Rugby league in the United States
Encyclopedia
Rugby league football is a participation and spectator sport in the United States
. Historically rugby league has been less popular in the United States than rugby union
and domestic sports such as baseball
, American football
, basketball
, and ice hockey
, but the establishment of a national team
and a domestic competition in the late 20th century has seen the sport grow.
The United States national rugby league team
, known as the Tomahawks, has participated with some regularity in international competition since 1987. In 1998 the country's first domestic competition, the American National Rugby League
(AMNRL), was launched. A semi-professional
league, it is predominantly based in the Northeastern
and Mid-Atlantic states
. The national team and the AMNRL are affiliated to the Rugby League International Federation
, the sport's world governing body. In 2011 a new domestic competition, the USA Rugby League
, was announced.
were played in the United States in the early 19th century. During this time the sports had no fixed rules, and were particularly popular in universities and college preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The sport of American football
evolved from these intercollegiate games.
Meanwhile in England a schism developed in rugby football between those who favored strict amateurism and those who felt that players should be compensated for time taken off work to play rugby. In 1895 this resulted in the formation of a break-away sport, rugby league
, the rules of the two codes of rugby (union
and league) would themselves diverge. Whilst the new form of rugby was taken to countries such as France and Australia, American rugby continued to be played solely under rugby union rules. The sport was eclipsed by American football and was confined to California by the time of the 1920 Olympics.
In 1939, the Californian Rugby Football Union wrote to the governing body of rugby league, the Rugby Football League
, to tell them they wanted to switch from rugby union
and affiliate to the RFL. In June 1939, the RFL made plans to send a delegation out to California but were unable to do so due to the outbreak of World War II
.
promoter, was asked to organize a tour of Australasia
by an American rugby league side. The team was given a huge schedule that included 26 matches against Australian and New Zealand
sides. None of the 22 American players had ever played rugby league prior to the tour, and they presented themselves in American football
-like attire early on in the tournament. The side won only six games as well as drawing two.
Their second match of the tour, against a Sydney side, drew a crowd of 65,453 to the Sydney Cricket Ground
. After a consistent lack of competition, crowds were good but never reached the same heights. In turn the tour did not in turn bring any benefits to American rugby league, but Mike Dimitro did not give up, he was able to organize two exhibitions against Australia and New Zealand in California that did not turn out to be a big success. An American side also made a short tour of France in early 1954, including a match against the France national team in Paris. France beat USA 31-0.
Mike Dimitro was still optimistic of developing the game in the United States but his bid to host a Rugby League World Cup
in the 1960s failed.
and attempted to attract funding from British and Australian promoters to help establish a twelve-team professional competition. The proposed league would have chiefly relied on attracting American football players who could not make it in major leagues. However, Mayer was unable to find sufficient financial backing, and the league never got off the ground.
In the 1980s interest in amateur rugby league began to grow. In 1986 a new competition, the Tri-Counties Rugby League, was established with three teams in Canada and one from the United States, the New York
-based Adirondacks club. In 1987 the Australian state teams of Queensland and New South Wales played an exhibition State of Origin
game in Long Beach, California
. The result of this match was not to be included in official statistics, but in recent years the New South Wales Rugby League
and media organizations based in that state have added the win to their tally. Promoters claimed the match drew 10,000 spectators, but detractors said it drew only about 7,000 and was not a financial success.
Meanwhile, Mayer had continued to promote rugby league. His efforts resulted in establishing a national team
to play a match against Canada
in 1987; this would be the US' first international match since the 1950s. The following year he was involved in promoting an exhibition game between the English teams the Wigan Warriors
and the Warrington Wolves
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
.
relocated to Philadelphia, and began to introduce rugby league to the Glen Mills Schools
, where he was employed as a teacher. Soon after he was contacted by Mayer, and they set about building a U.S. national team to compete in international tournaments for the first time. Under Niu's leadership the United States competed in the 1992 Rugby League World Sevens
tournament in Sydney. They have participated in the World Sevens (1992–1997), Superleague World Nines (1996, 1997), Emerging Nations World Cup (2000) and Victory Cup (2003, 2004) competitions.
In the 1990s rugby league promoters including Australian-American David Niu
worked to promote the game, and in 1997 the first rugby league organizing body, Super League America, was formed, with Niu as its head. Super League America was recognized as the official governing body for the sport by the Rugby League International Federation
, and was in charge of organizing the national team and establishing a domestic competition. The domestic competition kicked off in 1998 and was contested by six team, with one soon folding. In 2000 Super League American announced a reorganization; the league headquarters were moved to Jacksonville, Florida
, with Jacksonville-based marketing executive Steve Gormley serving as the organization's new president. Niu would serve as CEO and maintain the northeastern branch in Philadelphia. The organization was renamed the United States Rugby League, and set its sites on expanding into the Southeastern United States
and attracting British rugby league teams to Florida for training camps and international competitions.
In 2001 all five teams announced they were forming the American National Rugby League
. It has since expanded from four teams in 1998 to eleven in 2010, located across the Northeastern
and Mid-Atlantic states
, with one team in Jacksonville, Florida
. The league has announced its intention to expand further, including establishing a second eleven-team division in the Western United States
, with two teams in Canada
. The league hopes to have the western conference in play for the 2011 season.
(owned by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe
and international businessman Peter Holmes à Court
) played a trial game against 2007 European Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos
in Jacksonville, Florida
. Leeds got off to a 26-0 lead at half-time and looked to have it sewn up. In the second half, South Sydney scored 24 unanswered points in a remarkable comeback (the final score was Leeds 26 - 24 South Sydney). The game attracted a crowd of 12,500.
(NRLUS), was announced. The new league was to include administrators and talent from the AMNRL, and was intended to begin play in 2010. However, as of 2010 the league had not gotten off the ground. That year officials announced their hopes that play would begin in 2011, citing the late 2000s recession
as a factor in the league's lack of progress.
The start of 2011 saw a schism in American rugby league with seven sides leaving the American National Rugby League
and forming the newly formed USARL.
(AMNRL) is the United States' oldest rugby league competition. Eleven teams competed in the 2010 AMNRL season
, with seven departing after the season to form the new USA Rugby League
.
Teams currently committed to play in the AMNRL are:
Additionally, the AMNRL has announced various plans for expansion. The Chicago Stockyarders
team has announced it will be embarking on a full exhibition schedule for 2011, with future plans to join the AMNRL. The AMNRL is also planning a four- to six-team competition for Hawaii
in partnership with the Hawaii Rugby League; teams in development are Kona, Maui, Harlequins, Spears, Islanders, and University of Hawaii
. On June 10, 2011, the Utah Avalanche of Salt Lake City, Utah
, announced they were joining the AMNRL as a developing team. Other plans for a Western American National Rugby League and development in other areas have been announced at various times.
was announced on January 12, 2011. It was formed by seven teams formerly in the AMNRL, who are to be joined by expansion teams. It has an expected kick-off date of Summer 2011.
Teams currently committed to play in the top tier of the USA Rugby League are:
Additionally, the league has announced that several other teams will be participating as "developmental" teams. These include the Pittsburgh Sledgehammers (formerly the Pittsburgh Vipers), the Denver Wolverines, the Los Angeles Raiders, the Orange County Outlaws, the Seattle Force and Texas Rugby League (which will field two teams, the Dallas Dragons and the Houston Hornets).
is the north east coast, the AMNRL
is quickly expanding to other areas of the eastern coast, as well as this, efforts are being made to set up a west coast competition.
In 2006, a new team joined the AMNRL
from Boston, which played an exhibition match in 2005. Teams from New Haven (Connecticut) and Jacksonville (Florida) also joined the 2006 competition. A Chicago team is also going through various stages of development with possible inclusion in the AMNRL in the future.
Florida has hosted rugby league
games in the past, the state was the host to 1999 North Pacific Qualification Tournament, where the USA beat both Japan
and Canada
to meet Lebanon
for the right to play in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
. Orlando
's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosted the Tomahawks's test against England
, for the latter's 2000 World Cup warm up game. It ended 110-0 to the away team. In 2001, Florida was also host to the Sunshine State Challenge, where the United States
competed against the Huddersfield Giants
, Halifax
and the Leeds Rhinos
, the miniature tournament drew a crowd of 6,700.
In 2005, an exhibition match was played in Phoenix, Arizona
to help promote rugby league
outside the heartland. Plans are underway to start a west coast competition called the WAMNRL, it has announced kickoff date of Summer 2011 with teams from Los Angeles
, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Oregon
, Seattle, Phoenix, Arizona
, Las Vegas
, Salt Lake City and Denver, as well as Vancouver, Canada.
In November 2010 the USA announced a strategic plan to grow the sport in the country with grass roots development, expansion and world cup qualification in sight.
and touch rugby league, sometimes known as "Eagle Tag" in the United States, are played at youth level. According to the AMNRL, there are an estimated 500 players participating in junior touch/flag rugby league competitions in the USA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Historically rugby league has been less popular in the United States than rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and domestic sports such as baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, but the establishment of a national team
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
and a domestic competition in the late 20th century has seen the sport grow.
The United States national rugby league team
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
, known as the Tomahawks, has participated with some regularity in international competition since 1987. In 1998 the country's first domestic competition, the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
(AMNRL), was launched. A semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
league, it is predominantly based in the Northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
and Mid-Atlantic states
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
. The national team and the AMNRL are affiliated to the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
, the sport's world governing body. In 2011 a new domestic competition, the USA Rugby League
USA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
, was announced.
History
Games related to rugby footballRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
were played in the United States in the early 19th century. During this time the sports had no fixed rules, and were particularly popular in universities and college preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The sport of American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
evolved from these intercollegiate games.
Meanwhile in England a schism developed in rugby football between those who favored strict amateurism and those who felt that players should be compensated for time taken off work to play rugby. In 1895 this resulted in the formation of a break-away sport, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, the rules of the two codes of rugby (union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and league) would themselves diverge. Whilst the new form of rugby was taken to countries such as France and Australia, American rugby continued to be played solely under rugby union rules. The sport was eclipsed by American football and was confined to California by the time of the 1920 Olympics.
In 1939, the Californian Rugby Football Union wrote to the governing body of rugby league, the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
, to tell them they wanted to switch from rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and affiliate to the RFL. In June 1939, the RFL made plans to send a delegation out to California but were unable to do so due to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1950s: American All-Stars
One of the earliest attempts to introduce rugby league to the United States was in 1953, when Mike Dimitro, a wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promoter, was asked to organize a tour of Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
by an American rugby league side. The team was given a huge schedule that included 26 matches against Australian and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
sides. None of the 22 American players had ever played rugby league prior to the tour, and they presented themselves in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
-like attire early on in the tournament. The side won only six games as well as drawing two.
Their second match of the tour, against a Sydney side, drew a crowd of 65,453 to the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. After a consistent lack of competition, crowds were good but never reached the same heights. In turn the tour did not in turn bring any benefits to American rugby league, but Mike Dimitro did not give up, he was able to organize two exhibitions against Australia and New Zealand in California that did not turn out to be a big success. An American side also made a short tour of France in early 1954, including a match against the France national team in Paris. France beat USA 31-0.
Mike Dimitro was still optimistic of developing the game in the United States but his bid to host a Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
in the 1960s failed.
Later developments
In the 1970s former American football player Mike Mayer founded the United States Rugby League with the intention of forming the country's first professional rugby league competition. Between 1976–1978, Mayer secured franchising rights from the British Rugby Football LeagueRugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
and attempted to attract funding from British and Australian promoters to help establish a twelve-team professional competition. The proposed league would have chiefly relied on attracting American football players who could not make it in major leagues. However, Mayer was unable to find sufficient financial backing, and the league never got off the ground.
In the 1980s interest in amateur rugby league began to grow. In 1986 a new competition, the Tri-Counties Rugby League, was established with three teams in Canada and one from the United States, the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based Adirondacks club. In 1987 the Australian state teams of Queensland and New South Wales played an exhibition State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
game in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. The result of this match was not to be included in official statistics, but in recent years the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
and media organizations based in that state have added the win to their tally. Promoters claimed the match drew 10,000 spectators, but detractors said it drew only about 7,000 and was not a financial success.
Meanwhile, Mayer had continued to promote rugby league. His efforts resulted in establishing a national team
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
to play a match against Canada
Canada national rugby league team
The Canada national rugby league team represents Canada in international rugby league football tournaments.-1987-2000:Rugby league was re-introduced to Canada at an amateur level in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a short-lived 4-team domestic competition, known as the Tri-Counties Rugby...
in 1987; this would be the US' first international match since the 1950s. The following year he was involved in promoting an exhibition game between the English teams the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
and the Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
.
1990s: National team and the AMNRL
In 1992 former St George Dragons player David NiuDavid Niu
David Niumataiwalu, better known as David Niu , is an Australian-American rugby league and rugby union administrator, coach, and former player...
relocated to Philadelphia, and began to introduce rugby league to the Glen Mills Schools
Glen Mills Schools
The Glen Mills Schools is a residential facility for juvenile delinquents located in Glen Mills and in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. David Barstow of the St...
, where he was employed as a teacher. Soon after he was contacted by Mayer, and they set about building a U.S. national team to compete in international tournaments for the first time. Under Niu's leadership the United States competed in the 1992 Rugby League World Sevens
Rugby League World Sevens
The Rugby League World Sevens, usually referred to as the World Sevens and sometimes as the World Cup Sevens, were a pre-season rugby league sevens tournament made up over the years primarily of New South Wales Rugby League , Australian Rugby League and mostly recently National Rugby League ...
tournament in Sydney. They have participated in the World Sevens (1992–1997), Superleague World Nines (1996, 1997), Emerging Nations World Cup (2000) and Victory Cup (2003, 2004) competitions.
In the 1990s rugby league promoters including Australian-American David Niu
David Niu
David Niumataiwalu, better known as David Niu , is an Australian-American rugby league and rugby union administrator, coach, and former player...
worked to promote the game, and in 1997 the first rugby league organizing body, Super League America, was formed, with Niu as its head. Super League America was recognized as the official governing body for the sport by the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
, and was in charge of organizing the national team and establishing a domestic competition. The domestic competition kicked off in 1998 and was contested by six team, with one soon folding. In 2000 Super League American announced a reorganization; the league headquarters were moved to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, with Jacksonville-based marketing executive Steve Gormley serving as the organization's new president. Niu would serve as CEO and maintain the northeastern branch in Philadelphia. The organization was renamed the United States Rugby League, and set its sites on expanding into the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
and attracting British rugby league teams to Florida for training camps and international competitions.
In 2001 all five teams announced they were forming the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
. It has since expanded from four teams in 1998 to eleven in 2010, located across the Northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
and Mid-Atlantic states
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
, with one team in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The league has announced its intention to expand further, including establishing a second eleven-team division in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, with two teams in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The league hopes to have the western conference in play for the 2011 season.
2000s: The Russell Crowe Promotional Machine
In January 2008, Australian club South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
(owned by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
and international businessman Peter Holmes à Court
Peter Holmes à Court
Peter Holmes à Court is an Australian businessman and a joint owner of the National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs together with Russell Crowe....
) played a trial game against 2007 European Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. Leeds got off to a 26-0 lead at half-time and looked to have it sewn up. In the second half, South Sydney scored 24 unanswered points in a remarkable comeback (the final score was Leeds 26 - 24 South Sydney). The game attracted a crowd of 12,500.
Proposed professional competition
In 2009, a new professional rugby league competition, the National Rugby League USANational Rugby League USA
The National Rugby League USA is a proposed professional rugby league football competition to be based in the United States. The league was first announced in 2009, with an intended kickoff date of 2010...
(NRLUS), was announced. The new league was to include administrators and talent from the AMNRL, and was intended to begin play in 2010. However, as of 2010 the league had not gotten off the ground. That year officials announced their hopes that play would begin in 2011, citing the late 2000s recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
as a factor in the league's lack of progress.
The start of 2011 saw a schism in American rugby league with seven sides leaving the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
and forming the newly formed USARL.
AMNRL
Tracing its origins to 1997, the American National Rugby LeagueAmerican National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
(AMNRL) is the United States' oldest rugby league competition. Eleven teams competed in the 2010 AMNRL season
2010 AMNRL season
The 2010 American National Rugby League season was the 13th season of the AMNRL. The Pittsburgh Vipers are the newest team to enter the competition and the Bucks County Sharks have withdrawn from the competition.-Teams:...
, with seven departing after the season to form the new USA Rugby League
USA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
.
Teams currently committed to play in the AMNRL are:
- Aston BullsAston BullsThe Aston Bulls, also known as the Aston Delco Sports Club Bulls , are a semi-professional rugby league football team based in Aston Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The team currently plays in the American National Rugby League , the United States' oldest competition...
- Bucks County Sharks
- Connecticut WildcatsConnecticut WildcatsThe Connecticut Wildcats are an American semi-professional rugby league football team based in Norwalk, Connecticut. They currently compete in the American National Rugby League ....
- Delaware Vipers
- New York Knights RLFC
- New York RaidersNew York RaidersThe New York Raiders were an ice hockey team and founding member of the World Hockey Association based in New York City. Intended to be the WHA's flagship franchise, its short tenure was a result of being unable to compete with the National Hockey League's established New York Rangers, and the...
Additionally, the AMNRL has announced various plans for expansion. The Chicago Stockyarders
Chicago Stockyarders
The Chicago Stockyarders are a semi-professional rugby league football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are currently planned to join the American National Rugby League in the future...
team has announced it will be embarking on a full exhibition schedule for 2011, with future plans to join the AMNRL. The AMNRL is also planning a four- to six-team competition for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in partnership with the Hawaii Rugby League; teams in development are Kona, Maui, Harlequins, Spears, Islanders, and University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
. On June 10, 2011, the Utah Avalanche of Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, announced they were joining the AMNRL as a developing team. Other plans for a Western American National Rugby League and development in other areas have been announced at various times.
USARL
The USA Rugby LeagueUSA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
was announced on January 12, 2011. It was formed by seven teams formerly in the AMNRL, who are to be joined by expansion teams. It has an expected kick-off date of Summer 2011.
Teams currently committed to play in the top tier of the USA Rugby League are:
- Boston Thirteens
- Jacksonville AxemenJacksonville Axemen-Southeastern Rugby League Championship:In 2011 the Axemen launched a reserve grade competition, the Firehouse Subs Southeastern Rugby League Championship, which acts as a feeder club system for the Axemen to further develop players...
- New Haven WarriorsNew Haven Warriors-Stadium:The Warriors home ground is Ken Strong Stadium at West Haven High School in West Haven, Connecticut.-Statistics and records:Biggest winning marginBiggest losing marginMost points for the clubMost points in a match...
- New Jersey Turnpike TitansNew Jersey Turnpike Titans-Stadium:The New Jersey Turnpike Titans train at Lincoln Park, Jersey City, New Jersey. They play their home games at Cochran Stadium in Liberty State Park in Jersey City....
- Oneida FC
- Philadelphia FightPhiladelphia FightThe Philadelphia Fight are a semi-professional rugby league team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. They are the current champions of the USA Rugby League. They play their home games at A. A...
- Rhode Island Rebellion
- Washington DC Slayers
Additionally, the league has announced that several other teams will be participating as "developmental" teams. These include the Pittsburgh Sledgehammers (formerly the Pittsburgh Vipers), the Denver Wolverines, the Los Angeles Raiders, the Orange County Outlaws, the Seattle Force and Texas Rugby League (which will field two teams, the Dallas Dragons and the Houston Hornets).
Expansion, gain in popularity and grass roots development
Although the 'heartland' of rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is the north east coast, the AMNRL
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
is quickly expanding to other areas of the eastern coast, as well as this, efforts are being made to set up a west coast competition.
In 2006, a new team joined the AMNRL
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
from Boston, which played an exhibition match in 2005. Teams from New Haven (Connecticut) and Jacksonville (Florida) also joined the 2006 competition. A Chicago team is also going through various stages of development with possible inclusion in the AMNRL in the future.
Florida has hosted rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
games in the past, the state was the host to 1999 North Pacific Qualification Tournament, where the USA beat both Japan
Japan national rugby league team
The Japan national rugby league team represents Japan in rugby league football. Japan has been playing international competition since 1994. A regular domestic amateur competition has been held in Japan for several years .-History:Rugby league was founded in Japan in 1993 by former Australian first...
and Canada
Canada national rugby league team
The Canada national rugby league team represents Canada in international rugby league football tournaments.-1987-2000:Rugby league was re-introduced to Canada at an amateur level in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a short-lived 4-team domestic competition, known as the Tri-Counties Rugby...
to meet Lebanon
Lebanon national rugby league team
The Lebanon national rugby league team is the representative side of Lebanon in rugby league football. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the Lebanese flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one...
for the right to play in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
. Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosted the Tomahawks's test against England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
, for the latter's 2000 World Cup warm up game. It ended 110-0 to the away team. In 2001, Florida was also host to the Sunshine State Challenge, where the United States
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
competed against the Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
, Halifax
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
and the Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
, the miniature tournament drew a crowd of 6,700.
In 2005, an exhibition match was played in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to help promote rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
outside the heartland. Plans are underway to start a west coast competition called the WAMNRL, it has announced kickoff date of Summer 2011 with teams from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Seattle, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Salt Lake City and Denver, as well as Vancouver, Canada.
In November 2010 the USA announced a strategic plan to grow the sport in the country with grass roots development, expansion and world cup qualification in sight.
Youth rugby league
Tag RugbyTag Rugby
Tag Rugby, also known as rippa rugby, flag rugby league or flag rugby, is a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two velcro tags attached to it, or shorts with velcro patches. The mode of play is based on rugby league with many similarities to touch rugby...
and touch rugby league, sometimes known as "Eagle Tag" in the United States, are played at youth level. According to the AMNRL, there are an estimated 500 players participating in junior touch/flag rugby league competitions in the USA.
Notable American rugby league footballers
- Manfred MooreManfred MooreManfred Moore is a former professional American football running back and, briefly, rugby league football player of the 1970s.-Early years:...
(Newtown JetsNewtown JetsThe Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
) - Ryan McGoldrickRyan McGoldrickRyan McGoldrick is a professional rugby league footballer for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League. He has previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks as well as representing the New South Wales Waratahs in rugby union...
(Castleford TigersCastleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
) - Matthew PetersenMatthew PetersenMatthew Andrew Petersen is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League competition...
(former Gold Coast TitansGold Coast TitansGold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
, Wakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
and Parramatta EelsParramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
winger) - Clint NewtonClint NewtonClint Newton is an American born professional rugby league footballer who plays for Hull Kingston Rovers in Super League. He previously played for Newcastle Knights and Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League competition...
(Newcastle KnightsNewcastle KnightsThe Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, Melbourne StormMelbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
and Hull KRHull Kingston RoversHull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
) - Andrew SuniulaAndrew SuniulaAndrew Suniula is an American Samoan rugby union player for the Cornish Pirates in the RFU Championship. He previously played for the Chicago Griffins and rugby league football for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. His position is at wing/centre/second row. He has...
(Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)