http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...lub-experience&catid=72:club-sevens&Itemid=98 Springbok Submerged in American Club Experience Andre Snyman, capped 38 times by South Africa, has been to the top of the mountain. He’s played professionally, in Currie Cups and Tri-Nations. Saturday, on his first assignment as Glendale’s 7s coach at the Harlequin Cup in Irving, Texas, he jumped head first into the American rugby scene. Perhaps the palatial setup of Glendale’s Infinity Park hadn’t prepared him for what the true American rugby experience, and especially the summer 7s circuit, consists of -- competition for valuable and limited shade, a depravity of air conditioning, less than flat pitches, and even a lack of touch judges. Snyman, less than five years removed from his final game as a South African hero, had to tote the touch flag in Glendale’s pool play games. “It’s quite nice to have tasted both worlds, being professional, being right up there where everything gets done for you, and all of a sudden here you’ve got to do everything for yourself, so it’s nice,” said Snyman after the Raptors won the Cup title. “It’s all part of building the game and building the spirit and hopefully creating a better environment for rugby in America.” Snyman’s wife is American, which likely led to his eagerness to get involved in the American coaching scene. His family is set to join him in Colorado in the coming weeks. Snyman had inquired about finding a place to ply his knowledge Stateside months ago, but his phone calls and e-mails went unreturned. When Glendale director of rugby Mark Bullock heard the former Springbok center was interested in crossing the Atlantic, he jumped at the chance to bring him into the fold. Snyman arrived in Colorado just in time to take in the Raptors’ DI championship. He saw the pinnacle of American club rugby. Shortly after, he experienced the unsavory day-to-day reality of many of us in the domestic game. Still, just one tournament in, he seems to understand what it’s all about. “It was a rocky start for me. The first training session there was only five guys, and the second one was only three guys,” said Snyman, “but slowly but surely we’ve managed to get a team together, and I’m taking my hat off for these guys. They played for each other, and I think at the end of the day the just really, really wanted this. It actually had nothing to do with the coaching. I just had to guide them. They did everything.”
speaks volumes about the state of US rugby sadly. There is a former Roos' RL player (can't remember name now) who is a broker or analyst on the NYSE, he called around to the USNRL and rugby union clubs..............nobody returned his call. Guy just wanted to help out and see if anyone was interested in a kicking the ball around......nobody returned his call.
A big fish and small pond spring to mind. Anyway, I bet there are a lot of ex internationals/ professional rugby players that come to the US for work etc. It would be a shame to waste that talent and experiene, considering how bad the US needs coaches. Maybe RugbyMag or even This is American Rugby could help bridge the gap?
American rugby is full of a lazy and stupid people. THAT SAID...there's also plenty of decent, hard-working people who hear somebody with significant overseas experience wants to come over and gets on the phone to them to find out the guy wants money. I believe Glendale have a decent amount of financial backing, so I wonder if Snyman is conveniently leaving out that they're paying him $30K for a couple months of coaching.
Glendale is actually becoming quite the hotbed for rugby. It has Infinity Park witch hosts the Raptors, numerous college matches, and the Denver Barbarians also play the Raptors there. I would like to see Infinity Park be a permanent home for the Barbos also. It's nice to see one of the big names in the sport trying to grow the game right here in Colorado.
Glendale deserve to be in the Rugby Super League as they tick all the boxes for being in the top flight of American rugby. Facilties, funding, academy and they won the Division 1 Championship this past year. The Raptors versus Barbos rivalry is a big one and even extends beyond the playing field as it was the Barbos who lobbied the other Rugby Super League clubs to stop the Raptors from joining the RSL two years in a row. The Barbos have developed a relationship with the owner of your Rapids, so they will evetually use Dick Sporting Goods park on a regular basis and not Infinity. Do you think Greater Denver could support two professional rugby team? The rivalry might be good for the sport.
The Barbos only use Dick's on an irregular basis, and don't use Infinity. Their front office is difficult to make contact with for questions re. tickets etc. If you check out both clubs websites, it's very easy to see the differences in the way they are ran. I agree that the Raptors deserve to be in RSL, as they have done more to promote the sport in Denver. It could be inevitable within a few years.
I've been to Infiniti about 3 times over the last 3 years and am going to the USA v Canada game in a couple of weeks..............my take away from prior visits, although nobody has come out and verbalized it, is Glendale Raptors are happy in D1. As a business entity they are not convinced about the viability of the RSL and want to limit all expenditures until revenues increase. Once a true pro or semi-pro national league gains traction and becomes viable, then they are happy to join. Considering the amount of money the city, the investors and the team has pumped into things......they don't want to get ahead of themselves. Just my opinion.
Actually this article points in the exact opposite direction to my earlier post... http://www.rugbyamerica.org/2011/01/13/with-or-without-the-rsl-glendale-prepares-for-the-future/ Seems RSL doesn't want Glendale and people are indicating the blame at Denver. Very strange indeed.
The inclusion of Glendale may actually begin the demise of the Barbarians, simply based on the lack of organization of that club.