Gridiron Rugby League: Making rugby league work for American football fields

Welcome to Gridiron Rugby League,
offering a version of rugby league suitable for American football fields.

By playing 11-a-side and making the rules fit gridiron football fields (hence the name "gridiron rugby"), the world's greatest game will finally take hold in America!

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NEWS (August 28, 2010): We wish to congratulate the Jacksonville Axemen on winning the AMNRL championship. We normally would not acknowledge a potential rival competition, except at the moment of this posting their own league website doesn't even mention this news, and their website looks so convoluted it would be hard to see it if they did. (Update: They finally fixed that middle column problem, but has still not publicly mentioned the Axemen's title. This notice will be here until they get around to it.)

ARTICLE (Date originally written unknown, posted August 22, 2010). 11-a-side League: Is it an idea worth considering? (rl1908.com) Great article on whether NRL itself ought to go to 11-a-side. This is NOT a radical idea at all. Only in fairness their field would be wide wide wide open unless they shrink it somewhat. Remember: Rugby LEAGUE is supposed to be the game that's willing to evolve, willing to change.

PHOTOS (August 14, 2010): Photos show why rugby (in either code) won't work on American football fields, proving need for Gridiron Rugby.


The first photo is from the NBC coverage of the Collegiate Rugby (Union) 7's. The second is from Pisgah High School (NC). Please note that the superimposed "gridiron football lines" are 22 yards narrower than the rugby field. The photo on the right clearly shows there isn't anything close to enough room for rugby on Pisgah's American football field. This is true of most high schools.

Now look at these two pictures. The field on the left is in South Boston, used by a rugby league team. If they played "Gridiron Rugby" rules they could play in the yellow section. For them to play "regulation" rugby league, represented by the blue lines, they would have to dig up the track! The same is true as the football field on the right, at Asheville High School (NC). (These measurements verified by the way by Google Earth's ruler application.) Having one uniform set of field dimensions, making the game fit the American field, would do wonders to grow rugby league in America.
Whether there's a track or not, if there's a "gridiron" football field, there's enough room for Gridiron Rugby!

NEWS (July 1, 2010): United Rugby League LLC is formed, will be affiliated with Gridiron Rugby League.

PRESS RELEASE

Fletcher, NC: United Rugby League LLC (or "URL") has officially incorporated in the State of North Carolina. It is the proposed professional competition for "gridiron rugby," or 11-a-side rugby league that have rules to fit American football fields.   Gridiron rugby promises to be a fast-paced, hard-hitting game that would be a welcome outdoor sport in the spring and summer, when American football typically does not play.

The United Rugby League is partnered with Gridiron Rugby League (or "GRL"). The GRL is a non-profit organization formed to promote the game of gridiron rugby at all levels, and by pursuing the game as a varsity sport in American high schools.

According to the National Federation of High Schools, the national body of state athletic associations, neither rugby league nor rugby union is recognized much as a varsity sport. Rugby league, being a hard-hitting game similar to American football, is limited to its growth potential by its much wider fields and going with meters instead of yards, among other things.

Dennis Justice, President of United Rugby League LCC, has over ten years of experience in minor league sports, including writing about sports business issues on such websites as OurSportsCentral and Bleacher Report. Justice is also a pending graduate of American Military University, majoring in Sports Management, and will graduate with honors. Justice got introduced to the game watching SuperLeague on then-called espn360.com (now called espn3.com). Justice recognized the potential of the sport in the United States, but also recognized that in its current form, having this sport really take off in America was unlikely.   He felt to make the game really prosper, it had to be acceptable to high schools as well as a professional league.

Justice's solution was simple: Modify the rules to make the game fit the American football field. Indoor football, indoor soccer, and indoor lacrosse all had to fit their rules to fit a hockey rink, so why not do the same for rugby league? To that end, Justice created "gridiron rugby," to fit on a gridiron football field. To make it work, he goes with yards instead of meters. In fact, gridiron rugby requires no special linings whatsoever, so there's no dasher board pads like in indoor football. To make it workable, instead of 13 players a side like conventional rugby league (or 15 a side for rugby union), the game was pared down to 11-a-side. This version is not intended to replace the code of rugby league (international games should be under international rules), but to make the game fit the American football fields.

By playing in the spring, Justice recognized the opportunities of getting the sport in high schools, to complement football programs. This is especially true for high schools that have already converted to the newer safer artificial turf systems, since a sport will never be popular in high school if a team plays off-campus in a park. Rugby league teaches proper tackling skills, ball handling skills, and improves overall fitness. Unlike a lot of high school and college soccer programs that play in the fall, gridiron rugby actually opens up the door for recruiting football players. To that end, the Gridiron Rugby League was formed as a non-profit organization to educate about gridiron rugby, and to help new state organizations in getting the sport at varsity level at high schools.

Justice touts that this sport is better for sports owners to invest in, since they don't have to spend a ton of money that the indoor sports require, and that rent is vastly cheaper at high school stadiums than arenas.   Also, this sport can be introduced in American high schools, indoor football can't say that. Justice also promotes the idea of regionalized leagues for the minor level to reduce travel costs, and hiring only established credible general managers (preferably those with college degrees in Sports Management).

"Investors in the United Rugby League will join a sport that is less expensive than indoor football, doesn't have extensive changeover costs, uses existing football lines, costs less for rentals, yet brings arguably the toughest team sport to America," Justice said.

The most important point out to potential investors is that the URL prepares a business model that protects them, to where they don't make full investments until everything is in place, and puts in league controls to make sure teams finish the season, unlike what we have seen with indoor football. "The URL investor plan requires serious ownership groups, some may already be minor league baseball owners or other sports owners, who want to utilize their existing sales staff for year-round use," Justice said.   "The plan would entail that owners will not be able to sell tickets, try out players, or recruit sponsors until we officially announce the league. We will do this the right way."

The intention is to have a regional league in the Carolinas and adjacent states approved by September 2011. The first season is planned for March or April 2012.

The eventual "major" league shall seek to play in larger cities, maybe even some NFL venues, as it will not interfere with American football.

"Fans have wanted spring football? Well, here it is. We will recruit football fans, rugby fans, mixed martial arts fans, and sports fans in general. We will market a game perhaps a little edgy like UFC, but nothing 'extreme' like the XFL. This will be a game that the people will care about, start booster clubs for, and support in high schools. In short, this is the next big thing in American sports."

Now is the time to change the atmosphere of the American sports scene. Now is the time for the URL.

JOIN US!

For more information, visit www.unitedrugbyleague.com or www.gridironrugby.org, where our contact information is located. Also, please join our Facebook groups on each website.

Thank you.

According to the National Foundation of State High School Associations (nfhs.org), the national sanctioning body of high school athletic associations, rugby is only recognized as a varsity high school sport in two states (California and Vermont). Even with that, participation is not what it could be.

Rugby (both league and union codes) has been around before American football. It is the belief of Gridiron Rugby that a code that suits the current football fields would be far more palatable to promote as a sport than trying to force a game on a field too narrow, or a field out in the open that is not nearly as well-maintained.

Without rugby being treated as a spectator sport, it will never establish itself in America. Those that are soccer fans: Does it bother you seeing gridiron lines in MLS games? Isn't this the reason you wanted your own stadium? Rugby fields are simply too wide to play on American football fields. As such, we use the same lining basically as on a "gridiron" football field, hence the name "gridiron rugby."

This is not a new idea. Arena football and indoor lacrosse have to modify their rules to fit a hockey rink. We simply make the rules fit American football fields.

We will pursue playing gridiron rugby as a spring sport, men's and women's. Since there is no special lining and not much equipment needed, and since it is designed to be played in a football stadium, it is not difficult to generate the modest revenues needed to bring gridiron rugby to your high school. While we can play on all football fields, we are looking at those high schools with artificial turf systems installed first, as they would likely have the least reluctance.

Most importantly, WISE football coaches will realize the value of having football players play this sport, as it teaches tackling skills, builds work ethic and teamwork skills, and develops athletes.

Make no mistake: The version is a variant of LEAGUE rules. To accommodate the somewhat narrower field, instead of 13-a-side, we play 11-a-side. As the game takes off, we hope to develop players to play under international rugby league rules representing the USA Tomahawks.

Among the long-term goals and objectives of Gridiron Rugby League include:

1. Establishing a formal set of rules.

2. Sanctioning state high school associations and work to get the sport recognized at club, then varsity level.

3. Develop the website www.gridironrugby.org so interested parties can access the rulebook and training materials.

4. Promote the game at the collegiate, national, and international level.

5. Promote the game to women in recognition of Title IX.

6. Promote the game to youth outreach groups.

7. Promote the game in conjunction with a potential professional league in North America.

During the next year, the GRL will go through the process of incorporation and seeking out 501(c)3 tax status as a non-profit organization. The GRL will also seek to coordinate standards in development of lower chapters and access of needed equipment to play.

For more information, visit www.gridironrugby.com, call (828) 681-0391, E-mail: info@gridiron.com or write to: Gridiron Rugby League, P.O. Box 1465, Fletcher, NC USA

NEWS (Oct. 7, 2009): Tony Solway sent me this. He devised a set of rules for 10-a-side rugby in 1992. The people running the game in Australia had turned down his changes, however, slowly over the years lower level leagues are implementing some components of his ideas. I am presenting this to point out that some of the ideas I suggested are not new. Article Powerpoint presentation Rules overview

NEWS (Sep. 28, 2009): New "green" artificial turf system may be helpful in promoting rugby, other outdoor sports due to much cooler (and organic) fill system. Visit www.geoturfusa.com and if you contact them please mention this website. Thank you.

NEWS (Sep. 28, 2009): NCHSAA weighs in on what it takes to bring in rugby as a varsity sport in North Carolina. I contacted the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on the logistics in getting rugby recognized as a varsity sport. According to them, there needs to be at least 97 member schools (or 49 in one classification) playing rugby at the club level to earn varsity status.

Copyright © 2010 Gridiron Rugby League. All Rights Reserved.
Address: P. O. Box 1465, Fletcher, NC 28732 Phone: (828) 681-0391 E-mail: info@gridironrugby.org

The Gridiron Rugby League and the United Rugby League are not affiliated with any other organization at this time.