Semi-OT: USA Rugby Today

[fnordcircle]

Ok, so as a US person where should I be looking to start following rugby?

I started googling around but there seems to be a little bit of a learning curve. Are there any US-based leagues?

If not what are the bigger South American and European leagues to follow and what sites should I be going to to figure all this crap out?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Ok, so as a US person where should I be looking to start following rugby?

I started googling around but there seems to be a little bit of a learning curve. Are there any US-based leagues?

If not what are the bigger South American and European leagues to follow and what sites should I be going to to figure all this crap out?

Gotta say I too am loving this rugby stuff. It suites my sports mentality. It reminds me of how we played pickup tackle football in HS. Of course had I played real rugby, I'd be in a wheelchair now at my age.

 

[manxman2601]

Ok, so as a US person where should I be looking to start following rugby?

I started googling around but there seems to be a little bit of a learning curve. Are there any US-based leagues?

If not what are the bigger South American and European leagues to follow and what sites should I be going to to figure all this crap out?

Here's the World Rugby page for international sevens. Season doesn't start until Dec.

HSBC Sevens World Series

The Hong Kong Sevens is the premier event. Here's a video of the final between New Zealand and Fiji.

 

[DaBruinz]

I'd say between Ebner, Carlin and Danny, those are the only three you can count on to bring tenacity and fear into the opponent in every scrum. Others I'm not so certain.

Hughes isn't bad either.. He can damn near kick those extra points from anywhere on the line..

 

[fnordcircle]

Here's the World Rugby page for international sevens. Season doesn't start until Dec.

HSBC Sevens World Series

The Hong Kong Sevens is the premier event. Here's a video of the final between New Zealand and Fiji.

Yeah for me I either need a geographic rooting interest or just for the event to be a 'big deal'. Like World Cup or the Euro 2016 thing that just happened, it doesn't have to involve the US for me to like it but if it doesn't have something for me to connect to it needs to be a big deal. Like the Euro futbol leagues, I just can't seem to get into them no matter how hard I try, but I lose my **** over World Cup.

 

[manxman2601]

Jonah Lomu. The Bo Jackson of Rugby.

 

[manxman2601]

Yeah for me I either need a geographic rooting interest or just for the event to be a 'big deal'. Like World Cup or the Euro 2016 thing that just happened, it doesn't have to involve the US for me to like it but if it doesn't have something for me to connect to it needs to be a big deal. Like the Euro futbol leagues, I just can't seem to get into them no matter how hard I try, but I lose my **** over World Cup.

Understandable. Unfortunately the next WC isn't until 2019. Look out for the British Lions touring NZ next year. Those things are always an event.

Here you go. The TRC which is a round robin contest between Aus, NZ, S Africa and Argentina starts on the 20th August. If you want the very highest quality rugby, that's where you find it. Australia, New Zealand and S Africa tend to be the three best rugby nations in the world. Bear in mind it's the 15 man version of the game though.

Website and fixtures.

SANZAR - 2016 TRC

Starts off with Australia v New Zealand. Doesn't get any better, or any more intense than that.

 

[Fixit]

I never thought I'd be having a blast discussing my new passion for rugby anywhere, let alone on an American football forum.

I love this place.

 

[fnordcircle]

Understandable. Unfortunately the next WC isn't until 2019. Look out for the British Lions touring NZ next year. Those things are always an event.

Here you go. The TRC which is a round robin contest between Aus, NZ, S Africa and Argentina starts on the 20th August. If you want the very highest quality rugby, that's where you find it. Australia, New Zealand and S Africa tend to be the three best rugby nations in the world. Bear in mind it's the 15 man version of the game though.

Website and fixtures.

SANZAR - 2016 TRC

Starts off with Australia v New Zealand. Doesn't get any better, or any more intense than that.

Thanks man - I really appreciate it. Trying to follow sports other than ones in the US is a little daunting because here we just have 1 big league for the various sports where elsewhere I can't seem to figure out who is in what sport's league and which ones are the bigger ones, etc. I just know there's a league with a team called Manchester United and that's kind of a big deal

 

[scott99]

Concussion II-Rugby edition.

 

[Koma]

Ok, so as a US person where should I be looking to start following rugby?

I started googling around but there seems to be a little bit of a learning curve. Are there any US-based leagues?

If not what are the bigger South American and European leagues to follow and what sites should I be going to to figure all this crap out?

There are US based leagues, but don't expect to see them regularly on a recognizable channel any time soon. To be fair, NBC does show the annual college 7s tournament and the World Series of 7s leg in Vegas. Some other rounds of the 7s World Series are shown on Universal Sports. They also broadcast the college national championship for 15s.

Another outlet that is fairly new is The Rugby Channel. You have to pay $5 a month for that streaming service, but they have a lot of content on there you aren't going to see elsewhere, like the US club 7s finals this weekend. I haven't signed up for it and I did hear that there were issues with stream crashing during the club 15s finals and national team matches a couple months ago. I don't know if they've resolved those issues.

A site I usually look at to keep up with what's going on with the rugby in the US and what's on TV is This is American Rugby.

As far catching the game on TV, NBC Sports has a deal with the European Premiership league starting next month:

NBC Sports Group has partnered with Premiership Rugby on an exclusive multi-year U.S. media rights agreement, both parties announced today. Per the agreement, which begins with the 2016-17 season, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to present more than 75 Aviva Premiership Rugby matches each season, highlighted by “Game of the Week” matchups.

The Premiership Rugby regular season consists of 22 rounds, which take place on most weekends from September until May, and culminates with the semifinal and championship rounds at the end of May. NBCSN will air approximately 25 matches throughout the regular season and playoffs, with an additional 50 matches to stream exclusively on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Not just that, but they target sevens as opposed to the 15 man version.

I didn't watch it but bad luck y'all. GB beat NZ which was a turn up. Fingers crossed for a medal.

As they pointed out on the telly , the announcement of the Fiji rugby team was made by Fiji's prime minister.

 

[manxman2601]

As they pointed out on the telly , the announcement of the Fiji rugby team was made by Fiji's prime minister.

Rugby down under is a big effin' deal for sure.

 

[Koma]

The US has one more game today, at noon against Spain, to determine who finishes 9th in the tournament. If they win, that would make them the best team not to advance out of pool play. That's not much, but it is something.

 

[Fixit]

How's Ebner not starting?

 

[fnordcircle]

Wow that was a great run by Isles?

 

[raduray]

How's Ebner not starting?

Where's the TV coverage?

 

[Fixit]

Where's the TV coverage?

I'm on Xbox.

 

[raduray]

Live feed is mostly frozen. Oh well.

 

[bbobbo]

i don't get it, wasn't lopez tackled down?