Saturday 1st November sees the biggest and highest profile game in US rugby union history. The spotlight is firmly on the USA Eagles.
An expected 60,000+ crowd (myself included) are heading to Soldier Field in Chicago to watch the Eagles take on the World Champions, New Zealand’s All Blacks. Having qualified for next year’s World Cup in England, it’s a really exciting time for US rugby. Interest is gathering fast and there is a real thirst for the game growing quickly.
Rugby: Growing The Game In The USA
A growing number of the Eagles are playing in Europe, with representatives at England’s top clubs including Blaine Scully at Leicester Tigers, Samu Manoa at Northampton Saints and Chris Wyles at Saracens.
My own passion for seeing the game grow, allied to an equal love of the city of Seattle is the focal point of this article.
It’s not a criticism to say that few Americans will be hugely familiar with the name Waisale Serevi. However, to the rugby world, that name will likely bring a smile and a few stories about the man known as the King of Sevens in the international game.
A proud Fijian, Serevi graced the 7s stage and indeed played plenty of the 15 a side game too, during a career spanning some 20 years from the late 1980’s to 2008. He also played briefly for Leicester Tigers, and even turned out for Staines in the London leagues at the end of his career. Serevi has made his home in Seattle, where he’s assembled a team of former professionals, coaches and set in place programmes to bring the game to the youth of America and beyond.
Seattle OPSB rugby club has also become a centre of strength, which has now got the back up of the Saracens Global Network, put in place by Saracens here in England, to grow the game in developing countries. Clubs across the world have access to the brand of Saracens, the coaching support, and in turn there are opportunities for players at those clubs to be selected to come play in England.
Coaching programmes, tournaments, sponsorship, corporate support and partnerships have all been put in place by Serevi with a superb support team and a professionalism that is a model to be admired.
Links have been struck with Seattle Seahawks to share coaching ideas, tackling techniques and in turn the need to create a commercialism to assist in finding support to grow the game across the whole country.
When I was in Seattle on vacation in September, I had the privilege to meet up with a Twitter contact, Jaime Quick, Founder and Director of PR outfit ChangeUp Advisors.
ChangeUp began working with Serevi in 2013 as the company gained traction and needed a professional approach to public relations. Quick, a sports fan himself all his life, was immediately drawn into their approach to growing the game.
“I’ve always believed in the importance and power of sports for young people, and as I got to know rugby and the character building ‘smash each other on the field – respect each other always’ mentality, I really wanted to help them”.
Quick was at university in Australia during the World Cup of 2003 and indeed watched a Fijian game in which we joke may well have featured Mr. Serevi himself!
“Who would have known back in 2003 when I was in graduate school that 10 years later I’d be heavily focused on growing the game in America!”.
I’m fortunate to have been able to go down to a training session with Jaime during my vacation. It should be remembered that these athletes are not pro players, although the effort levels, work ethic and passion are in every way professional.
Three mornings a week in the gym, going through drills, and two evening training sessions a week allied to a five day working week, is absolute dedication.
Serevi can boast Ben Gollings as one of the team, the all time IRB 7s top points scorer. Chris Tombs is a professional strength and conditioning coach who has worked with Leicester Tigers. Justin Fitzpatrick assistant coach to the USA Eagles is a Program Director and Director of Rugby at Seattle Saracens. He also just happens to have been an Ireland International with an illustrious playing career with Ulster, London Irish and Castres Olympique in France’s Top 14. The list goes on and is still growing.
The Serevi vision is laid out in their Mission Statement, simply ‘To be the globally recognised platform for young people to progressively discover, enjoy and excel through rugby in the USA and beyond’.
This is further reflected with the strap line of ‘Respect, camaraderie, challenge, accountability, inspiration and well being’.
All of these values are of course what makes rugby the game that it is, and that those that play or follow the game live their lives to.
Watch out for the Eagles, this weekend will be one serious challenge, but a stepping stone to increasing the profile, popularity and respect for the game Stateside.
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