An effort to elucidate the few principles on which any successful rugby policy in America must be grounded:
Principle 3: The sport is too small for a large number of full-timers, so union administrative and commercial initiatives should be measured according to benefits for teams.
- The playing community, even if energized by successful national teams, diminishes its focus when asked to endlessly pay for athletes, coaches, and officials. The game will become ‘professional’ only when subsidies are no longer necessary.
- The purpose of union initiatives is to generate financial returns to seed the growth and improvement of team competition.
- The most important commercial opportunities lie in 7s because it is an Olympic sport with a privately managed international tournament, posing no risk to teams.
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Principles for an American Rugby Policy: Part 2
Principles for an American Rugby Policy: Part 1
Related:
Is American rugby adaptive?
USARFU losses undermine strategy
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