By BRIAN LOWE
North America editor
A MUCH-ANTICIPATED decision is expected within the next week on whether a proposed England-New Zealand Test match will go ahead in the United States this coming summer.
In case you’ve been incommunicado since the end of the World Cup, here’s the deal as we know it.
Australia-based sports events promoter Moore Sports International has reportedly proposed England play New Zealand in the US on the weekend in June set aside for State of Origin II.
That same weekend is also penciled in by the RLIF for international matches and Denver has been proffered as the host city.
The RFL and its interim chief Ralph Rimmer is seemingly in favour of the fixture going ahead but the main stumbling block is the reported reluctance of NRL clubs to release players to travel for the game – even though there are no NRL matches that weekend – and apparently that’s why it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
The NRL hasn’t officially put the kybosh on it, although that’s what many people expect will happen and that in turn has spawned a growing anti-NRL sentiment in many parts of the rugby league community. The “how dare they put their needs above everyone else’s,” kind of attitude.
Plans for this matchup were hatched during the World Cup when folks got all caught up in the emotion of expanding international rugby league.
Of course, when you start talking about growing the game internationally, the first place that comes to mind is the United States because it’s such a behemoth of a sporting market. And, oh yeah, there’s also the fact that the RLIF has earmarked the 2025 World Cup to be hosted jointly by the US and Canada, so it wants to build interest in the game in the two countries between now and then.
In line with that, a second potential US-based Test is proposed with Australia reportedly considering playing Tonga in Hawaii in October.
Wait, what? Hold on, hit the pause button here for a sec.
It’s doubtful that you could find many people, other than maybe staunch rugby union supporters, who would think growing rugby league in North America is a bad thing but to do so involves much more than throwing a dart at a map on the wall and saying ‘okay, let’s play games in Denver and Honolulu’.
It needs to be more strategic than that, so slow down, take a breath and let’s look at this more closely.
For starters, as some people have rightly suggested, there is no rugby league base in the Mile High City so why go there?
Sure, there’s a purpose-built 5,000 seat rugby stadium in the suburb of Glendale, or there’s the Dick Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO, that seats 18,000, which again has hosted rugby internationals, but most of the talk has been about Sports Authority Field where the NFL’s Broncos play.
That has a capacity of 76,000 and there’s no way, even in the RFL’s wildest dreams, that an England-Kiwis Test would fill it.
As for the Honolulu thought bubble, it has been suggested the Kangaroos and Mate Ma’a face off at the University of Hawaii’s Aloha Stadium. That puppy seats 50,000 so filling it might be a stretch even though there’s a limited, local rugby league competition in the Aloha State and it’s a relatively doable flight from both Australia and Tonga.
There have been Ohana Cup (rugby league) internationals in Honolulu since 2012, but some of them have been played at a smaller high school football field.
The point is, if you’re going to go to all the expense of playing Test matches in the United States you ought to do it where there’s already a base – and that’s the east coast.
Philadelphia, New York and Jacksonville, FL, all have well-established bases and there’s a plethora of venues to pick from in each city. In fact, Philly and Jacksonville have each hosted RLWC qualifying series.
The other crucial element to making this a success is the games have to be on television.
It’s pointless to bring teams here to play if the only people who get to see them are fans at the games and so far, there has been no discussion, publicly at least, about any deals with American TV networks.
While we’re at it, here’s an idea out of left field to chew on. How about playing one, or both proposed internationals in Las Vegas?
It’s certainly the funnest place in the country for a getaway weekend, rugby already has a foothold there and a major US television network already broadcasts games from there.
The USA Sevens tournament is played at Sam Boyd Stadium, a 40,000-seat capacity venue and NBC Sports televises it every year. Food for thought if nothing else.
