I love my compadres for conducting this panel, but I must disagree with a key finding. Professional 7s is unsustainable and untenable. I used to think the same thing, until I started digging into the numbers, creating tables for possible leagues, and looking at timetables. I have not been presented with any evidence that refutes my findings that professional 7s is a money losing venture. Dont get me wrong, I still love to watch international 7s and commentate on club 7s tournaments. Those are fun. But the game must be changed drastically, perhaps too drastically, for a professional 7s competition to produce an optimal pro forma that is not in the negative (with the normal and stressed pro formas bleeding). We must learn how to build a fan base for XVs. Without a professional XVs competition, the Varsity Cup is the competition most primed to build a strong, but narrowly defined fanbase. The PRP runs a close second, though, and would be in first if they could land a network broadcast deal as the VC has. I contend that for the USA NTs - mens & womens, 7s & XVs - to place consistently in the top four of the WR rankings, the USA rugby community needs four things working together at least, if not more: grassroots rugby with 5-6mm 8-13yo kids playing rugby every year; a professional XVs competition producing 120 Eagles-eligible players; higher quality, technical coaching in EVERY D1/Premiership college and senior team; a performance culture in every D1/Premiership college and senior team. Yes, thats a big ask. But that is the vision I have. Can the US support Professional Rugby? Most definitely. But first, we must get off of our collective derrieres and conduct ourselves as professionals.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 04:04:26 +0000
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