Evidently it's not going according to plan, but what have we learned?
USARFU's 2006 strategic blueprint sought to import 'best practice' from rugby's professionalized powers, which tend to be small to midsized Commonwealth countries. Thus, beyond the unlikelihood of suddenly growing fourfold to become a $20 million organization, the union was counting on underlying socioeconomic and sports dynamics that do not obtain in the world's most vibrant democracy.
Still, the game is not irreconcilably different from place to place, and American rugby boasts a 100-year heritage of which we may be proud. So how should 'Tier 1' norms be adapted to our traditions and competitive environment?
In an effort to elucidate the few principles on which any successful rugby policy in America must be grounded, I recently reviewed writings on the 2009 season and then backtracked further, while also drawing on the work of colleagues at Rugby Magazine, American Rugby News, and elsewhere. I've also benefited from speaking with many players, coaches, and officials; but any errors of commission or omission must be my own.
Principle 1: The nucleus of American rugby is the team, and its purpose is to provide competition for its members.
USARFU's 2006 strategic blueprint sought to import 'best practice' from rugby's professionalized powers, which tend to be small to midsized Commonwealth countries. Thus, beyond the unlikelihood of suddenly growing fourfold to become a $20 million organization, the union was counting on underlying socioeconomic and sports dynamics that do not obtain in the world's most vibrant democracy.
Still, the game is not irreconcilably different from place to place, and American rugby boasts a 100-year heritage of which we may be proud. So how should 'Tier 1' norms be adapted to our traditions and competitive environment?
In an effort to elucidate the few principles on which any successful rugby policy in America must be grounded, I recently reviewed writings on the 2009 season and then backtracked further, while also drawing on the work of colleagues at Rugby Magazine, American Rugby News, and elsewhere. I've also benefited from speaking with many players, coaches, and officials; but any errors of commission or omission must be my own.
Principle 1: The nucleus of American rugby is the team, and its purpose is to provide competition for its members.
- The main role of third parties (e.g., referees, league officials, vendors) is to promote competition. Commerce is a byproduct of serving teams.
- Decisions about competition are best made by those authorities closest to the competitors, because the game encompasses the diversity of a continental nation.
- To the extent that it directs resources away from team competition without delivering practical benefits, the claims of unions on teams are limited.
Related:
Is American rugby adaptive?
USARFU losses undermine strategy
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