The Professional Rugby Organization, or PRO Rugby as they’ve called themselves, is the first professional rugby union league to be set up in North America in almost a century.
Announced last November, the league has adjusted the standard rules of rugby slightly in order to appeal to a US audience who, presumably, may find some of the current World Rugby standards to be unappealing.
For instance each team will have a limited number of scrum resets and sudden death overtime will be instigated in the event of a draw because, well, most American sports don’t allow for ties.
Though the five-team league has been in operation since April, the team names (as voted by the public) have just been revealed – and they’re about as American as you can imagine.
Each team name is representative of the history of the city or state that the team is from. San Francisco Rush is named after the gold rush of the mid-1800's for example, while the Aviators are a nod towards the Wright Brothers who hailed from Ohio.
USA PRO Rugby boasts among its ranks some famous, if slightly past it, names from the rugby world. Former All Black Mils Muliaina now plies his trade in San Francisco Rush and Italian legend Mirco Bergamasco now pulls on a Sacramento Express jersey each weekend. There are some recognisable names among the various coaching staffs too, with former IRFU fitness coach Ray Egan in charge of the San Diego Breakers and Irishman Sean O’Leary, an experienced collegiate rugby coach, serving as head coach of the Denver Stampede.
It is hoped that the formation of this league will provide a much-needed fill-up to USA Rugby who – don’t forget – boast Connacht fly-half A.J. MacGinty and the Toulon behemoth Samu Manoa in their continually improving national team.
