Written by Ray Vann, July 9, 2016, at 3:37 p.m.
When Americans settle down for the night and flip on ESPN, it is very rare for them to be looking for a story about rugby. But just last year the nation’s first professional league was established and has since been struggling to find its footing in a fight for fan loyalty.
With only five teams, the league seems to be facing an uphill battle, but the addition of Denver and Ohio to the list means that the sport has a real chance at becoming more than just a regional sensation.
The Professional Rugby Organization, better known as PRO Rugby, began with three teams in California, but the recent growth shows real hopes of an expansion east and hopefully throughout the entire country.
PRO Rugby in Ohio Shows Signs of Growth
The Ohio Aviators, playing out of Obetz Memorial Park in suburban Columbus, have been putting in some real effort to build up a fan base, and even hold plans to move to a bigger stadium next year.
Among the activities undertaken by the Aviators has been a trip to the Ronald McDonald House, where the athletes handed out toys, whipped up food, and interacted with the children and their families there. Through good deeds and other, more personal interactions with fans and the community, the Aviators have been doing a great job of getting their name out there, even without anything solid in terms of an advertising budget.
PRO Rugby hasn’t spent much of anything on advertising for its events, instead trying to get a feel for what kind of natural fan base might be available for its teams, and so far it has been drawing in crowds from some distance to attend.
The Aviators’ assistant coach Pete Holmes said that his team has been seeing fans from Cleveland, Cincinatti, and Dayton all making the journey across the state to get a glimpse of their team on the field.
“There’s probably 80 percent of them who have a rugby background, but the other 20 percent don’t know what’s going on,” wing Spike Davis told the Columbus Dispatch. “But part of the rugby culture, especially from the fans, what I’ve heard is they’ve taken those people in and explained things to them, and they’ve enjoyed the experience. They’re learning.”
The Future of PRO Rugby
The League hopes to expand to 10 teams by next year, but the question of whether or not the fans will be there is one that continues to nag. “Obviously, this was the great unknown,” Aviators coach Paul Barford said. “Everybody who’s been here to watch us play has been pretty complimentary. They’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and seemed to bring another person with them next week, which is great.”
With any luck, the expansion will continue as planned and can hopefully grow into something that most people will want to watch when they turn on their TVs.
As Spike Davis explained, “It’s kind of a little fire right now, but I think it’s eventually going to consume a large group of people, and it’s going to be special.”