NFL Ready to Help Launch Pro Rugby League in the United States

The NFL is a cash cow with annual revenue of $9 billion; revenue that is projected to double inside of a decade. The only question some have--since the NFL charges enough for anything and everything already--is how.

The answer is easy. You make the game more accessible and desirable to fans around the world. Not just by bringing the game to them--you give them reason to tune into you. You get involved in their game, and if all goes well the NFL is set to do just that.

It's going to help bring professional level rugby to the United States.

Through the Aviva Premiership, the UK's professional rugby association, the NFL is going to host a match at
the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, on August 10 called the Independence Cup. The London Irish will come to town to take on a team made up of American rugby players along with some international veterans.

If all goes well it sounds like the NFL is planning on working with Premier Rugby Limited (who runs the Aviva Premiership) to start a six-team league on the East Coast as early as next year. However, if rugby is going to be the NFL's next cash cow they will have two hurdles to get over--finding and creating an audience.

There actually is an audience for the game in the United States already. There are over 100,000 registered rugby players (with USA Rugby; the sports governing body in the U.S.) not to mention thousands more 'former' rugby players (because you never fully retire from the game, right guys?).

For the last few years the College Rugby Sevens Tournament has been broadcast on NBC and Universal (in June) along with the USA Rugby 7's Tournament in Las Vegas (in February). The network has been very smart about how they package the game to fans. During broadcasts the commentators discuss the basic rules of the game during play so that viewers that are new to rugby can understand and appreciate what is going on.

So the game is already being packaged and even taught on television all be it in the Sevens variety (seven players per team); the Independence Cup and the proposed league will be 15's (15 players per team).

However, since the current rugby loving population has not been enough to warrant a professional rugby league in the past why should it now? How is the audience going to grow into one that will warrant the time and financial commitment that will be necessary for the venture to succeed?

The answer to that is surprisingly simple.

Over the years there have been several attempts to get other professional football leagues going with none really succeeding. The thought has been that the thirst for football is never ending, and since there are thousands of quality players that go undrafted every year why not just create another league?

The problem has been that the end product is not as good and no one wants to watch it.

What if the game those guys (and others) were given to play had a similar style of play with hard hits, big plays, and incredibly exciting and non-stop action?

There are thousands of football players (and other athletes) that never play their sport at the professional level. It's not that they are not good enough; it's just that there are only so many spots open for incoming rookies to get a chance to play in the NFL. With competition as high as it is for those precious few spots you can't just be a good player or athlete you have to be exceptional.

Even then, there are plenty of exceptional athletes that never get a chance to play the game beyond college. What if some of those guys were to play rugby instead?

Now that's not to say that any of these guys can just step right in and play rugby at a highly competitive level. Just playing football does not mean one will succeed in rugby. Not everyone can take the hits without pads and keep playing for a full 80 minutes. Rugby requires an athletes to be in top shape not just physically, but mentally as well.

Athletes in other sports will have to compete with already established rugby players of course. Year in and year out BYU and Cal (to name just two) field two of the best teams in the nation with players that many football programs would love to poach. There is no way that a novice is going to beat out one of these guys no matter how much of an athlete he is.

But what if some of these guys were to play rugby instead of football in college?

The quality of athlete is already there on established teams as well as in other sports. They just need an avenue to share their talents with the world. A professional rugby league backed by the NFL will give them the opportunity and exposure to do just that.

Oh, and for the football purist who do not want anything taken away from their game--the world of rugby is hands down the best virtually untapped (there are a few converted rugby players in the NFL) source of future football stars in the world.

Like this guy--