The American National Rugby League is excited to announce the presentation of the National Rugby League from Australia, the elite rugby league competition in the world on Spike TV starting on Friday, September 11, 2009.
Football fans across the United States get the chance to see Football ‘Aussie style’ tonight with the premiere of Australia’s National Rugby League play-off series at 11pm on Spike TV.
It’s just like American Football but without the time-outs, without the pads, and without helmets. The 26 players on the field rip and tear into each other non-stop for 80 minutes of pulsating action in one the toughest, fastest, and most exciting sports played anywhere in the world.
The play-off will air at 11pm over the next three Friday nights in the lead up the Australian Grand Final (Super Bowl) which will air on Spike at 11am (Eastern) on Sunday October 4.
The American National Rugby League is the governing body for the development of the sport of rugby league in the USA, and member of the Rugby League International Federation. The AMNRL competition is comprised of eleven clubs spanning from Boston, MA to Jacksonville, FL. The 2009 AMNRL National Championship was won by the New York Knights who defeated the Jacksonville Axemen in a thrilling event hosted in Manhattan this past August.
Rugby League has developed an extensive footprint in the USA through the efforts of the AMNRL with developing programs in the Midwest, West and Hawaii along with youth programs presented in non contact - flag format known as “EAGLETAG”.
Highlights from the 2009 American National Rugby League Grand Final - New York Knights vs Jacksonville Axeman played at Pier 40, Manhattan, New York on 29 August, 2009.
SPIKE TV to Telecast National Rugby League Playoffs & Championship Game
NEW YORK, NY, September 2, 2009 – Spike TV will be the exclusive American television home to the 2009 National Rugby League playoffs and championship game, it was announced today by Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports & specials, Spike TV. The network will telecast three weekly NRL playoff contests beginning Friday, September 11, culminating with the Grand Final on Sunday, October 4. All NRL games will emanate from Australia and will air on Spike TV same day-tape.
This marks the first time NRL matches will air nationally in the United States on basic cable. The NRL is one of the premiere rugby organizations in the world featuring some of the best players in the sport including Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm), Jarrod Hayne (Parramatta Eels), Jamie Soward (St. George Dragons), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Knights), and Matt Orford (Manly Sea Eagles). The 16-team league features fifteen teams from Australia and one from New Zealand. World-renowned actor Russell Crowe owns the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Grand Final, traditionally one of Australia’s most popular sporting events, will be held at ANZ Stadium in Sydney in front of 80,000 fans.
“Given the entire population of Australia is only 21 million people, having our playoffs aired in almost 100 million homes on Spike TV is a very exciting opportunity for our game,” said NRL Chief Operating Officer, Graham Annesley. “I have no doubt that Spike viewers will love the physicality, speed, toughness and non-stop action of the NRL.”
The NRL playoffs are produced by Nine Network Australia and will air in HD on Spike TV. Peter Sterling, Ray Warren, Andrew Johns, and Phil Gould comprise the announce team.
NRL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE ON SPIKE TV
(all times same day tape)
Playoffs:
Friday, September 11 (11:00pm ET/PT)
Friday, September 18 (11:00pm ET/PT)
Friday, September 25 (11:00pm ET/PT)
Grand Final – (note - will air in the morning in the U.S.):
Sunday, October 4 (11:00am ET/PT)
Spike TV is available in 98 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site.
NEW YORK KNIGHTS WIN CUP FINAL XII !
The New York Knights have capped off a fantastic season to win the AMNRL Cup Final XII in convincing fashion by defeating the Jacksonville Axemen by 32 -12. It was an entertaining match played before a great crowd at Pier 40 in Manhattan, with fans able to appreciate the rising standard of play in American Rugby League.
Sean Taylor, the eighteen year old rookie from New York was named man of the match, with Knights fullback Luke Hume deservedly taking out the AMNRL 2009 MVP.
More details on the Cup Final night in Manhattan at Rugby News.
AMNRL Cup Final XII Teams Set
The New York Knights and Jacksonville Axemen have qualified for the 2009 AMNRL National Championship Final. Follow all the team information and preparations for the big event here and at each team website.
The (3-3) PBR Philadelphia Fight will take on the (7-0) Baron's Brewing Jacksonville Axemen in the '2nd Annual Battle to Strike out ALS' (Lou Gehrig's Disease) on Saturday July 25th, 5pm at A.A. Garthwaite Stadium 11th and Harry Streets, Conshohocken PA. Admission will be $5 at the gate. Food and beverages will be served during the match, and the Fight Vixens dance team will be performing several routines.
We will be holding a 50/50 raffle, and also raffle off other various items/gift baskets from local businesses during the game. (In the event of rain all raffles will be held at the after party at Kildare's Manayunk)
Here are just a few of the raffle items:
Curt Schilling Autographed Baseball-Courtesy of the ALS Association
Two-Hall of Fame Club Phillies Tickets vs. Washington Nationals-Courtesy of RBS Enterprises, Inc.
Jaime Moyer 2007 NL East Champions bobble figurine (2008 Collector's Edition)-Courtesy of the ALS Association
Final issue of Phillies Magazine 2003 Limited Edition (Final Innings 1971-2003: Celebrating 33 Years of Phillies Baseball at Veterans Stadium)-Courtesy of the ALS Association
Pabst Blue Ribbon logo refrigerator-Courtesy Joe Lembo/Fred Crawford of Muller Beverage/Pabst Brewing Company
Basket of Cheer-Courtesy of Matt Dever PGA Golf Professional (Phoenixville Country Club)
Beers of the World basket (Hoegaarden-Belgium, James Boags-Tasmania, Samuel Adams Summer Ale-USA, Warsteiner-Germany) Courtesy of Ryan/Tracy McGough
Italian Basket-Courtesy of Shannon Conner-Dever
Creed's Seafood/Steakhouse, King of Prussia-$25 Gift Certificate and $30 Gift Certificate
Maggiano's Restaurant, King of Prussia- Two $25 Gift Cards
Pietro's Prime Seafood/Steakhouse, West Chester Gift Card
The Exton Mall-$25 Gift Card
Philadelphia Fight Polo Shirt
The after party will be held at Kildare's Irish Pub in Manayunk starting at 7:30pm. The get together will include food and drink specials, and a benefit concert featuring the band Bryn Mawr.
Come see the Fight and Axemen renew their growing rivalry, and if the Axemen can retain the 'Battle to Strike out ALS' Trophy that they won in a hard fought battle last May.
Please visit www.fightrugby.com for directions or other information about the Fight!
Rugby League Developinig in Midwest
The American National Rugby League is excited to announce that rugby league is developing in Chicago to meet the needs of a growing number of interested players and fans.
Midwest Rugby League's first ever official training session will take place this Thursday (July 16th) on the North side of Chicago. Practice will take place on the soccer field to the West of Amundsen High in Winnemac Park with a 7.45 pm start. The nearest major intersection is Foster and Damen.
The full address:
Winnemac Park
5100 N. Leavitt St.
Chicago, IL 60625
Phone: 312-742-5101
No dues are required and for those who can't make practice, meet us for a beer or three afterwards at Claddagh's Ring on Foster.
This will be the first of weekly practice and coaching sessions throughout the summer to culminate in our first fixture - all levels are welcome just bring cleats if you have them.
AMNRL 2009 Opens Up With Surprise Results & Emerging Powerhouses
The opening four rounds of the 2009 AMNRL season have featured some of the most interesting results in the history of rugby league in America. In contrast to seasons past the competition table takes on an unfamiliar look a changing of the guard as new clubs emerge and founding clubs struggle to maintain their winning tradition.
Perennial league powerhouses, the Bulls and Wildcats have yet to post a victory and both are in extreme doubt to make the playoffs. The Jacksonville Axemen are undefeated and look to be the favorites to finish the regular season on top of the table after a superb victory over the reigning national champion New Haven Warriors. The New York Knights have the look of a very capable outfit, whilst the Philadelphia Fight have risen from cellar dwellers to an undefeated club that has made wonderful progress on and off the field. With the introduction of the Boston 13s there is a serious challenge within the other developing clubs such as the Fairfax Eagles, Washington DC Slayers, and Sharks that make for unpredictable matchups and exciting rugby league.
Sharks Surprise Bulls
The Bucks County Sharks have sprung the first big upset of the new American National Rugby League season with a 22-20 come from behind win against the Aston DSC Bulls in a Thursday night contest in New Jersey.
The Sharks scored a converted try on the last play of the game to snatch a hard earned victory.
Trailing 20-16 as time had all but expired, John Vella finished off a strong movement by the Sharks to touch down in the in-goal area to square things at 20-20. Steve Thompson kicked the extra points to send his team home with the W.
The game was played over four 20-minute quarters and the Sharks led 8-6 at the half. Bucks County scored five tries on the night to collect a bonus point.
“It’s a big win for us,” Sharks' player/manager Phil Shipos told ARN. “It’s a good way to start the season and we hope we can rediscover our 2007 form.”
The Bulls didn’t go away empty handed though as they picked up a couple of bonus points for scoring four tries and for keeping the final margin to within six points.
“It was a pretty tough game. It was a bit wet, but it was tough,” added Aston coach Marcus Vassilakopoulos.
“We got beat on the last play of the game when they scored a try and then got the conversion, but I’m just happy that we played a lot of American guys and that there are more Americans learning the game.”
Matt Stauffer led the way for the Bulls with a pair of tries, while veterans Greg Stelluti and John Grace each got singles. Grace also booted two conversions.
It was a major turnaround for the Sharks, who lost by 46 points in last year’s corresponding game against the Bulls.
Bucks County's Zach Padgett was named Man of the Match.
AMNRL Clubs Continue to Develop Youth Rugby League
The reigning American National Rugby League champions are broadening their horizons by starting up a youth development program. The New Haven Warriors are partnering with the National Youth Sports Program at Yale University. The Warriors launched the first New Haven County youth development rugby program in January, and to date have expanded to three high schools: New Horizons, Branford and Madison high schools.
Yale Athletics Thomas W Ford '42 Community Outreach Program Mission is:
To bring Yale athletics and Yale student-athletes in to the community
To provide Yale student-athletes the opportunity to become involved in community programs
To provide opportunities for community groups and organizations
To continue to develop new creative programs that benefit the community
NYSP at Yale University is a summer program that runs for four weeks, and rugby will be integrated as one of the outdoors sports stations on July 17, 24 and 31st.
Warriors youth development coaching staff includes Siose Muliumu (2008 AMNRL MVP), Ewan Robinson (2008 Best forward award), Jonathan Paredes (2008 Rookie of the year award), Ihaka Waerea (Super 14s Wellington Hurricanes colts) and Roy Leoni.
The Warriors will soon announce plans to complete their spring youth development program with a Rugby League 7's tournament the weekend prior to the AMNRL season kickoff.
The New Haven Warriors youth development program is proudly sponsored by Citizens Bank.
Bringing Back the Fight In 2009
The PBR Philadelphia Fight has taken up residence at the A. A. Garthwaite Stadium in Conshohocken for the 2009 season. Along with a new venue come new sponsors, players and a return to the familiar Fight colors of Scarlet red & Kelly green with black. Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer is our Title Sponsor this year along with Platinum Sponsors Stifel Nicolaus and Conshohocken Health & Fitness Club. Gold Sponsors Kildare’s Irish Pub and Fiore & Barber LLC Attorneys at Law, and Silver Sponsors 4x3.net Web Development, Herr’s Snack foods and Pepsi.
The Fight has been in pre-season training since May 4 with an encouraging number of players attending fitness & skills sessions. The playing roster has grown to 34 players including 11 new faces, 4 of which are Australians.
Joel Beasley is a USA resident with experience playing Rugby League in Queensland, Australia. Ryan Douglas, Mitch Huemiller & Michael Kauffman also have experience playing Rugby League in Queensland, NSW & the UK.
Joel, 25, half-back or full-back, relocated to the USA to marry his fiancé whom he met while playing in Townsville, Queensland. He has played for Philly Whitemarsh Rugby Union prior to joining the Fight.
Ryan, 23, is a hooker, lock or five-eighth. As Player of the Year playing for the Emerald Tigers in Queensland, Australia, he represented Central Queensland at U19’s & was named in the National Conference League Dream Team while playing with Rochdale Mayfield, Manchester, UK in 2007/08.
Mitch Huemiller, 23, 2nd Row, also played with the Emerald Tigers, represented Queensland’s Central Highland’s U19’s & was named Best Forward for the Tigers A-Grade in 2007. He also played with Rochdale Mayfield in the UK.
Michael Kaufman, 21, centre or full-back, was a member of the NSW Country Rugby League Academy & a Northern Rivers representative who won the NSW U18 Country Championships. In his second year of grade at the Cudgen Hornets, Queensland, he was voted Best & Fairest, and in 2008 was voted Players Player at Rochdale Mayfield in the UK.
There has also been a strong local interest from players to join the Fight for the first time this year. Those players shaping up well are Matt Worthington, Patrick Quirk, Kyle Westerman, Quinn Connaboy, Scott Cramer, Alex Mazza, and Rich Henson.
The Fight also boasts highly rated entertainment & support from the Philadelphia Fight Vixens Dance Team. Headed up by Emily Czerniakowski & Cassie Russo, the 12 member Vixens promise to draw big crowds & provide a great experience at each home match & at post match functions.
The ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia will again benefit from proceeds raised by the Philadelphia Fight during the 2009 season.
Check our website www.fightrugby.com for information on upcoming matches, venues, functions, entertainment & general information.
Jacksonville Axemen to Coach
Rugby League Camp for At-Risk Students
Members of the Jacksonville Axemen will coach TEAM UP students during Communities In Schools of Jacksonville TEAM UP summer camp.
Jacksonville, Fla. (May 17, 2009)—Members of the Jacksonville Axemen Rugby League team will partner with Communities In Schools of Jacksonville this summer to coach flag Rugby League teams at two of Communities In Schools TEAM UP After School summer camps. Five representatives from the Jacksonville Axemen will be involved in coaching flag Rugby League at the TEAM UP summer camps at J.E.B. Stuart and Highlands Middle Schools this summer. New Axemen coach, Sean Rutgerson from Australia, will lead the coaching team along with two other Australian players and his wife, Karen Meier. Axemen founder Daryl Spinner Howland commented, "In addition to expanding the sport of Rugby League through this initiative we also hope that there is a cultural exchange as the Australian coaching staff interacts with the group."
The Axemen, Jacksonville’s first Rugby League team, started in 2006. Through this partnership the Rugby League team hopes to provide a unique athletic opportunity to the youth of Jacksonville while raising public awareness for the game and providing positive cross-cultural experiences for their players and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville’s students.
Our students will benefit greatly from the partnership with the Axemen. It’s always great to have male role models come into our schools, and Rugby League is a sport that many of these kids have never played. This is such a unique opportunity,” said Eric Daniel Johnson, Director of Communities In Schools After School Division.
About Communities In Schools of Jacksonville:
Communities In Schools is the city’s largest provider of in-school dropout prevention services. The organization provides case management, after school, literacy, and mentoring services to 6,600 local youth. All of Communities In Schools’ programs take place in schools, allowing CIS to keep operating costs low. The local organization is part of the national Communities In Schools network, which has been recognized by Worth magazine as one of the top 100 organizations “most likely to save the world.” For more information visit www.cisjax.org or contact Caitlin Nations at 904-354-5918 or cnations@cisjax.org
more information is available at the Jacksonville Axemen website www.jaxaxe.com
Get in on the NRL US Action Now!
We want to present a great professional rugby league, and what better way to develop the NRL USA then by getting feedback from our most important supporter - you, the fan!
Here is how you can make an impact immediately:
Let us know what cities you would like to see host professional teams in 2010 by simply voting on our city poll
Join the Fan Forum and discuss the latest NRL 2010 news and developments, share your opinions with all our old, new, and growing fan base
The 2009 AMNRL season will kickoff on Saturday, May 30 and feature nine rounds of regular season play, two rounds of playoffs, and a National Championship Final on Saturday, August 29. In an exciting development, the Boston 13s RLFC will join the eleven team competition that will see every club have one bye. The 2009 season will mark the twelfth year of domestic rugby league in America.
War at the Shore XII will feature five games on Saturday, August 15 at Deely Field in Sea Isle City, NJ. The 2009 National Championship Final venue will be announced soon.
Match kickoff times will be announced. Keep up with all local team news at each club website.
Rugby League Lands Boston
The Boston 13s R.L.F.C., Inc. enter the AMNRL
Summer 2009 will see the launch of The Boston 13s R.L.F.C. as it competes in AMNRL Season XII. Drawing on the natural athletic talent of the Greater Boston Area, The 13s seek to demonstrate, in their inaugural year, the strength of Boston’s rich sporting heritage.
The management team behind the business is Mikhael N. Shammas, Noel Christopher, Mehran Khaghani, and Jonathan Gay. Mik, as Mr. Shammas is known on the field, comes with highly cultivated rugby acumen, having played a decade in England, and another decade in Lebanon. In 2006, he was capped on the domestic national team of Lebanon and in 2007 was honored with the appointment of Tour Manager to The Cedars, Lebanon’s National Team during the Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers. Shammas is concurrently obtaining two masters degrees at Harvard and Northeastern Universities, although his true passion is solidly grounded in the sport of Rugby League Football.
I really look forward to embarking on this new opportunity to root this sport in Boston, not only to aid the development of the sport domestically in America but internationally as well. Rugby League has a fantastic product and I know that, once exposed to all the excitement and intensity of the sport, America will love it.”
The Boston 13s R.L.F.C. takes its name from the 13 original colonies that founded America, and also from the number of players who take the field in a rugby league match. Furthermore, it will actually be the 13th club in the history of American Rugby League, although there are only 11 active in season XII.
All interested athletes should contact info@boston13s.com, as pre-season training will begin during May. Details about pre-season training, competition schedule, team kits, and team website (www.boston13s.com) will all be forthcoming soon.
USA TOMAHAWKS FIFTEENTH IN WORLD RANKINGS
The Rugby League International Federation today released the game's official World Rankings following a highly successful 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The rankings are based on a two year cycle of results and take into consideration a number of factors including regular competition within international tournaments. Australia maintains its top spot courtesy of having defeated recently-crowned World Champions New Zealand three times in their past four encounters. The USA Tomahawks who just failed to qualify for the 2000 and 2008 Rugby League World Cup are currently ranked fifteenth in the world rankings.
The Jacksonville Axemen and a number of local sponsors have teamed up to promote the Axemen and partner brands in a series of advertisements. With the AMNRL season due to launch in May, sponsors and supporters of Rugby League in America will have plenty to cheer about in 2009.
To watch the first commercial, click in the link below.
You can watch it in the main frame in normal youtube quality
OR
You can click on the video on the "VIDEO BOX" below the main player and then click "HQ" on the lower right of the player that then pops up.
You can also click the "full screen" button beside the HQ button to see larger.
It has been a long held belief of rugby league players, administrators, and fans that watching a game of rugby league in person or on television is an exciting and entertaining experience. As the profile of rugby league continues to develop in America, it seems that this viewpoint is the object of discussion in many areas of the rugby community. Whilst opinion may vary about which code of rugby is better to play, watch or understand, it certainly makes for interesting competition between the two codes in presenting the American sports fan with the better television content option. Check out what Brian Lowe has to say at American Rugby News this week.
The American National Rugby League is getting ready to kickoff it’s twelfth season. In what shapes as being the most exciting and significant year in the development of the sport of Rugby League in the USA, a number of major announcements are to be released.
The news of a developing professional tier of rugby league that will be managed in support of, and in conjunction with the AMNRL has the rugby community in America and abroad buzzing in anticipation. Detailed information of the NRL America’s plans to present a national professional television league is to be released shortly, and fans throughout the world of rugby league look forward to developing news.
Associated to the progress being made with presenting professional rugby league, the AMNRL Club competition will welcome the addition of the Boston 13s RLFC to the domestic competition. The Boston club will be making an official announcement, along with an unveiling of the team uniform and club website in the coming weeks. The expansion of rugby league into the New England region is further proof of the growing footprint of rugby league development in America.
The USA Tomahawks will be preparing for a number of 2009 internationals, with plans developing to play home and away internationals against Jamaica along with interest from a number of Pacific Island nations to tour the USA also.
The AMNRL will announce the 2009 Schedule in early April.
Key Dates:
AMNRL Season XII Kickoff June 6
War at the Shore XII – Saturday, August 1; Sea Isle City, NJ
Perennial league powerhouses, the Bulls and Wildcats have yet to post a victory and both are in extreme doubt to make the playoffs. The Jacksonville Axemen are undefeated and look to be the favorites to finish the regular season on top of the table after a superb victory over the reigning national champion New Haven Warriors. The New York Knights have the look of a very capable outfit, whilst the Philadelphia Fight have risen from cellar dwellers to an undefeated club that has made wonderful progress on and off the field. With the introduction of the Boston 13s there is a serious challenge within the other developing clubs such as the Fairfax Eagles, Washington DC Slayers, and Sharks that make for unpredictable matchups and exciting rugby league.
Trailing 20-16 as time had all but expired, John Vella finished off a strong movement by the Sharks to touch down in the in-goal area to square things at 20-20. Steve Thompson kicked the extra points to send his team home with the W.
It has been a long held belief of rugby league players, administrators, and fans that watching a game of rugby league in person or on television is an exciting and entertaining experience. As the profile of rugby league continues to develop in America, it seems that this viewpoint is the object of discussion in many areas of the rugby community. Whilst opinion may vary about which code of rugby is better to play, watch or understand, it certainly makes for interesting competition between the two codes in presenting the American sports fan with the better television content option. Check out what Brian Lowe has to say at American Rugby News this week.
