Expansion, Gain in Popularity and Grass Roots Development
Although the 'heartland' of rugby league is the north east coast, the AMNRL is quickly expanding to other areas of the eastern coast, as well as this, efforts are being made to set up a west coast competition.
In 2006, a new team joined the AMNRL from Boston, which played an exhibition match in 2005. Teams from New Haven (Connecticut) and Jacksonville (Florida) also joined the 2006 competition. A Chicago team is also going through various stages of development with possible inclusion in the AMNRL in the future.
Florida has hosted rugby league games in the past, the state was the host to 1999 North Pacific Qualification Tournament, where the USA beat both Japan and Canada to meet Lebanon for the right to play in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Orlando's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosted the Tomahawks's test against England, for the latter's 2000 World Cup warm up game. It ended 110-0 to the away team. In 2001, Florida was also host to the Sunshine State Challenge, where the United States competed against the Huddersfield Giants, Halifax and the Leeds Rhinos, the miniature tournament drew a crowd of 6,700.
In 2005, an exhibition match was played in Phoenix, Arizona to help promote rugby league outside the heartland. Plans are underway to start a west coast competition called the WAMNRL, it has announced kickoff date of Summer 2011 with teams from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Denver, as well as Vancouver, Canada.
In November 2010 the USA announced a strategic plan to grow the sport in the country with grass roots development, expansion and world cup qualification in sight.
Read more about this topic: Rugby League In The United States
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