The competitive nature of sports brings all together. Regardless of the background we originate from. As it relates to the sport of rugby there’s never been a better time to grow the sport in America and globally too.
The 2023 figures paint a positive picture for community rugby with the sport now played by 8.46 million players across 132 national member unions, an increase of 11% over the 2022 levels. Emerging rugby nations and women and girls are the major drivers of new growth for the game, according to the Rugby World Cup.
The National Rugby Football League is evolving rugby to shape the future of the sport internationally and in the U.S.
As a truly global year-round premium professional sport with an evenly split male-female demographic, rugby has strong appeal and huge market potential in America. The NRFL is positioned to be the preeminent sport & entertainment rugby league globally by showcasing the best athletes on the pitch, utilizing world-class stadiums, and creating unparalleled content 365 days a year to the biggest sports audience in the world. This is not just a chance to create a new league - it’s a chance to create a whole new idea in American culture. We believe rugby is an idea whose time has come in the U.S. - a sport that is right in line with values like authenticity, sportsmanship, inclusion, community. The NRFL’s foundation and ownership will be rooted in these values. Rugby is played in over 120 countries with 877 million global followers and 9.1 million men, women and children regularly playing the game. Rugby in North America is poised for a fully professional sports league due to the enormous value and demand for premium content, availability of existing world-class stadiums, large domestic contact sport fan base, a pool of untapped rugby talent, and ethos and attributes of the sport. Steve Ryan is the Managing Director at the National Rugby Football League, and he joined me this week to tell me more.
For more information: https://www.thenrfl.com/
LinkedIn: @SteveRyan
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