Menu
Events and Attractions

National Rugby League Considers Return To California As Hayne Hype Intensifies

Haynemania has the National Rugby League considering a return to California -- 28 years after "the disaster that was Peter Sterling and the unbreakable Origin banner," according to Nick Walshaw of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. NRL CEO Dave Smith and Head of Football Todd Greenberg both gave "strong indications the governing body is again looking to America as a potential target market" as the hype surrounding Jarryd Hayne of the NFL San Francisco 49ers intensifies. Greenberg said that Hayne's signing with the 49ers meant there was now reason to consider taking a game "back to California." Greenberg: "The NRL is always looking to grow the game and showcase it where opportunities arise. Naturally, we'd look at any option to take the game to the United States, especially given the current interest in our game." Smith also "lent his heavyweight support to the code's potential growth Stateside," adding, "The Rugby League International board, of which I'm deputy chairman, is looking at expansion markets ... and the USA is one of the significant target markets." Greenberg stressed "a number of factors would need to be considered" with any U.S. return -- specifically a "mandatory off-season break for players, insurance and the impact on scheduling." Yet he also revealed that, "while the NRL had not yet reached out to the NFL, there may be scope to use Hayne for marketing purposes in the future." Last week, David Niu, the founder of rugby league in America, urged the NRL to "get themselves ahead of Haynemania -- or risk having it hijacked by the NFL." Niu: "The publicity and exposure Jarryd Hayne could generate for rugby league, it's immeasurable. Think about it" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 9/9).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/09/10/Events-and-Attractions/NRL-California.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/09/10/Events-and-Attractions/NRL-California.aspx

CLOSE