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Moore Sports Int'l Head Makes Case For U.S. To Host 2021 Rugby League World Cup

Moore Sports Int'l President & CEO Jason Moore is hoping for a historic decision from the Rugby League Int'l Federation when it names the host of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in November. The RLIF will be choosing between the MSI-backed U.S. bid -- which recently requested that its proposal include Canada -- and the U.K. Moore believes it could be a landmark decision for rugby league. "It would be an unprecedented moment in the game's growth," he said. "The Rugby League World Cup, since 1956, has never been held outside of England and Australia. It is a golden opportunity for the game to grow on an enormous level. Mainly, because I think that we can definitely get a good foothold among athletes and fans in the United States. And from an Australian, New Zealand and English perspective, to have a strong U.S. competition and a strong U.S. national team -- and even a Canadian team for that matter -- that would just be a phenomenally large opportunity for the growth of the game in those markets as well as in the U.S." Australia-based MSI was behind the Major League Baseball games between the L.A. Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks at the Sydney Cricket Ground in '14. Moore said that experience gives MSI "a high degree of confidence in doing anything to do with other American sports" -- either Down Under or in the U.S.

NATURAL FIT: He believes that the simplicity of rugby league, which is an easier version of the game to grasp than rugby union, could make it very popular with fans of American football. "Think gridiron, think NFL," Moore said. "And then think 13 players, no pads, no blocking, lateral passing, same team -- offense, defense -- continuous play, six downs. That's pretty much the game. From a consumption of sports psyche, it's got all of the harsh, heavy hitting, the physicality of the game. It's got speed, it's got athleticism, it's got kicking, it's got running, it's got passing, but it's a continuous game." He believes the similarities between rugby league and what U.S. fans tune into on Saturdays and Sundays give the game massive potential as not only a spectator sport, but also from a participation standpoint. MSI plans to start a professional league in U.S. the next couple years, which Moore envisions as a "great offseason alternative sport" while NFL and college players are on vacation. Jarryd Hayne's stint with the NFL San Francisco 49ers last season confirmed a common belief among rugby league insiders, Moore said. "Hayne proved what we've kind of already worked out," he said. "Which was that a running back in the NFL and a running back in rugby league, there's not too much difference." 

'LEAP OF FAITH': Hosting the 2021 RLWC could do for rugby league what the 1994 World Cup did for soccer in the U.S., Moore believes. He said, "As far as what I would consider a game-changing moment, this is it. ... The American culture will love it. They embrace major global sporting events. When the soccer World Cup was in the U.S. in '94, soccer wasn't that big, but Major League Soccer grew out of that. We see the same moment happening for rugby league." For that to happen though, the RLIF will have to choose the allure of a new market over the familiarity of England. Moore said that the U.S. has a "genuine 50-50" chance, but is hopeful the "golden opportunity" the U.S. presents trumps the safe bet. "Sporting bodies are normally risk-averse," he said. "They would see going to the U.S. as having a bit more risk to it. ... Whereas the north of England has Super League, and that's something that will be very strong in their minds. The flip side of it is the opportunity for the growth of the game -- the new fans, the new athletes -- is bigger in the United States than it is in England. ... We're putting our best foot forward to try and get the people making those decisions to take that leap of faith and say, 'Well, if we don't go now, we may never go.' ... I'd like to think that if they can think about the growth and the development of the game commercially, structurally, and from a fan, player/athlete standpoint, I don't think they're going to get a better opportunity than this."

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