In an exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports Christian Scotland-Williamson has backed rugby to rise in stature in the USA and stresses that Social Media is critical for that to happen.
The former NFL practice squad player has also backed Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker TJ Watt at having what it takes to play rugby, but understands the appeal for international talent to make the move to America.
He also gave his view on the impact of Jordan Mailata’s successful switch to the NFL and weigh in on whether rugby should follow the franchise model/
Rugby Destined To Rise In USA
I don't think it's that long. The MLR is much improved compared to where it was even five years ago. If you look at the women's game, Ilona Maher, the most famous player, has a massive digital presence. That is the key. Rugby has not been able to get the next generation to really capture their imagination. For me, the 2003 World Cup hooked and locked me in.
I wasn't from a rugby family. My dad was a boxer, and my brother played football at the time. One of my family friends said, ‘Come down to the local rugby club, see if you like it, give it a go.’
That changed my life. It gave me a community of people that I'm still friends with to this day. It guided me to the school I went to. And that's because that era captured my imagination as a child.
Social Media Is Key
A digital presence is so important now. It's all about the next generation of fans, and if you don't have the next generation of fans, you won't have the next generation of players.
That's the big difference, being able to have those kinds of transformational storylines that make people think that rugby is a professional route that they want to go down. With American people, when I went to the locker room, people didn't even know that rugby could be a professional sport.
So that's the first hurdle that you have to overcome for people to think that the sport is worth their time to invest in the training and being able to take it seriously. It’s being able to actually make people aware that this is a legitimate opportunity with great prospects.
TJ Watt’s Rugby Potential
TJ Watt, I think, would be a fantastic back rower. Then DK Metcalf, a winger or fullback. Then, Saquon Barkley, the running back who just won the Super Bowl with the Eagles, would be a great inside centre.
All of the offensive line could easily be props because they're all about 6'6", 140 kgs! If you'd teach them some technique, you wouldn’t want to scrum down against them.
NFL Academy Going From “Strength To Strength
I think it's two-pronged. At what level is it a threat in terms of age and participation, and then also it's in terms of the eyeballs, it's a threat.
If you look at the NFL Academy is going from strength to strength. The talent that they're able to attract there from across Europe, and they've just set one up in Gold Coast, is huge. It’ll be a threat in Australia with the ‘Jordan’ effect, especially when you are looking for the next Polynesain star. They’re primed for it athletically.
If someone who started out in rugby at school and entered an academy wanted to try American football and think they can get a scholarship to play at a big school in America, you're basically going from playing club rugby to playing professional sport by the time you're 18 and in front of 80,000 people potentially.
And you're in a scholarship environment where your whole academics are paid for living in another country for four to five years’ experience, and then potentially, who knows what on the back end of that.
The trade-off between say an academy contract, which might be £12,000 for the year or going to university in America to say Oklahoma, where you're going be playing in front of 80,000 people, training full time, on a full scholarship, with everything paid for, flying on chartered planes to different games and living that lifestyle, is appealing!
You're effectively going from 16 or 17, maybe getting a £10,000 contract, to having a Six Nations sold-out experience at Twickenham every home game at 18 years old.
Glass Ceiling Shattered
When we went over in 2018, we were met with a lot of resistance. I remember being in the gym and a Super Bowl champion, I won't say who it was, said This is never going to work, you're never going to see someone transition. Then Jordan did, and I used that as fuel.
Now that Jordan's won a Super Bowl and has done what he's done, people can see what is possible. It’s like the Roger Bannister effect after breaking the four-minute mile. People said it would never happen.
Now it's a bit more of a proven pathway. It's just a number.
I won't say it's a direct threat because there are people who will always play rugby, but for people who, for example, are natural athletes and have a certain size that lend themselves to contact sports and want to have an opportunity to develop themselves with academia as well, then they will go.
When I wanted to do my Master's at Worcester, the Performance Director actually stood in my way and said I wasn’t committed.
Conversely, with football, you don't get to practice, you don't get to play unless your grades are at a certain level. So, the combination of academia and sport is tied in to be able to give you the opportunity to develop athletically and also have something to hang your hat on after you're done playing. Now it's only a 10-team Premiership, there's fewer jobs available in the Premiership in England, then why not open yourself up to the globe?
Should Rugby Follow Franchise Model?
Absolutely. You can see why a franchise model, when there's been so much investment, would provide a level of security that perhaps would guarantee a bit further investment in the future.
The converse of that is with the back end of the season, when you know you're going to win anything and the games don't matter, and there's nothing to play for, it's just a friendly game. If you're ninth in the league out of 10 and there's seven games left and you know that you're not going to make it into Europe, how do you motivate players?
You're just playing for money. Yes, there's pride, but pride doesn't have any consequence if you fail. You can lose every game, and the end result is the same. You’re safe. You need to make the product attractive to broadcasters.
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