New Zealand to host 2011 Rugby world cup

[Duncan21]

Today in Dublin, Rep. of Ireland the IRB gave New Zealand the rights to host the 2011 rugby world cup, New Zealand were up against Japan and South Africa and although Japan were favourites NZ got it.

http://www.allblacks.com/index.cfm?layout=displayNews&newsArticle=2951

:smokin

[SWC Bonfire]

Cool... I was in Scotland in '99, but couldn't make it to a match. :depressed

[SWC Bonfire]

You know, Rugby really suffers from a marketing standpoint in the US and even abroad in some countries...

I think that they could get a lot of mileage in the US with a slogan like "all the violence of hockey without ice & Canadians".:lol

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

It's quite difficult for a sport to open the US market. Even soccer, who had the World Cup hosted in US soil, one of its major stars (Pele) played there, the US national team now is a good team in international terms, there's a local competition (MLS, which is not the strongest in the world, just decent) but it hasn't breaken into American sporting culture.

The only way it seems capable to break into the US is through women's soccer and Latino inmigrants.

For Rugby it would be even more difficult. There's already a game that has some similarities (American Football), and it doesn't bring attention of some minorities (unless there's a huge inmigration wave of Irish, Australians and South African).

Also, the IRB is quite a conservative organization when it comes to marketing. They seem happy with the state of things. The sport isn't promoted outside the traditional nations (the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, New Zealand). This is shown by the countries chosen to host the World Cup, always the same. It could be said that outside those countries people won't attend the matches, but the sport will never grow that way.

[SWC Bonfire]

and it doesn't bring attention of some minorities (unless there's a huge inmigration wave of Irish, Australians and South African).

Actually, there are quite a few South Africans in Texas, enough to get the international match between the Eagles and Springboks moved to Houston a few years ago.

I really like rugby, but don't know much about the international game because there is so little coverage. Soccer is mainstream in comparison. But if rugby has 5% of the US population that follows it, that's another 15 million fans worldwide, and they could manage that easily I think.

[NZHayden]

its a good day to be a nzer their should have been a vbookie on it nz were 13/1 odds where japan were 1/1.4

[samikeyp]

Good for NZ...hopefully the All Blacks can kick ass.

[TDMVPDPOY]

atm aussies are doin crap, cant wait for gregan to leave, and start rebuildin...we be back