‘Rugby is growing’: Old Glory DC owners bullish as MLR hits year eight | Rugby union

toIke the rest of Washington, the Rugabi field At the National Trade Center She was covered with snow this week. But Old Glory DC was safely at home, preparing for the return of the main league of Rajabi, which is the Professional Rugby Union competition in the United States, which starts in the eighth year this week.

Paul Shehi said, “It is about 73 degrees at home,” the “Sports, Wellness and Entertainment Complex” in Springfield, Virginia, where the old train glory, Paul Shehi said, laughing.

Chris Dnafafi, the owner of his old glory, laughed, Chris Dnafafi, when he was asked if he was jealous of RFC Los Angeles, MLR’s competitors who spent some Presseason in Fiji, where they pushed to Drua of Super Rugby before Descending 33-26.

The short version is that it is not surprising that the atmosphere is cold in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and in the northeast, where Champion Defense New England free cranes Play, but things will appear as soon as Glory Old Glory start the season in Florida on Saturday, against Miami Sharks.

The league is lighter for one team, and Dallas Gab withdrew.

“We have 11 teams today, I think it is in all fields Program Management Company And Club Rugby Life, who participated in an old grandfather with Sheehy (Raed Automatic saleOnce the American Eagles Wing) since the first day In 2020.

“When I met Paul I and Buld Diane Hazi, the commissioner at the time, one of the things that he told us was that MLR was mainly designed on the organization plan and the work plan that the main football followed for 20 years. It proved to be a successful formula in terms of new league In the United States.

“Tell us,” some clubs will lose all the way. You should expect that there will be some shaking between those clubs that develop always support for ownership and others as they are only in wrong business or appropriate conditions that you do not follow to keep them working. You will lose some teams.

“This does not mean that this represents a threat to the total work plan for the league, especially if your medium ownership group has become stronger, deeper, more professional and more business over time, which I think has happened to us.”

It was the first year 2018. I took seven field teams. Five are still playing, in San Diego, Houston, Utah, New Orleans and Seattle (heroes in 2018 and 2019). But the founding teams in Glendel, Colorado, Austin, Texas, disappeared as well 2021In 2022) and New York (heroes in 2022In 2023.) Toronto also came out in 2023, while Atlanta moved west, to become RFCLA.

A A new television deal with ESPN – “I don’t think I heard a lot of journalism, texts and communications about the league.” – Sheei said: “With our approach [Old Glory’s] Season 6, we will go to Miami. You have a feeling when you travel to these stadiums from the progress made by the league. You can see the fans’ base that grows. Last year, Miami was a new team, and they had a great group. I did not visit Seattle. I visited them last year, and it was an enormous game. The free match game that we lost, put an excellent offer [in Quincy, Massachusetts]. The base of their fans really turns out.

“So everywhere you go in this league, you see growth, see excitement, and see entertainment. Rugby grows.”

This seems to be the case in the DMV-Colombia County, Maryland and Virginia-where the novice rugby game flourishes and high school and college school treatment programs range from periods to competitors in the perennial national championship, in the case of Gonzaga, children. “High school in the capital.

Sitting at the top of all of this, mlr is fast and crude. There are many coaches and foreign players, from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pacific Islands, UK, Europe, Argentina and Uruguay as well. The argument wanders around the number of Americans who must play, given the urgent need to improve the national team for men before the American World Cup in 2031.

Shihi and Dunlavi cooperated with the Scottish Rugby Union. This year, they have a Scottish coach, Simon Cross; Scotland lock, Rob Harley, as a leader; Scotland was crowned the back in Damian Hayland. They have signed Stefan Hughes, an experienced center of Dragons in Wales, but the owners say these imports should help develop local players.

“I think it was our third year when we met with Paul and we decided that we will adhere to what MLR, the development of American talents, to support the performance of our international team and in a wider interest in developing the game and developing interest and loyalty among supporters. We really wanted to be the organization The leading MLR in the development of local talents.

“This includes very literally local people, who grew up in our area here and went to Gonzaga, and learned the rugby game there and played in clubs like Maryland Enfiles and perhaps through the College One program, but he returned to DMV and played for the old glory. Then there are others Whether they are born elsewhere, but they are eligible, or people can be qualified for the family or the time they spend in the country.

It was parked in an appropriate American-sliced-mureal-Chehi-Cheyan spot by operating his camera. He pointed out that 23 of the 39 old glory team, qualified for the United States, said: “The strong American eagles team is definitely important to us. We are linked to the performance of the American national team with the development of the path, as we did with Corrie Daniel and Jack Escaro.”

Daniel is the background formula, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and it is a transformation from the college wrestling. ISCARO, which is a pillar, was also in Olni, also in Maryland, and played the rugby game in Gonzaga. Last Friday, it spread in a packed Runbi game for young people in Washington Collection of donations in the eastern market, near the American Capitol, spoke to an enthusiastic audience and pretending to be patience to take selfies.

“It is really good example,” she said. “Jack coach in Gonzaga, which is really important to us. We are not satisfied with any means of the number of American players who have, and it is definitely something that has been challenged. But Chris addressed the team on this topic: International talent is here to raise the level of American play. This is our faith. This is not all MLR team, but this is definitely an old glory.

Dunlavey and Sheehy have spoken positively about their relationship with Scott Lawrence, the coach who led the United States to 2024, before this year’s schedule will determine whether the Eagles returned to the World Cup in Australia in 2027, after France lost the last time. It was also commemorated by And & RC, a joint venture between MLR, USa Rugby and World Rugby, who last year installed a team of American youth in Charlotte, North Carolina. I organized in a short notice, Anthem lost all 16 games. There is a precedent for that, and to improve again.

In 2020, Old Glory won four of five games and then witnessed his first season, which was killed by Covid. The qualifiers were missed in 2021 and 2022, then they made the eastern final in 2023 and removed last year, every time New England was exposed.

andInding is a suitable stadium that represents a permanent challenge in MLR, but this season will be the second Old Glory in Marcellex in Maryland, Germartown, outside the capital but was beautifully appointed, and 5000 sit on the wonderful play surface.

“Some of the referees refer to it as Augusta for the two main league men, because of the extent of the alternatives of the grass.” Dunlavey referred to the benefit of the players: “It has become widely seen all over our Dorina as one of the best, if not the best playground for the players, and we think this is starting to appear in the statistics of the injury as well. It is better for the health of our players.”

A short version: A lot of MLR is run on the artificial grass, and sometimes for the players Voice discomfort. Again: This is the border rugby game. On the front of the injury, ever a source of anxiety for Rajabi, Old Glory also explores technological boundaries through partnership with BrainscopeAnd it is a medical device “objectively resides patients with head of the head of brain bleeding and concussion at the care point.”

In the field, MLR is not strange to change the laws to accelerate the game. This year brings a variety of roads to reduce the number of Scrums. Basically, Scrums will not be used as a way to restart toys, except after the front or jumping. a fan Feelings “Why don’t you only play the Rugby League” ranged into serious questions about how the United States can develop the five fronts you need on the world stage if Scrums and their sacred care are limited in the league competition.

In response to a question where the change came from, Shehi and Dunlavi answered a diplomat: the competition committee, which they do not sit on. In any case, the rules are the rules and a looming pride on the horizon.

“The coaches know their formula that they want to implement,” Dunlavey said. “I am very excited about the place we will go to.”

Sheei agreed: [development side] Glory Young, work with many of our players, we are in a place much better. “