An historical event occurred for rugby in the USA on November 1, 2014 at Soldier Field in Chicago, when the USA Eagles played the World Champion New Zealand All Blacks for the first time since 1980. This momentous occasion in rugby history has already triggered the growth of rugby in the USA. The sold out crowd of 61,500 spectators were enchanted as the Eagles took on the monumental challenge.
Although rugby has been played in the USA since the 1800’s, other sports have taken precedence for athletes and fans alike. The youths of America currently aspire to be NFL, NBA, MBA, or NHL players, whereas in New Zealand youths dream of one day putting on the black jersey to represent their country as an All Black. Conceivably there is evidence that this is about to change. An illustration of this evidence to revolutionise rugby in the USA is the sold out crowd who represented the All Blacks and The Eagles, as well as rugby itself at Soldier Field. Avid and devoted rugby supporters, as well as those seeing rugby for the first time, learned to appreciate and better understand the game of rugby. They took pleasure in their involvement in the uniqueness of the event and yearn to discover how they can help grow rugby in the USA.
Just two weeks on from the significant day in rugby history, the Eagles have already moved up 2 spots on the IRB World Rankings to number 16. USA Rugby may not be where the All Blacks are yet as far as world rankings and success, but their success will be measured with growing the game. The Eagles and fans in Chicago were privileged to get an up-close glimpse of the Webb Ellis Cup on its Land Rover/DHL Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in the lead-up to the game, reminding them of what they are working hard to one day achieve.
USA Rugby is honing in on someday becoming the holders of the Webb Ellis Cup, but in the meantime the focus is on increasing the numbers of players and supporters, especially in the youth sector. The Chicago test showcased rugby in the USA and awakened a desire to realise the achievements of the All Blacks. In order for similar success to be attained, an important part of New Zealand rugby culture needs to be understood.
One key difference, attributable to New Zealand rugby success is the age at which players learn the game. For example, Ruggers Kidz (www.ruggerkidz.co.nz) is a programme to teach rugby to children. They are only in their second term and already have 60 kids aged 18 months-six years. They also visit local day care centres to introduce rugby. Programmes such as this would be of profound benefit to USA rugby culture. The infrastructure of youth programmes in the USA is being built from the ground up at the moment, and the rugby fortress will take time to erect.
Rookie Rugby is the foundational rugby programme in the USA, which is a non-contact sport, beginning at U6 level (Grade K). Physical education (PE) programmes in USA schools can easily adopt this into the curriculum, with little rules to learn and no contact. There are two pathways from Rookie Rugby, one remains non-contact, whereas the other evolves to the tackle sport at U9 (Grade 3). Serevi Youth Rugby (www.serevirugby.com) also offers after school programmes, summer camps, and leagues, which introduce kids to rugby & teach them rugby skills as early as four years old.
An impressive undertaking since the Eagles v All Blacks test is Valhalla High School’s (San Diego, CA) implementation of rugby into their PE curriculum for two weeks. The success of the Chicago game helped Andy Seeley leverage the significance of rugby. The supporting facts were that it was a sold out Soldier Field, nationally televised and it’s now an Olympic sport, with a growing scholarship base. These key points were used to get rugby on the curriculum of this school of 4,000 students. Students, staff, and the whole school is embracing the love of the game. The programme has daily rugby classes, which averages 100 kids per hour. Impressive statistics such as these will continue to foster the further development of the game in the USA.
Rest of world support and encouragement of USA rugby, rather than doubt, would also help fuel the strength to grow rugby. One excellent example of the international support is the newly formed Elite Rugby Academy, founded by Harrison Stott. The academy is made up of New Zealand professional rugby players as player-coaches for aspiring professional rugby players in the USA. The player-coaches are leading players from New Zealand, including Brad Weber, Brad Shields, and All Black Beauden Barrett. The unique skills and expertise of New Zealand rugby players is passed on to players in the USA.
Exciting times are in store for the world of rugby as we keep a close watch on the continued development of rugby in the USA. Affection and admiration for rugby by players and supporters proves the omnipresent devotion to the love of the game. The rugby allegiance is growing with new players and advocates emerging regularly. To continue this upward trend, joint ventures are necessary to unify the common goal of growing rugby.
Rugby is part of the culture of New Zealand and children dream of someday putting on the black jersey themselves and wearing it proudly for their nation. The time has come where youths in the USA can have visions of becoming an Eagle, where they can soar to greatness. This reality and ambition can be realized, and it all starts with raising awareness of this rugged, yet humble sport, which exemplifies outstanding sportsmanship and camaraderie. The thrill of being a part of the historical event at Soldier Field ignited the spark that will light the future for rugby in the USA. There is hope for rugby in the USA… the other sport.
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