http://www.rugbyamerica.org/2011/06/02/linking-top-clubs-to-mls-teams-a-viable-option/ Linking Top Clubs To MLS Teams: A Viable Option? June 2, 2011 Editorials, Featured, Rugby News by Ted Hardy The announcement a couple weeks back regarding the formalization of the Kansas City Blue’s affiliation with Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC was a significant step for the one-time Super League Club that was forced back to Division I after struggling with competition and finances. It may also serve as a blueprint for the next step in the evolution of the top tier of rugby in America. With a growing collegiate rugby movement beginning to cast a shadow over the Super League, questions are beginning to arise as to which of the two is our highest level of play. Realistically, all but a few college teams could compete at the level of San Francisco Golden Gate, Life, or most of the current Super League clubs. However, no one will deny the major growth potential of college rugby. If something is not done in the next few years, we could very well see a significant number of college teams that outpace their senior rugby counterparts. Could aligning with MLS teams be the future of professional rugby in America? “We have discussed this, but few really see the current clubs as future professional franchises,” said USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville. “They do see the potential for sharing facilities, in some cases like Denver Barbarians this is working out reasonably well, but cost of hiring facilities can be prohibitive.” We have yet to see a significant amount of investment made in the creation of a professional rugby league. The investors just aren’t there yet. While the Super League serves as the top level of amateur rugby competition in America, it is not remotely close to evolving into a fully professional competition. By aligning with MLS franchises, our top level teams can take advantage of a vast amount of resources including existing facilities, merchandising, built-in fan bases, and promotional departments. These are all areas that are in need of massive improvement if rugby is to take the next step towards professionalism. Currently there are 18 MLS teams, 16 of which are based in the United States. Nearly every one of those teams is based in a market that also has a USA Rugby Super League or Division I team. FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, Seattle Sounders FC, NY Red Bulls, New England Revolution, and Chicago Fire are seven MLS teams in areas with Super League clubs. If you want to cast the net a bit wider, teams like San Jose, Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew, and DC United are also located in rugby friendly areas. It is within the realm of possibility that other MLS franchises would be interested in sitting down at the table and discussing ways that rugby and soccer can benefit one another. The most important factor that immediately comes into play when something like this is being discussed is what would an MLS franchise get out of affiliating with a rugby club? After all, they are businesses and do not invest lightly or with the goal of losing money. Sporting KC certainly felt that there is plenty enough benefit to affiliating with a rugby club. The first step is always the hardest and now that Sporting KC and the Blues have walked down the aisle, it may not prove as difficult for others to do the same. Sporting KC had a vision to expand their brand into other sports and have done well on that promise to their fans with the addition of rugby. The important part of the formula is the fans. Every MLS team likes to make money and one of the ways to do that is to have butts in seats… whether it is a soccer game or a rugby game. A rugby competition that runs congruently alongside the MLS season, using teams that are all affiliated with MLS clubs has the potential to tap into the existing fan base of said MLS teams while also bringing in the rugby fans from the surrounding areas. Games could be played as double-headers with the rugby game headlining for the soccer match. The second component is the lucrative merchandising sector. This is a key area in the Sporting KC agreement with the KC Blues. Sporting KC is taking over merchandising for the club, so in no time Sporting KC will have their branding on rugby shirts that will be available far and wide. MLS Stadiums are not foreign to rugby either. In fact, they are a pretty good fit for each other. The problem has always been attendance at rugby events in MLS Stadiums. This trouble could be fixed by the above proposal to play rugby games as a double-header with MLS matchups. The KC Blues will do so for Sporting KC later this year as they will play following Sporting KC’s October 15th game against the NY Red Bulls. “It’s a difficult partnership to broker, the MLS guys don’t want to increase their costs, they are looking to increase revenues. Its a bit ‘chicken and egg’ but in the current economy caution is pretty much the order of the day,” added Melville. “We will continue to talk, and who knows what will happen in the future, certainly not something to rule out.” MLS squads aren’t the only professional soccer organizations to pursue. There are lower levels of professional soccer in America such as the United Soccer League that includes teams from Charlotte, Los Angeles, Richmond, Orlando, and Charleston among others. There is also the North American Soccer League that is home to the Atlanta Silverbacks. The Silverbacks partnered with the Atlanta Renegades Rugby Club recently to the benefit of both teams. The battle to grow rugby into a professional sport in America is on. Rugby teams that want to be part of that movement need to align and arm themselves for the future. Setting aside pride and taking that first step could go a long way towards blazing a trail and creating a better future for rugby in America. For the rugby club looking to make this leap, the work may be hard, but the upside is without boundaries.