union calculator has been used there as well.

Oikee, you can do much to help fight the fight in Australia. Like so and support any sort of international game like Malta, or Portugal or Greece or the touring Japanese side. They need to see support, spend your $5 for entry and $2 for a program, let them get something out of it. Seing the support base shows that the powers that be in their home countries its a sport worth invesiting in. Its why last year the Maltses RL was successful in having a domestic comp and internationals in Malts, they showed the sport is marketable there. They had their first home grown players make the Maltese national side last year.

Now, I am and Aussie with a Polish background, but am living and working in Germany. I am a League tragic and basically where I can sniff a game out and see it I will. I travelled extensively last year to see many games... 8 countries in all, Germany(2), Serbia(1), Czechs(1), France(2), GB(1), Wales(1), NZ(1) and PNG(1). Got to see the ESL grand final and have a game of touch footy in Munich and also saw the NRLGF live in Munich during Oktober fest (what a combo for the day!). I am on a volunteer thing helping the germans, but that also alows me to help out any one else. I have done much stuff with the Czechs and Serbians. I am looking at seeting up RL Poland with a few guys based in Britain... and Poland. I am incontact with the Jamaicans, Canadians and South Africans... so where I can I try and help out in the sport be it through videos, photos getting kits, DVD's or just being a fan to support. Hell I'll even play and risk my back if it means helping out a team (domestic i.e. not a national team as I would not qulaify... except for either Poland or Lithuania :) ).

Anyway enough about me and that... just enjoy what's gonna be great year of RL.

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Ok, will do' and when we move back to england will get to as many matches also, yes same here, league tragic, so my english wife keeps telling me,

Now i am starting to see where you are coming from, so you have seen quite a few matches of the teams in the world cup, i take it you did not see any of the island teams because they had already qualified !   Look i definately agree with you about france, they are never a pushover, and i have already picked adam mogg to be man of steel this year,

Now my thinking behind this is not because of mogg himself, by no way could he do it by himself, No i was thinking about the team, the french players are getting a lot stronger than they have ever been.  Any how keep up the good work, will keep thinking about some more slang, and i started the searching for the stars blog, you might find a giant, or a rabbit (burrow) on your travels. c'ya

Hey all,

 I am one example of an American giving up on all other sports for Rugby League.  I drag my wife around the world to watch important matches.  We will be at the WC as well for the final three games. All it took was some exposure to the game!

 Rowly had a lot of great suggestions that I hope will come to to life but the key, as I see it, is ESPN.  If the NRL and Super League could put together a package to ESPN and air games we would see a small revolution.  It wouldn't even matter if it was on at 2am, it would catch on.  The stuff they show now on late hours is horrible and can not fetch too many advertising dollars.  People my age (45) still remember the AFL on ESPN in the early eighties.  Americans were intrigued and in awe of the game.  Little do they know about Rugby League!!  It would be a winner!!

Great idea Johhny Knight. Which team you support in the AMNRL, New York Knights? I am partial to the Sharks in NJ myself.

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Johnny Knight:

Hey all,

 I am one example of an American giving up on all other sports for Rugby League.  I drag my wife around the world to watch important matches.  We will be at the WC as well for the final three games. All it took was some exposure to the game!

 Rowly had a lot of great suggestions that I hope will come to to life but the key, as I see it, is ESPN.  If the NRL and Super League could put together a package to ESPN and air games we would see a small revolution.  It wouldn't even matter if it was on at 2am, it would catch on.  The stuff they show now on late hours is horrible and can not fetch too many advertising dollars.  People my age (45) still remember the AFL on ESPN in the early eighties.  Americans were intrigued and in awe of the game.  Little do they know about Rugby League!!  It would be a winner!!

Always great to here stories like your's johhny kinght. Alos great to here suggestions like yours too. ESPN would be a great idea, even if they only played 1 ESL and 1 NRL game a week. 2 of each would be great. Is anyone based in USA that can tell me what TV coverage league gets ATM. Is The AMNRL broadcast? are any ESL, NRL or international games broadcast? I would like to hope that if they are'nt they will be before long.

rugbyadmin:

Will America ever accept Rugby League as a "serious" sport. How can the game win recognition in the USA?

Good question.

The USNRL needs to develop the game at the grassroots level in the country's rural regions, ethnic communities and smaller cities that do not have their own NFL franchise.  A lot of the persons from these areas would jump at the opportunity to play professional Rugby League in Australia and England.  An affiliation between the Queensland Cup, NSW Cup, National League Competitions in England and the USNRL could help promising players from the US gain a pathway to the NRL and European Super League.

Rugby League's similarity to American Football ought to be used as a promotional tool by the USNRL  If it is used properly, then it could lead to the game gaining a foothold in the US at the expense of Rugby Union.  A few American Football fans might take to the game's ad-lib structure, fast action, skill and brutality. 

Druzik:

Also I have been looking into setting up RL in Poland and people are just not interested in there... I may need to look OS to expats to do something and then break into the Polish market... I now see whay Greece, Malta and Portugal have gone the way they have.

I have thought about learning Polish, gain qualification as a Rugby League coach, and help set up the game in Poland.  The reason I am interested in setting up the game in Poland is because my maternal grandparents were Polish.  They migrated to Australia after the second world war.

I am not rich and I am living off welfare.

Therefore, I am not in a position to do any of this.

Two years ago, i was training for my uni rl team and a big american kid turned up. he was massive, and had been told to try out rugby by a friend who had traveled in Uk. It was pure luck he chose rugby league, but he took to it like crazy. You should have seen the hits he put in...

anyway, all he needed was to be exposed, and he fell in love with the game. he still loves his nfl, but tells me hes constantly looking at the superleague website to check how all the teams are going. I think he loved the physical side to it and it was very similar to nfl so he understood it( jus pass backwards rather than forwards we told him....)

 To sum up yeh i think league could work in the usa, all they need is exposure to the game. I like the idea of staging it in the NFL off season, and we should approach nfl teams to keep there guys fit in the summer etc.

Jack GB:

Two years ago, i was training for my uni rl team and a big american kid turned up. he was massive, and had been told to try out rugby by a friend who had traveled in Uk. It was pure luck he chose rugby league, but he took to it like crazy. You should have seen the hits he put in...

anyway, all he needed was to be exposed, and he fell in love with the game. he still loves his nfl, but tells me hes constantly looking at the superleague website to check how all the teams are going. I think he loved the physical side to it and it was very similar to nfl so he understood it( jus pass backwards rather than forwards we told him....)

 To sum up yeh i think league could work in the usa, all they need is exposure to the game. I like the idea of staging it in the NFL off season, and we should approach nfl teams to keep there guys fit in the summer etc.

Well with a product as great as ours all it nees to grow anywhere is exposure, whether it be USA or kazakstan the people will take to it if we are able to give league exposure.

Would the NFL franchises risk losing their star players to injury by having them play Rugby League during the offseason?

we have a long way to go.....

not a hope in hell

scotty1984:

not a hope in hell

Why?

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Just like to mention that darral spinner howland from the Jacksonville Axeman is going to be here in oz next month to promote another game to be played over in Jacksonville next australia day, weather its the rabbits again or he might be thinking of inviting another team over there, i have heard on the grapevine that Holmes-a-Court wants to take the rabbits to another destination, so spinner might be trying to get support from another club? Would be the best idea to keep promoting the same area, as in Jacksonville for at least 5 years.?   any thoughts.

How about the NRL champions? They then can do the WCC a couple weeks after, so its like a tour for them

If not then I wouldn't mind seein the cronulla sharks or the knights over there. these teams are sister teams of the Bucks County Sharks and NY Knights so be nice to have interaction with them in some capacity.

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