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USRFF makes play for corporate dollars

A leading rugby nonprofit is looking to win corporate funding for its ambition of giving a ball to every registered teenage player.

Next week, the US Rugby Football Foundation intends to submit a proposal to the Pepsi Refresh Project in hopes of a $250,000 grant. The merits will be judged largely on whether the pitch is one of the top two vote getters in Pepsi's online pool, which will launch on August 1.

Present and past US coaches Eddie O'Sullivan, Tom Billups, and Jack Clark as well as at least nine Eagle captains have lined up in support of the 'Ball 4 All' idea.

The campaign underlines the nonprofit sector's role in American rugby. More than is commonly understood, the game relies on a variety organizations to resources and development opportunities. 

Such institutions range from USRFF to public and private schools sponsoring teams as well as rugby summer camps, from for-profit entities such as the USA 7s to the US Olympic Committee, now taking a more active role with the inclusion of 7s in the summer games. 

USRFF's goal is reminiscent of USARFU's recent program to provide jerseys for college teams. Boulder's initiative, disbanded after two seasons, was tied to the union's imperative to project a sponsor's message into the university environment while diverting some of the proceeds elsewhere.

'If we are fortunate to be one of the two organizations to receive the top award of $250,000, we will use every cent of that money to purchase balls so that every youth and high school player registered with US Rugby will receive their own ball,' USRFF executive director and past US captain Brian Vizard wrote in one letter rounding up support.

'Receiving the first ball I ever owned elevated my play as that ball rarely left my side for the next 10 years. I took that ball to school, to the store, in the car, on dates. I even slept with it. But the constant handling and kicking improved my overall game and helped me get to the top of US rugby,' the standout eightman said.

The Pepsi Refresh Project provides 32 organizations with cash awards each month. USRFF feels August is the optimum month to compete for top prize.

Tuesday's post incorrectly described the commercial basis of the Collegiate Championship Invitational: USA 7s paid for the tournament and NBC paid for television production and air time, and the two bodies collaborated on ad sales, which were used to cover costs. USA 7s broken even on the debut event, according to people familiar with the matter.

Also, I made a hash of the distinction between players registered in the 'competitive season' (i.e., September to August) and the calendar year. To date, the number of players registered in the soon-to-end competitive season is near to 93,000, and will top the 2008-09 cycle by approximately 11 percent, according to national office staff.

Tempus fugit

Where does a summer month go? Some of it watching soccer, I suppose, but mainly just watching. Here are some items I found interesting:

The good: 

• NBC Sports trumpeted winning broadcast and Internet rights to the 2011 and 2015 World Cups in New Zealand and England, respectively. The pact should boost the supply of rugby content on American television and web sites. In a related matter, the Collegiate Championship Invitational, a debut 7s event underwritten by NBC whose television costs were underwritten by NBC, scored well in ratings. 
• The Collegiate All-American tour, with games against Richmond, Saracens Academy, and Leicester Academy, looks to surpass last year's dubious standard, when the 100th anniversary of the team's debut overseas campaign was marked by extensive, last-minute player fundraising. Still, USARFU has again resorted to raffle to fund the students' trip as well as the women's World Cup campaign.

The bad:

• The Churchill Cup lost another $750,000, according to people familiar with the matter. The union's test rugby strategy is further than ever from generating revenue back to the its general fund.
• USARFU was forced to pull an All-American squad from the World University Games' 7s tournament for lack of money, Rugby Magazine reported. Additionally, the union has exhausted its budget for its so-called age-grade teams.
• USARFU's net debt has crept up to nearly $1 million, on annual turnover of approximately $8 million (much of it restricted). Debt service may not be a problem, but neither can the union afford any capital-intensive initiatives. More important, the level calls into question Boulder's provisioning for the 2011 World Cup: sporting bodies normally try to squirrel away cash in non-World Cup years, so that spending climaxes in conjunction with the quadrennial championship.
• The union's membership thru mid-July was declared to be 90,437., meaning 2010 will be level or slightly below the 2009 figure, an apparent first. Membership dues, roughly one-third of the union's annual turnover, is its largest source of unrestricted monies.
• Tonga 'A' will be part of the Americas Rugby Championship, underlining that the October competition, which was born the North American 4, lacks any competitive or commercial touchstone. The 2009 tournament, which saw four Canadian teams but just one American entrant, saw USA 'A' finish fourth. 

The rugby:

• The High School All-Americans split a two-match series with Ontario Under 18 in Toronto, dropping a 27-26 contest on July 3 and winning the July 5 rematch 46-27.
• OMBAC signaled its intent to reverse 2010's 1-5 Super League season by tapping former USA 7s coach John McKittrick as head coach and former Eagle captain and manager Chris Lippert as forwards coach. In Boston, Mike Diamantopoulos takes over from Eugene Mountjoy.
• Baltimore-Chesapeake, a first division team, tapped former Italian international prop Mauro Mozzato as head coach.