On USARFU's outsourcing

Whatever the trajectory of the abbreviated game in America, the primary significance of the USA 7s lies in blazing international rugby's commercial path in the western hemisphere.

The tournament is the region's preeminent property, no matter one's rugby politics. Jon Prusmack's American International Media, which runs the tournament, has surpassed all others in attendance and TV arrangements, key conduits for reaching the coveted US sports consumer.

The world is not terribly interested in the USA's becoming competitive. There are sundry contenders, while some established powers fear America's bringing its athletes and technical resources to bear would irretrievably diminish their own status. But for these small- to mid-sized countries, nothing is so promising as our marketplace.

In a year that saw modest growth of 5 percent, the self-supporting Las Vegas event sold 67,000 tickets. By comparsion, a marquee 15s international in the US or Canada may sell up to 25,000, while the College Rugby Championship 7s invitational (another AIM property) garners roughly 20,000.

A BYU-Cal match, the top college drawcard, can pull in crowds of 12,000 or so. USARFU's properties, including the IRB-subsidized Junior World Trophy or the women's 7s tournament, generally clock in at half as much.

Meanwhile, AIM has built its Las Vegas Invitational into a significant property in its own right, and last week the CRC persuaded the National Small College Rugby Organization to tie up with the June event rather USARFU's fall tournament.

Turning to broadcasting, recall the USA 7s wrangled national exposure, on ABC, before the 7s gained entry to the Olympics. The CRC too has a two-day national presence. The upshot is the 7s has been driving American rugby's broadcast profile.

Kevin Roberts' USARFU has delivered no such record. While its events have progressed from the days when the USA 7s nearly bankrupt the union -- thus forcing a firesale to AIM -- since 2006 Boulder's commercial gains have primarily relied on a series of dues increases.

As players from the 1980s-90s have taken up running teams for their sons and daughters, Boulder is capitalizing on organic growth at the high school and collegiate levels and selling the member base to such service agencies as Zurich or AIG insurance.

The Emirates deal, reportedly worth $850,000 a year, is valuable but doesn't match Jack Clark's 10-year, $10 million BSkyB pact. No other sponsor pact is in this frame.

It seems evident there is an outsourcing deal to be done. Although USARFU and the USA 7s sometimes skirmish, perhaps in part because the union's leadership still includes folks who mismanaged the tournament's Los Angeles era, the duo are obviously symbiotic. Whatever the revenue splits, the general growth of American rugby will redound more to the credit of the 'national governing body', which should take the high road by calling for help.

Related: USA 7 defining rugby's commercial value

Comments

[USAr]

No matter how the situation is reviewed the problem always comes back to an underachieving USAR.

The organization called USAR, is holding the game of rugby back in these United States.

[end is near]

State Of the College Game.

The best college competition is privately owned, with USAR having nothing to do with it.

The best colleges are forming their own competition (Varsity Cup) away from USAR.

Half the college teams are going to split off and play their own Fall XV season.

The other half is going to continue to play XV's in the Spring and 7's in the Fall.

The small college championship is going its own way.

Knee jerk eligibility rules are causing a meltdown among half the teams, the other half love them.

Dues for zero value are catching up with USAR.

The USAR Board and CEO have offer zero leadership to USAR.

[Rocky Mountain High]

Nigel and Roberts must go. They have failed the rugby community. If they were decent they would do the right thing and step down and take the long winded lawyer with them.

[Pants]

What the hell was the POINT of this long winded article? (Other than for Kurt to hear himself talk)

None of these "points" are new or unique. What's the motivation here? Kurt is just a JC lemming who was thrown out of the home office with the rest of the trash, and now hides behind his computer taking pot shots at the entire rugby community (or those who dare support Usar) while dreaming of the"good 'ol days".

Go ahead Kurt, keep re-hashing old complaints... Rugby (and Usar) will continue to grow without you.

[Taberbot]

What is plainly clear is that USAR has a way of brain-washing some of its employees. The CEO then sends them out into the US rugbysphere to spread the gospel according to Nige!

Nice letters of rec from Nige gets them jobs as coaches/administrators and then they go on a campaign to make people like Kurt, who dare say anything against Nigel's gospel, pay. Dare pull out of a national championship or ask what your Cipp dues are really for, then you get hunted down by a Taberbot.

There is even a show on Fox that is very similar - the protagonist even has an English accent!

http://www.fox.com/the-following/

[old board]

Pants says, "what is the point of this article", "what's the motivation".

Let us help you with your reading comprehension skills.

This article points out the most successful international and college rugby properties in the U.S. is owned and operated outside of USAR. That USAR has nothing to do with their success or growth. Thus the "outsourcing" title.

The article goes on to say that individual colleges can generate more fans to their events than USAR does to theirs.

Kurt points out what a long term commercial failure USAR Chairmen Kevin Roberts, his Board and CEO have been. At least in anything other than taxing the membership.

Finally, the article highlights the growth of youth and high school rugby is attributable to the dedicated individuals running their son's and daughter's teams.

Nice article Kurt, in reality I think Pants can read he just doesn't like these facts coming to light every now and again? God forbid we take an honest look at executive and administrative performance. What successful organization does this :-)

What all the rugby membership knows is USAR won't honestly evaluate itself, so its left to Gainline and others to review the overall performance of USAR. Who knows, one of these days an enlighten group of U.S. ruggers might yell out, thanks for your services Kev, Nige and crew, but we can do better. Or do we only yell this at the 7's team and the kicker or the Eagles scrum? Doesn't the Congress and Board ever have to preform? Doesn't the CEO and a staff of 20 ever have to get something done?

Yea, Pants has it. Just be quite and don't ever explain our best success is happening outside of and away from USAR. Or that USAR accomplished more before the Roberts, Melville administration. Lets all wrap ourselves in blind loyalty to a Chairman who cares more about NZ rugby than ours and a CEO making $275k accomplishing next to nothing. You lead Pant's we'll follow.

[Deal with it]

USA Rugby is going to continue to do what it wants with little regard for what its members want. USA Rugby is the national governing body recognized by IRB and the US Olympic Committee. USA Rugby will not listen to analysis posted on the blog or anywhere else. There will never be another national governing body for rugby recognized by IRB or the USOC. That is just the way it is.

There is still plenty of opportunity to improve the game of rugby and the national team without the support of USAR. Clubs, coaches, players, tournaments, clinics, camps, and competitions can all be improved without USAR support. Any plan requiring USAR support will fail. Write off USAR support. Accept that USAR is a necessary evil and get on with improving rugby without USAR.

[Show Me The IRB Money]

Just curious, what "individual college" has drawn 10,000 fans for one of its events? I only ask because that's the attendance benchmark for a college championship game.

Seems to me if a "individual college" has done that in the last few years we would have heard something about it.

Bust on USAR all you want but please don't act like an "individual college" is capable of this. It may happen someday but that day won't be this year.

[end is near]

The article say Cal v BYU draws 10,000. You don't think it was USAR marketing that made that happen do you? Wait until you see the D1A final crowd this year. Under 1000, is the bet.

[JD2]

Deal with it
There is one way to get rid of Melville and Roberts and thats to make USAR bankrupt.

This could be achieved by teams, leagues and players across the country refusing to pay Cipp and dues. If they found insurance coverage them selves and reffed their own games for a while then puzzle palace in Boulder would soon fall.

But does anyone have the studs to do this?

[D1AA]

Cal vs BYU yesterday. For a 1pm match fans started queuing up 11:30 to be assured tickets. Late arriver's had to climb the side hill to look down on the venue. Its a small enclosure, 2k-2,500 fans inside. Still it is a quite an atmosphere. Score boards, stands, music, PA, restrooms, food sales, clothing sales, beautiful field: posts, lines. And a really good, close match of a high standard.

[Cal didn't face BYU yesterday.]

Which match are you describing? Cal vs. UBC or BYU vs. OPSB?

[College]

I know there's a hill next to Witter.

[Rocky Mountain High]

Cal had 2500 yesterday.

[D1AA]

Cal vs UBC, sorry.

[Rocky Mountain High]

BYU has had over 10,000 against Cal in the finals.

[Missing the days when we played because we loved it]

I'd be careful stating that the College 7's event in Philly "sells" 20,000 tickets. Each team has to agree to purchase 300 weekend ticket packages. I don't think that translates into 12000 butts in seats (20 teams X 300 packages X 2 days). Even the NSCRO schools have to agree to purchase 35 packages - that is a pretty hefty "entry" fee.

[Play in game]

CRC=NIT

[CRC fan]

Aha - the Mickey Mouse school green monster appears again.
Look - nobody wants to watch Davenwood versus Lindenport or Wheeling flipflop versus Phoenix live on TV. Get used to it - doesn't matter how much money you give to your kids or how many foreign imports you can get to go to your no-mark school, you are not getting on NBC!

[just saying]

Davenport and Lindenwood aren't that good and they will get worse with the new eligibility rules which they forced into creation.

[EA]

What's not mentioned in this article is that AIM lost almost a million dollars last year and that USA Rugby's dues increase (finally!) came alongside player insurance.

Bitter, bitter writing here.

[Show me the money...someday?]

Every year I keep reading about AIM losing around a million dollars. Is this true? I haven't seen it anywhere but in in message board comments, but I will be convinced by a reputable link.

If it is true, they must have very deep-pocketed and extraordinarily patient investors.

[pro's vs joe's]

USAR lost almost $2m at the Home Depot on the IRB 7's stop. BK'ed USAR. Doug Arnot presents! Arnot structured a deal which had no chance of making money. The IRB came in to bailout the union. USAR sold the tournament to AIM who lost less, but still lost about $1m in the Arnot structured deal at Home Depot. AIM moved the event to SD's Petco and did better but still lost some money. AIM them moved the tournament to LV, partnered up with NBC and no longer loses money. They now make money in both of their tournaments. The NBC agreement also helps them considerably. AIM has a great team of talented business and marketing professionals. They run circles around the Boulder staff.

[7's vs 15's]

@CRC fan:
you obviously do not care about the product you are peddling. at some point I would like to think fans, sponsors and the tv audience will be educated to the point the CRC will care more about the quality of play than name schools.

[hotdog]

Does anyone know the NBC broadcast ratings for the 2013 Las Vegas Sevens ??

Last year apparently rated 0.7 nationally on NBC.

[D1A oh my]

D1A wrap up, what a joke. There are three D1A teams in this entire article. St Mary, Life and Arkansas State. The rest of the teams are so poor it isn't funny. This is what the IRB college grant funds! Kevin Battle's salary and this shite! The IRB are getting so ripped off.

http://www.rugbymag.com/college-premier-league-/7106-di-a-wrap-scores-standings.html

[D1A]

The problem isn't SMC, Life or Ark St. These are three good teams. The problem with the D1A level is there aren't any mid tier teams. It goes from good to bad.

The entire Big 10 conference is closer to D2 than to D1. It is a very poor conference.

Same with the Allied. Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor and Sam Houston are legit D2. Oklahoma is not a good team. Its only Texas A&M which we could hope to be a mid tier team, but Life and BYU beat them a combined 114-12. A&M isn't mid tier.

The California conference is even more disappointing. Stanford, Sac State, Santa Clara and UCSB are all D2. Cal Poly beats SDSU by three tries and Cal beats Cal Poly by a hundred. Cal Poly and SDSU are not good teams. UC Davis can't score a point against SMC and gives up more than a point a minute.

There are not enough good teams in D1A. Only handful of good teams, then straight to D2, with nothing in the middle.

[[email protected]]

BCS Championship Game 2013
Alabama 42-14 Notre Dame

So Alabama are D1 and Notre Dame are D2 just because of a lop-sided score?

[XYZ.com]

[email protected]...

don't be a douche!

[[email protected]]

When arguments fall on their face, resort to name calling.

[XYZ.com]

If thats an argument, then you are douche

[College No7]

Is no one going to comment on the USA Rugby Collegiate Questionnaire doing the rounds?

Thought this might spark firestorm - reckon Cal has its lawyers lined up already.