International stars in US RL launch

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Above: Kiwi star Stacey Jones - set to be involved in the launch of professional Rugby League in the United States.

By STEVE MASCORD

Stacey Jones and Daniel Wagon will be among the stars invited to the official launch of professional rugby league in the United States on Independence Day weekend this July, it has been announced.

AMNRL chief executive David Niu has revealed to rugbyleague.com that while a full-scale pro league will not start until 2011, July 4 will see a high profile lauch of the concept in conjunction with a US Tomahawks international.

"We probably won't see the week-to-week league start up until early next year but we will definitely have events which will ensure professional rugby league is launched this year," Niu said.

"We'll have a Tomahawks international and other events over a weekend which will introduce the public to our organisation and announce our intentions to everyone.
"The date we are looking at is the fourth of July."

No city has yet been decided upon for the gala launch.  Niu said many of the players and coaches who had been lined up for the new competition would be invited to the US. He had already named former Golden Boot winner Jones as one recruit.

"Some of the other players would not like me using their names but (former Australia international) Daniel Wagon is another, he is happy to be named," Niu said.

"These are people whose commitments elsewhere are finished and are available to come. It will be their initiation to what we are doing."

Niu did not want to discuss what role the players would take, what the "other events" consisted of or who the US would play in the international. "I don't want to give too much away," he told rugbyleague.com.

Niu had hoped to launch an eight team competition, played over six weeks and featuring up to 40 overseas players, in late May. Each round of matches was to be played at the same stadium over the same weekend, moving from city to city.  That will now happen in early 2011, he said.

"I know for a fact we have a model that is sustainable and which will have an enormous benefit for rugby league worldwide," he said.