13 replies to this topic

[druzik]

Grand Prix Entertainment: What Does it Mean for Rugby League in the USA?

May 18th, 2012
By Daniel Andruczyk

Last weeks news of the acquisition of the American national Rugby League by Grand Prix Entertainment group has been one of the big pieces of news to come out of the United States since they qualified for the Rugby league World Cup in 2013 last autumn in Chester, New Jersey. For years we all have stood on the sidelines waiting in anticipation, every time we heard an announcement that there was going to be a professional competition in the United States and that the competition will grow and become professionalized. And for so many years we have been disappointed. To the point where many of the team in early 2011 were so frustrated by this that they broke away to form their own competition.

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[nadera78]

William Tatham sounds like a complete tw*t. Full of corporate speak, and completely meaningless. What on earth does this possibly mean? - “We merged our companies to make the AMNRL bigger, stronger and faster. Yet the AMNRL remains 100% AMNRL owned and operated as always.” It doesn't answer anything, and he also skips over the issue of the clubs having any say in this, I mean at the time of the split the clubs didn't even know who owned the AMNRL.

Also, the whole thing is rugby, rugby, rugby. As if there's one sport with a couple of different formats, like cricket.

I don't trust David Niu and I trust this bloke even less. Any serious sport would have seen the International body intervene by now (and with Italy too) but then since when was RL a serious sport?

[druzik]

I have a feeling it means that GP and Star Group are now partners... and since AMNRL is in Star group they all have "Merged".

[Methven Hornet]

'a bitchen sport'???

WTF

[League13]

'a bitchen sport'???

WTF

Actually I think this guy meant bischen which is small in German

[brooza]

'a bitchen sport'???

WTF

Actually I think this guy meant bischen which is small in German

Ah! that makes sense.

I just thought he liked the sport and thought it was "bitchin"

[thirteenthman]

Far too much talk about Union in that for my liking. The 2 sports should be kept far apart, for if nothing else it will simply confuse the Americans if League is simply presented as another form of 'Rugby'. The only ones who'll benefit from that are Union. As nadera78 said, if only we had an international governing body that actually had some authority...

[GeordieSaint]

Far too much talk about Union in that for my liking. The 2 sports should be kept far apart, for if nothing else it will simply confuse the Americans if League is simply presented as another form of 'Rugby'. The only ones who'll benefit from that are Union. As nadera78 said, if only we had an international governing body that actually had some authority...

What if the Americans preferred our form of rugby?

[deluded pom?]

What if the Americans preferred our form of rugby?

Seeing as the usual American idea of rugby is a load of frat lads on the pi$$ they wouldn't even bother looking past the word 'rugby'

[thirteenthman]

What if the Americans preferred our form of rugby?

Seeing as the usual American idea of rugby is a load of frat lads on the pi$$ they wouldn't even bother looking past the word 'rugby'

Pretty much what DP says. By presenting our game as simply a different form of 'Rugby' you're immediately playing to any pre-conceived notions the Americans have of what 'Rugby' is. There are more than enough people in this country, where Union and League have been seperate sports for 117 years, who don't know the difference between the two sports. Starting the game in a new territory by presenting it simply as a different form of another sport is, to my mind at least, suicidal.

[Evil Homer]

That's what any logical person would think, sadly the AMNRL don't seem to operate with too much logic.

[druzik]

Some more url=http://www.theaustra...n-1226361614665]news about the deal[/url] in the Australian.

[keighley]

Reading that link, it seems the man is serious and has the investor group to finance some RL in the US.If any of it comes of in a big way, it would be foolish to have twop seperate leagues. David Niu and his dictatorial ways notwithstanding, what are the chances of the two competitions re uniting.

[druzik]

Look at the moment I have not heard anything, but that does not mean that something may not come of it.

When money like that gets involved, who knows.