New York reveal identity of first financial backer

[Total Rugby League]

THE NEW YORK club that was launched in Liverpool last Tuesday has revealed the name of its first major financial investor.
Steve Scanlan, a Harvard educated Queenslander, who was named the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, is the first of several investors who have backed the new club.
Scanlan's Recon group of companies specialise in IT recruitment, technology and finance.
But perhaps more importantly, as a Queenslander he has actively played Rugby League on his travels, both in Ireland and in the United States, and his Recon Technology company is a sponsor of Rugby League Ireland.
In 2006 he played for the New Haven Warriors in the American competition, and that season he scored two tries and four goals in a match against the Boston Braves.
In recent years, however, his focus has been to develop his business interests while supporting Rugby League financially.
"Our business has been very successful over the past few years experiencing significant growth and I strongly believe that we are working in a new landscape, a new world, where brands and businesses have the power to influence change in our communities and make a real difference," he said when agreeing to back Rugby League Ireland.
"If businesses are in a position to support community causes, from NFP organisations to sporting teams and individuals, then they should. Cost and ROI should not be at the forefront of the decision making process."
New York chief executive Ricky Wilby, who led the new club's presentation in Liverpool last week, is delighted to have Scanlan on board.
"We have several backers whose names we will eventually reveal, but I'm delighted to confirm Steve's name to League Express," said Wilby, who will now recruit a squad to play in next season's Challenge Cup and 1895 Cup, before they intend to join the league competition in 2022.
"We are looking forward to playing in the Cup competitions as well as playing a number of friendly games next season, including pre-season games against NRL clubs," added Wilby.
"If we can get to 20 games I think we can make a good schedule for a year with no league fixtures. The NRL teams can grow their brand in the States, and it helps us launch in a whole new market. We're targeting genuine Aussie expatriates who want to come and watch their teams play. In the Tri-State area - New Jersey, New York and Connecticut - you're looking at close to 100,000 Australians. We've got a detailed marketing plan to target certain audiences so we're not guessing, basically.
"We'll play them on three consecutive weekends. We've also got contacts with several international teams. With the World Cup next year, you would presume there is an international break midway through the year, and there may be a lot of nations who want to play a game. Ireland stands out as one we'd like to have because of the obvious links in New York. Italy is another. We've even spoken to California Rugby League about a Tri-series, New York versus California. We've got lots of plans."

[DoubleD]

On 15/03/2020 at 20:34, Total Rugby League said:

THE NEW YORK club that was launched in Liverpool last Tuesday has revealed the name of its first major financial investor. Steve Scanlan, a Harvard...

View the full article

Incorrect link

[John Drake]

17 hours ago, DoubleD said:

Incorrect link

Oops!

Thanks for letting me know.

Fixed the link now and also posted the full story above for anyone who missed it.

[Copa]

I just knew a Queenslander would be involved.. they are involved in rugby league everywhere.

[The Daddy]

Is David Argyle a queenslander? 

[Big Picture]

22 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Is David Argyle a queenslander? 

No, he's originally from Western Australia but he's lived in Toronto for many years now.

[Oxford]

On 15/03/2020 at 20:34, Total Rugby League said:

We've got lots of plans.

On this alone!

[Big Picture]

This Business News Australia report from 2017 states that Scanlan had "recently completed a course at Harvard".  It's a stretch to call completing one course there "Havard educated".

I see that his business is based in Queensland, so as I suspected New York's biggest backer — identifying the biggest backer first would obviously make the biggest splash — is an outsider to the Big Apple rather than a New Yorker.

[Man of Kent]

Hardly an oligarch 

[fighting irish]

26 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Hardly an oligarch 

Such inverted snobbery reeks of envy.

[DoubleD]

2 hours ago, Big Picture said:

This Business News Australia report from 2017 states that Scanlan had "recently completed a course at Harvard".  It's a stretch to call completing one course there "Havard educated".

If he’s completed a course there, then he has been educated there so why’s it a stretch to say he’s ‘Harvard educated’ 

2 hours ago, Big Picture said:

I see that his business is based in Queensland, so as I suspected New York's biggest backer — identifying the biggest backer first would obviously make the biggest splash — is an outsider to the Big Apple rather than a New Yorker.

Hardly surprising.........most Americans won’t even have heard of rugby league. Who cares where the backers are from, as long as they’re financially sound and committed?

[Big Picture]

27 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

If he’s completed a course there, then he has been educated there so why’s it a stretch to say he’s ‘Harvard educated’

Because to me "recently completed a course" means one single course, not a whole program.  Calling him "Harvard educated" implies the latter.

[Big Picture]

30 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Hardly surprising.........most Americans won’t even have heard of rugby league. Who cares where the backers are from, as long as they’re financially sound and committed?

Where the backers are from makes a huge difference.  Local backers would intuitively understand the New York mindset and tailor their approach accordingly, outsiders won't have the same nous at all especially if they're from overseas.

[DoubleD]

26 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Because to me "recently completed a course" means one single course, not a whole program.  Calling him "Harvard educated" implies the latter.

He’s been educated there at the end of the day..........who cares anyway?

24 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Where the backers are from makes a huge difference.  Local backers would intuitively understand the New York mindset and tailor their approach accordingly, outsiders won't have the same nous at all especially if they're from overseas.

Depends how long they’ve lived for. They’re only a backer, as long as they have people running the club who understand the market, that’s the main thing.........which maybe their downfall as I’m not encouraged by Wilby’s statements 

[Eddie]

Lots of pitiful negativity here, as usual. You sneered at the NY press conference because they didn’t reveal their backer and now they have he’s getting sneered at. It’s absolutely dismal reading and you need to take a good look at yourselves.

[Angelic Cynic]

It appears his involvement with Recon has ended - https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/steve-scanlan-sells-remaining-stake-in-recon-group.html

 

I don't think he represented England - and I do think he may be time-busy in Australia - https://www.technologypeople.com.au/our-new-melbourne-office/

[Manfred Mann]

People can do short courses at Harvard Business School, which don't result in a degree. The professional schools there, especially Harvard Business School and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, offer such possibilities.

It is true in a very narrow sense, that by having taken a course at Harvard, Scanlan was Harvard educated.

But in terms of a general education, which means having completed a Bachelor's, Masters, or Doctoral degree, Scanlan is not Harvard educated. It is this latter sense of the phrase that most people would understand as being relevant to a person's cultural and professional status.

I spent ten years as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, during which time I sat in on and actively participated in numerous courses, with some of the finest minds in my field, on a non-degree basis. (This was a side benefit of my main official appointment at the university).  In many ways I received much, much more of a Harvard education than Scanlan did. But I would not go around telling the world that I was "Harvard educated." 

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

 

I spent ten years as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, during which time I sat in on and actively participated in numerous courses, with some of the finest minds in my field, on a non-degree basis. (This was a side benefit of my main official appointment at the university).  In many ways I received much more of a Harvard education than Scanlan did. But I would not go around telling the world that I was "Harvard educated." 

Good stuff. What is your field, if you don’t mind me asking?

[Manfred Mann]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Good stuff. What is your field, if you don’t mind me asking?

Political science. That is the field in which I received my Bachelors', Masters and Doctoral degrees. At the same time I have some legitimate credentials to be called a historian as well, which I do also call myself.

[Man of Kent]

Is this even going to happen now? When do we stop the fantasising and look after our own?

[Manfred Mann]

Just now, Man of Kent said:

Is this even going to happen now? When do we stop the fantasising and look after our own?

What do you mean by that?

[Futtocks]

So he's Harvard educated, not a Harvard graduate.

The real question is does he have the money? If he does, and is committed to the project, I don't give a toss where he learnt anything.

[Man of Kent]

5 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

What do you mean by that?

We might need to pause the pretence that rugby league can conquer New York and the United States by having one British-based club that plays some games in New Jersey, run by a supply teacher from Huddersfield. 

 

[Michael1812]

6 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

We might need to pause the pretence that rugby league can conquer New York and the United States by having one British-based club that plays some games in New Jersey, run by a supply teacher from Huddersfield. 

 

And what does that have to do with looking after our own? 

[Manfred Mann]

15 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

We might need to pause the pretence that rugby league can conquer New York and the United States by having one British-based club that plays some games in New Jersey, run by a supply teacher from Huddersfield. 

 

Most of the objections that you raise are not at all persuasive.

Toronto Wolfpack has been playing its early season games in Britain for over three years. Yet this has not hampered its ability to attract very decent home crowds when it has started playing in Toronto in May.

Playing most of their home games in New Jersey (from April on) is demonstrably not a problem for any legitimate New York CIty sports team. Both of New York City's popular NFL teams, the Giants and the Jets, play at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey.  The New York City MLS (soccer) team, the New York Red Bulls, plays out of New Jersey's Red Bull Stadium. It has been suggested that the New York City rugby league team might play out of the same stadium.

The competence of Ricky Wilby is more of a legitimate question. But we don't yet know the answer.