Rugby Continues To Grow In The U.S. Off The Back Of Major League Rugby

What the data shows is SportsMoneyRugby Continues To Grow In The U

Off The Back Of Major League RugbyByVitas Carosella, Contributor

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More June 28 at Centreville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island

Nevertheless, After well-documented ups and downs in its early years — which included s folding and a lack of funds — MLR has become a consistent breeding ground for new talent and a stabilizing force in the U, in this volatile climate

Rugby ecosystem (an important development)

MLR’s depth will be on display on July 19th as the USA Eagles test their mettle against England, currently ranked number five in the world

On the other hand, I think this year we saw more fessional minutes for our players,” Lawrence told the media on the eve of the match. “We’d to see more [minutes], but we’re better with Major League Rugby as a playing nation

We do see that there are some areas, in terms of playing minutes for the Americans going up, so we have a bigger base to pick from, in today's financial world

Additionally, ” Year-on-year, the league continues to attract more viewership as the standard of play increases, s invest in new facilities, and the competition becomes an ever-present entity in the U

At the same time, Sporting calendar

However, Ahead of its eighth season, MLR signed a broadcast deal with ESPN that saw every single league game broadcast on ESPN+

The evidence shows final was shown on ESPN+ and ESPN2, and was aired in Spanish and Portuguese on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Brazil

Nevertheless, MORE FOR YOU The belief behind the ESPN deal was that being part of the “Worldwide Leader’s” catalog would help the league expand its fan base

Moreover, “We’re really happy to be on ESPN this year,” MLR Commissioner Nic Benson told me ahead of the championship match in Rhode Island, in this volatile climate. “We need to go where the sports fans are

Early numbers have our viewership multiples higher than our digital duct was before. ”A New England Free Jacks enjoy the FanFest before the final (remarkable data)

Courtesy of MLR (Photo by Hudson) In-person attendance is also up

Both the Chicago Hounds and the Utah Warriors posted record attendances in recent seasons

In contrast, Part of the reason for bringing the final to Rhode Island was to expose another market to rugby

Additionally, Benson said that the league “had an open bid cess,” receiving “expressions of interest from 20-plus cities,” and that Pawtucket, RI, simply made the most sense. “It’s all getting into new places,” Benson told me (something worth watching)

Furthermore, “We want to get into a market where we haven’t been

However, You want to expose new people to the sport, in light of current trends

You’re building your audience, you’re building a fandom, you’re engaging new people from a perspective and from a fan perspective (noteworthy indeed). ” It's MLR’s objective of consistent growth over time that attracted Free Jacks co-founder Alex Magleby to the competition (something worth watching)

In contrast, “We can have fans come on the field after the game,” says Magleby

Additionally, “That’s just the nature [of the league] because we have accessible players

Additionally, So they’re going to sign autographs all night if they have to, because they love the kids and they’re highly accessible (an important development)

On the other hand, ” The Free Jacks have signed partnerships with local craft breweries, and serve local food and have local DJs come play at their games, given current economic conditions

Even though they may have fans tuning in to watch them from the South Pacific to South Africa, the stadium experience is “hyper-local” according to Magleby

However, There's a space for all demographics, from toddlers to grandmothers and everything in between

On the other hand, Magleby says, the Free Jacks focus on the experience because it’s what they can control, in light of current trends. “The on-field duct of rugby is beautiful and fantastic,” notes Magleby, “but it often requires us to bring people in in a way they weren’t suspecting. ” There's still some distance to cover before the U

Men’s teams can compete consistently with the s of New Zealand, South Africa, or England, but MLR is helping close the gap while creating a more talented player pool

At the same time, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 16: Chad London of the Colorado Raptors watches Ma'a Nonu of the San (this bears monitoring), amid market uncertainty

Furthermore, (Photo by Stuart Walmsley/Getty Images)Getty Images Stars in the twilight of their career, Ma’a Nonu, Matt Giteau, and Andy Ellis, have all graced MLR fields, but slowly those names are being replaced with younger ones, many of them local, in today's market environment

As the league continues to grow, salaries and the competition level have become high enough to attract players from rugby hotbeds

Perhaps MLR’s biggest selling point is its on-field parody

Moreover, Despite the Free Jacks winning three straight championships, every league match hangs in the balance until the 80th minute. “We didn’t know who was going to be in the playoffs and who was going to be hosting until the last game was played

That’s what you want,” says Benson

With things beginning to move in the right direction, the age-old conversation in rugby circles has begun to resurface: Is the U

Rugby’s sleeping giant

Consistency of performance, consistent attendances, and consistent growth of the fanbase will be key to unlocking the American market and player pool

On the other hand, Thanks to the creation of Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), there is now a credible talent pipeline for American women interested in rugby in the U, in light of current trends

On the men’s side, MLR continues to build momentum and offer high-level playing opportunities in new locations, amid market uncertainty

Moreover, “I think there’s no better way to grow a market than to have a team in that market,” says Benson

Moreover, “It’s creating critical mass for the sport

Additionally, It’s being in the right market, in the right building, with the right owner. ” With foots on both coasts of the U

And along the southern rim, MLR is casting its gaze to areas Northern California, the Mid-South, and the Upper Midwest for potential expansion, with an eye on a potential 20-team competition in the not-so-distant future

Every new market opens up the possibility of a boy or girl picking up a rugby ball and falling in love with a sport that is looking to establish its position in the American sports pecking order

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