Increasing popularity Rugby union in the United States

1 increasing popularity

1.1 rugby on tv
1.2 hosting 2027 rugby world cup
1.3 rugby , popular culture

increasing popularity

rugby s profile in u.s. has received tremendous boost international olympic committee s announcement in 2009 rugby return olympics in 2016. usa rugby has formally become member of olympic committee, allowing rugby players , programs access olympic resources.

attendance @ rugby matches , tournaments has grown in recent years. attendance usa sevens tournament has grown steadily 15,800 in 2004, 52,000 fans @ sam boyd stadium in las vegas in 2011. 2011 college premier division national championship match between cal , byu drew crowd of 11,000 @ rio tinto stadium. friendly match between , ireland in 2009 drew 10,000 fans buck shaw stadium in santa clara, , friendly match between , italy in 2012 drew on 17,000 fans bbva compass stadium in houston. followed 20,000-strong crowds @ bbva compass stadium vs. ireland in june 2013 , scotland in june 2014; these records smashed in november 2014 when historic sell-out crowd of 61,500 watched match against new zealand @ soldier field; match drew average tv audience of 927,000 on nbc.

another significant development in history of u.s. rugby came @ 2015 london sevens, final tournament of 2014–15 sevens series, when won first-ever championship of sevens series event.

rugby on tv

the announcement in 2009 rugby in rugby sevens format admitted 2016 summer olympics has meant increased tv exposure. rugby came onto nbc s radar following 2009 announcement. nbc has begun broadcasting several rugby tournaments on network tv, particularly rugby sevens tournaments, considered television friendly format. nbc has shown collegiate rugby championship each year since 2010. nbc has broadcast usa sevens tournament each year since 2011. 5.4 million viewers tuned in watch 2011 usa sevens, helping increase awareness of sport of rugby. viewership 2012 usa sevens on nbc earned successful ratings (0.7), beating ratings nhl match (0.4) , 5 college basketball games (0.1–0.3) played same weekend. tv ratings on nbc usa sevens , collegiate rugby championships grew 14% 2013 2014, 2014 usa sevens drawing ratings of 0.7 on saturday , 1.0 on sunday.

nbc, along universal sports affiliate network, broadcast ten matches of 2011 rugby world cup — 3 on nbc , 7 on universal — marking first time rugby world cup broadcast live on tv in u.s. nbc broadcast november 1, 2014 match between united states , new zealand, earning 0.7 rating. nbc , universal sports network broadcast 9 matches (two on nbc, 7 on universal) 2015 rugby world cup in england. nbcsn has broadcast matches english premiership since spring 2016, , scheduled begin broadcasting european 6 nations championship in 2018.

in addition, specialty cable channels have begun broadcasting increasing amount of rugby. bein sports shows select international matches. select international matches , european club matches shown on watchespn.

hosting 2027 rugby world cup

the united states considered candidate host rugby world cup, due recent growth , future growth potential of rugby in u.s., has been recognized world rugby. in 2010, mike miller, @ time ceo of known irb, stated u.s. host rugby world cup, stating s question of when, not if. usa rugby ceo nigel melville revealed in november 2011 u.s. had been asked irb consider preparing bid host rugby world cup, , usa rugby considering bidding rights host 2023 or 2027 rugby world cup. when u.s. awarded right host 2012 irb junior world rugby trophy (a tournament known world rugby under 20 trophy), seen u.s. moving step closer hosting rugby world cup. nigel melville stated hosting 2012 irb jwrt first step . . . hosting rugby world cup. irb chairman bernard lapasset has acknowledged usa important , exciting market rugby.

the united states has several features make successful host of rugby world cup:

rugby , popular culture

the popularity of rugby given minor boost when featured in fourth season of friends in episode 1 rugby, broadcast february 26, 1998. rugby featured prominently in 2008 movie forever strong. rugby prominent in film departed, virtue of being set in boston s irish community.

two recent u.s. presidents have played sport:

bill clinton. clinton developed interest in rugby in england, playing @ oxford. has been claimed played @ little rock rfc in arkansas, deny this. however, interest casual, , on third or fourth team. clinton s position lock.
george w. bush. bush keen player during high school , university, , on yale s 1st xv, , in 1968, part of win on harvard. bush s position fullback.
john f. kennedy: kennedy played harvard s team, along brother joseph.




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