The Rugby Clubhouse Delivers

Rugby PickEm

There's no shortage of Major League Rugby content these days. Not just on The Rugby Network (which we have sincerely and thoroughly enjoyed each week since the season started), but all over the Rugby Media Industrial Complex (RMIC). This week's media review has to be ... The Rugby Clubhouse. The rugby world could not have been blessed with better complimenting accents for this show set in a rugby pub (via the internet ... but it still looks like a sweet set and after a while it just feels like you're having out with Fodes and Mikey). Commish was a guest for The Rugby Clubhouse. He has been making the rounds and I love it. A couple things I learned ...., he's definitely on the same page with Rugby PickEm's #operation2031 and he knows that a confirmed hosting of the 2031 RWC would shoot this league into the stratosphere. He also acknowledged that the league has to generate more revenue in order to increase the teams' salary caps. That's done by maximizing your traditional gameday revenue (asses in seats, merch flying of the shelf, and providing real exposure for your long term sponsors). Provide value. To the die hard fan, to the average fan, to the sponsor partners, to the league as a whole. That should be the front office goals around the league. He is also pushing the teams to have the players last names on the back of the jersey. I'm all for anything that helps engage the average American sporting fan, but the rugby traditionalist (apparently Tommy No Piks is one of them) will roll in their graves when they see something that's different and straying from the norm. But why pass up easy opportunities to boost revenues. We gotta turn these quirky international footy stars (aka the Giltinis roster) into mega stars over here in the states ... where sports fanaticism has no bounds. "To A Man" (a Killebrew classic line), he is a phenomenal commissioner, and we're happy that he's steering the helm of the League. After all, you only get one shot at launching a pro rugby league .... (Sorry Dougie, but we can never forget). Every time I hear Commish talk, I learn something new and insightful. We are fully behind our Commish and hope he continues his media tour pretty much forever. Some other great MLR podcasts that I'd currently recommend are Road to Glory and W Nation. PICKEM!