[quote]Guerrero wrote:
They have Hockey teams in f*ing Florida, in Southern California, lol. If people who have never seen snow will root for some people playing some Canadian ice rink game, I don’t think it is far fetched for Rugby to become a national craze and past time.[/quote]
But wait a minute – hockey is NOT a national craze, nor past time…?
[quote]msd0060 wrote:
But wait a minute – hockey is NOT a national craze, nor past time…?[/quote]
Hockey is viewed as a second-tier sport by the vast majority of Americans. It might be different in the North, I’m not sure. Living in the South, no one really likes it, it’s a niche market. Still, hockey is nowhere near as popular as football, baseball, or that shit-fest basketball. It’s sad…
The only reason Hockey is viewed as a stepchild is the cost to play, at least in the South. That is why it is so unpopular, I bet if rugby did a full fledged ad campaign it could maybe match some of Hockeys popularity.
It’s physical, fun and violent. Us poor kids cannot afford all that hockey equipment including time at a rink.
[quote]jre67t wrote:
The only reason Hockey is viewed as a stepchild is the cost to play, at least in the South.[/quote]
Agreed 100%. I tried playing roller hockey when I was ~7, but the cost of the league and equipment and etc was too much, so I couldn’t get into it. I still follow it religiously, but I wish I had played.
High School Rugby is growing too… I attended a HS game today. Dayton OH has a HS team. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Columbus all have multiple HS teams.
The TV deal can be big time. Rugby is a great game on TV but it sucks for advertisers… no time outs or regular stoppages in play for commercials.
LA
[quote]LA wrote:
High School Rugby is growing too… I attended a HS game today. Dayton OH has a HS team. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Columbus all have multiple HS teams.
The TV deal can be big time. Rugby is a great game on TV but it sucks for advertisers… no time outs or regular stoppages in play for commercials.
LA[/quote]
I guess you don’t watch soccer or rugby on TV? Advertisers usually have their logos next to game clocks and some in-game features such as halftime shows and video referees. Professional rugby fields are littered with sponsors’ logos painted diagonally so you could see them while watching TV, but they look weird to the spectators. Not unlike ice hockey with more and more corporate logos on the ice rather than just the side boards.
I need a new computer so I can watch the videos smoothly. I wonder if ESPN360 will televise this summer’s Churchill Cup. I have tickets to the June 21st championship games in Chicago.
[quote]BF Bullpup wrote:
I guess you don’t watch soccer or rugby on TV? Advertisers usually have their logos next to game clocks and some in-game features such as halftime shows and video referees. Professional rugby fields are littered with sponsors’ logos painted diagonally so you could see them while watching TV, but they look weird to the spectators. Not unlike ice hockey with more and more corporate logos on the ice rather than just the side boards.
[/quote]
I do watch rugby on TV ($15 a month for Setanta) I just assumed that the actual TV commercial time outs was a significant factor.
I also think that some of the ads on the fields are are digitally superimposed so that the folks in the stands don’t even see it, just those on TV do. Like the first down line in the NFL and ads on the wall behind home plate in MLB.
There are plenty of advertising opportunities there… the jerseys are often covered with sponsorships too.
[quote]BF Bullpup wrote:
I need a new computer so I can watch the videos smoothly. I wonder if ESPN360 will televise this summer’s Churchill Cup. I have tickets to the June 21st championship games in Chicago.[/quote]
If ESPN360 doesn’t, then the new USA rugby video website will show them.
I’m also heading out to Chicago for the Churchill Cup finals with my club (PRFC) should have like 20 or 30 people going. Gonna be a blast. You planning on going to the USA vs. Munster game in Canton this summer?
[quote]jre67t wrote:
Finally, then maybe we won’t have to watch wnba or any other woman sports, besides Beach Volleyball. Honestly I am not being sexist but who watches?
In rugby’s defense, I have never played it nor know the rules but it is entertaining to watch.[/quote]
You may change your mind after watching women play rugby. I think you would be entertained.
[quote]m0dd3r wrote:
I’m also heading out to Chicago for the Churchill Cup finals with my club (PRFC) should have like 20 or 30 people going. Gonna be a blast. You planning on going to the USA vs. Munster game in Canton this summer?[/quote]
I had no idea Munster is coming to play the Eagles. What day? 
And I told my girlfriend like a month ago that I gotta go to Chicago because I didn’t think the Eagles would play any closer to New England this year.
I don’t know, Rugby seems to be really big where I’m at even without national coverage.
My city has 5 major teams, and 1 of them is sponsored by the local brewery.
Our local stadium has rugby games and they sell well.
4 Catholic high schools in my area have rugby teams.
I’d say Rugby is fairly popular, and I think it will grow to be alot more popular.
Why?
Because football needs padding, and without padding it has been shoehorned into being ‘flag’ football which is the gayest sport ever created.
Rugby requires no such thing, and it is already ‘hip’ to wear ‘rugby’ shirts if you’re a preppy asshole.
This being said, I could see rugby absolutely flourishing as a white middle class and upper class, amateur sport with some limited national attention, probably more popular than hockey.
And ya, Hockey is a retarded sport.
[quote]BF Bullpup wrote:
m0dd3r wrote:
I’m also heading out to Chicago for the Churchill Cup finals with my club (PRFC) should have like 20 or 30 people going. Gonna be a blast. You planning on going to the USA vs. Munster game in Canton this summer?
I had no idea Munster is coming to play the Eagles. What day? And I told my girlfriend like a month ago that I gotta go to Chicago because I didn’t think the Eagles would play any closer to New England this year.[/quote]
August 22 at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, MA (where the Boston Irish Wolfhounds play). But if I were you, I’d wait and not tell your girlfriend until later in the summer, say it was a late announcement;)