NFL knows US professional rugby union could be a very good deal indeed (MLS mentions/comparisons)

Ok there were some fears that were more apt in science fiction novels!

 

To be fair, MLB has averaged over 30,000 a game for the last decade or so. It also (used) to occasionally have attendances over 60,000 (and likely still would for World Series' if the current stadiums were large enough).

 

Seriously, this sounds like draft copy from a sophomore Marketing 1o1 PowerPoint. Or possibly Smoove B's early marketing copy: "When not procuring the smoothest, most succulent strawberries to dip in artisan chocolate and otherwise pushing the romantic envelope every evening, RugbyLaw is keeping company with the most successful and renowned sports enterprises and individuals involved in professional major league sports on the planet and welcoming interest and input from only the most serious professionals."

But I'm sure they'll make me eat my words when they win the Second Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.

Of course, Homer won that because he was infertile...

 

Okay. Last one. Probably.

Here's how I picture RugbyLaw's first trip to a bar (3:13) onward.


If RugbyLaw ever gets a league off the ground, the role of Alex Keaton's mom will be played by empty stands and creditors.

 

I prefer indoor rugby myself.

 

maybe not zero tries, usually one or maybe two tries between both teams, with a large percentage of points from penalty kicks. thats why i prefer Rugby League over Rugby Union.

 

I have been reading through this thread because at first i was unsure what 'rugby' some of you guys were talking about. Sometimes there was comments using the term 'rugby' and others using 'rugby league'. Two completely different games, Rugby League and Rugby Union (FYI Rugby Union is often just called 'rugby' in places where its the only one form of the code played).

For those who are unaware, hears the main differences and the similarities between the two different codes of 'Rugby'. PS to make in easier on my fingers i will sometimes be referring rugby union as RU and rugby as RL.

Similarities
- cannot pass the ball forward
- cannot tackle a player above the shoulder, lead into a tackle with your shoulder or drop a player head first.
- cannot kick the ball out on the full **Rugby Union has an exemption to this rule. the only time a RU player can kick the ball out on the full is if they are standing inside their '22 yard line' (the line across the field 22 yards from your goaline).
- Both play for 80 mins
In attack and defense
Rugby Union
- 15 players on the field.
- the team gets unlimited attacking sets (called phases in rugby) at the defense. when a player is tackled they must release the ball straight away back towards their team so they can continue in attack.
- in every tackle (called a ruck) the defense can steal the ball and then they are on attack, but the defender cannot enter from the side of the ruck and steal the ball, if they do its a penalty.
- Catching the ball on the full inside your '22 yard' line is a 'mark'. when taken the mark the opposition cannot touch you until you have either kicked the ball away or played on, sort of like a free kick.
- legally Kicking the ball into touch results in a 'line out' for other team where the ball goes out.
- Kicking the ball dead past the oppositions ' dead ball line' (behind their in-goals) results in a scrum to the opposition from where the ball was kicked.
-there are half and full penalties, half penalties the team awarded cannot kick for goals, they must 'tap' 'scrum' etc, and ref shows it by a bend in his raised arm. full penalties (refs arm straight up) the awarded team can choose all options. If you choose to kick for touch your team takes the line-out.
- scrums are called by the ref if there has been a dropped ball or a forward pass etc, and it be chosen when given a penalty.
(look at the Rugby Union youtube clip below at 17:00. it firstly shows a 'line out' then multiple 'rucks' and 'phases')
Rugby League
- 13 players on the field.
- Rugby League has a limited number of attacking plays (very similar structure gridiron). The attacking team gets 6 sets (called tackles) at the defense, after 6 tackles the ball is handed over to the opposition.
-A 'zero' tackle is also given when a team receives possession from broken play, ie after a fumble or strip etc, the Normal 6 tackles then follows.
- after each tackle (or down as you Americans prefer lol) the defense must get back 10 metres from where the ball is being played or will be offside.
- a defender can take the ball off an attacking player (called a strip or steal) only in a 1 on 1 tackle and must be before the tackle has been completed (ref calls 'held' when tackle is complete). stripping the ball with more than 1 defender or after the ref calls held is a penalty.
(throughout the game on the Rugby league youtube clip you can see Rugby leagues '5 tackles', its very different to RU)
-legally kicking the ball into touch results in a 'scrum' with the 'feed' (the team that puts the ball into the scrum) to the opposition.
-If you kick the ball from inside your '40 metre' line (shown as a red line across the field) and the ball goes out (legally) inside the oppositions '20 metre' line, your team is awarded the 'feed' and the scrum is from where the ball goes out. called a 'forty twenty'.

Scoring
Rugby Union
TRY - 5 points
TRY CONVERSION - 2 points
PENALTY CONVERSION - 3 points
FIELD-GOAL - 3 points
Rugby League
TRY - 4 points
TRY CONVERSION - 2 points
PENALTY CONVERSION - 2 points
FIELD-GOAL - 1 point
PENALTY TRY & 8 POINT TRY - an extra conversion attempt from in front (both conversions from in front if an 8-point try)

There is afew things i dont like about RU, The main ones are the small emphasis on scoring trys and scrums.
RU scrums still involve pushing whereas RL scrums don't. RL scrums have evolved to more of a setting up for an attacking play, while the other team is more focused on braking out of the scrum quickly and defending.

Anyways below are the youtube clips of recent RU and RL games held in Australia. Both games are contain some of the best teams in those codes.

RUGBY UNION


RUGBY LEAGUE

 

I think what these people are failing to understand is that the act of going to watch stars during a one off or as part of some event is altogether different than building a loyal fan base who cares about a team above all else. Leaving aside the fact that no one over here knows a single rugby player and could not notices difference between what you present in an American stadium and what you might find in the Aviva, putting a high quality product on the field doesn't matter if people don't care. I can understand the thought some have suggesting that MLS would do better if it spent more on name players. I think this is really only possible to think about because of the slow growth approach. If you care about the sport and care about the team then you're a fan. That's what sports leagues need. If you have people showing up because its suposed to be the best and its cool, you're getting customers. That'll work until the next big thing comes along and the customers move on to something else.