The Professional Rugby Organization , known as PRO Rugby , was an American professional rugby union competition. PRO began play in April 2016 with five teams and ceased operations by January 2017. The competition was sanctioned by USA Rugby and by World Rugby . This was the first professional rugby competition in North America .
36-458: For several years prior to PRO Rugby's launch in 2016, a number of entities had explored a professional competition for fifteen-a-side rugby. The Rugby Super League , a national competition that began play in 1997, was discussed as potentially becoming a professional competition,, but the RSL struggled financially, with several teams exiting the competition from 2009 to 2012 before the league folded after
72-808: A claim in court, went to the New York state labor board, and also filed a grievance with USA Rugby. The league had announced its intention to expand in 2017. Expansion was expected to include teams in the northeast United States. PRO Rugby stated that the 2017 competition format planned to include eight teams split into a west coast conference and a midwest/east conference. Expansion had been anticipated to include Canada in 2017, with PRO Rugby close to agreeing to place teams in Toronto and Vancouver. Rugby Canada announced on November 2, 2016, that an agreement with PRO for sanctioning in Canada for 2017 could not be reached, with
108-646: A crowd of 3,400 in Sacramento. The inaugural PRO Rugby Championship was decided in the last game of the season on July 31, 2016, with the Denver Stampede clinching the title by gaining a bonus point despite losing away to the Ohio Aviators 32–25. During the offseason, Director of Rugby Steve Lewis left PRO Rugby, with no replacement named. It was later reported that Lewis claimed PRO Rugby and Schoninger owed him unpaid salary and expenses; Lewis filed
144-549: A framework for the competition. USA Rugby affirmed that it sanctioned and supported the PRO Rugby competition. PRO Rugby announced its first team, Sacramento, on November 18, 2015. PRO Rugby announced its second team, San Francisco, on November 19, 2015. Though teams were scheduled to have coaches by the end of 2015, the uncertainty caused by the open position for head coach of the U.S. national rugby team led to PRO Rugby announcements being put on hold. As of mid-January 2016, with
180-539: A match. There was no post-season with the Championship decided on league table points. The season ran from April to July with the teams having a lighter schedule during the June international test window , a time when teams lost players to the U.S. national team. The league began play in 2016 with five U.S. based teams. The competition operated in a single-entity structure with all teams, at least initially, owned by
216-590: A non-cap game, before touring New Zealand and being swept 3-0 in the series. This was Ireland and New Zealand's first ever three-test series, and the first longer tour hosted there since the Lions' visit in 2005. Argentina hosted France, drawing a two-test series 1-1, and Italy, who they defeated in a single test. Italy also played tests against the USA and Canada, winning both. The new calendar also provided expanded opportunities for "Tier 2" nations. Georgia visited Canada and
252-460: A return of some traditional tours by European teams, in which a team plays multiple tests against a southern hemisphere side, often with mid-week matches against provincial or regional sides. England and Wales beat the Barbarians, with only Wales awarding caps, before touring South Africa and Australia respectively. South Africa hosted England for three tests, the first extended tour there since
288-631: A two-test series 1-1. Notes: This was the first time since 1973, and only the second in the past 50 years, that none of the Home nations, or the British & Irish Lions, toured the southern hemisphere in the summer. Instead, there were warm-up matches ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand . In 2012 the IRB formalised a global rugby calendar, which will run until 2019. The calendar includes
324-642: The Maori All Blacks in Suva . Kenya hosted test matches against Portugal and Spain . A two test-series was also played with Russia touring to Namibia . Because of the 2019 Rugby World Cup , no test series took place between the Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and Argentina). However, Uruguay did opt to play
360-692: The Potomac Athletic Club RFC , Golden Gate Rugby Club and Washington RFC . Aspen won the first championship, defeating Old Blue 22 points to eight in the final which was played in San Diego. The league expanded in 1998, with two more sides gaining entry into the competition, Boston RFC and Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC . Both teams joined the eastern conference and Harlequins move to the Western conference. This expansion saw two fifteen-team conferences. In 2001 USA rugby recognized
396-656: The Super League or RSL , was a national rugby union competition which ran from 1997 to 2012, contested by nine clubs in the United States by its last year. In the 2013 season, it was replaced by the USA Rugby Elite Cup . USA Rugby , the sport's national governing body sanctioned the Super League competition. It was the premier level of rugby union in the country until its reformation into
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#1732786936541432-531: The "East and West divisions" in favor of a national competition. The format reverted to the division-associated fixtures in 2005. Super League celebrated a decade of competition in 2006, with OMBAC defeating Belmont Shore 36–33 in the final in Santa Clara, California . Following the 2006 season Rugby Super League would be expand from 15 teams to 18 for the 2007 season. Santa Monica Rugby and Charlotte Rugby Club accepted invitations to join Super League, as did
468-475: The 11 teams competing were divided into two conferences, Red and Blue. The league's 2012 season and final season saw 9 teams, again divided into Red and Blue conferences. Following the 2012 season most of the remaining Super League teams entered the USA Rugby Elite Cup competition. Rugby Super League formed at a time when there was a need for expansion of the highest level of competitive rugby in
504-664: The 2006 Divisions I and III runner-ups Boston Irish Wolfhounds . In 2008 the Chicago Griffins joined RSL, replacing the Kansas City Blues, who self-relegated to the USA Rugby Division I men's club competition. In the 2008 season ESPN Classic showed a live broadcast of the RSL final between NYAC and Belmont Shore. It was a hard-fought match with NYAC winning 31–28 in sudden death . The league contracted and featured 16 teams in two conferences in
540-605: The 2009 season. The Philadelphia Whitemarsh, Washington RFC, and the St. Louis Bombers did not return to the competition, while Life University returned after a six-season absence. In part due to the Great Recession , longtime RSL powers Belmont Shore decided to only compete in Southern California's Division I competition for the 2010 season. In response to this, Santa Monica also decided to self-relegate, dropping
576-716: The 2012 season. In 2012, the American Professional Rugby Competition was reported to be exploring a launch of a ten-team league for 2015, but nothing came of it. The National Rugby Football League also announced its intention to begin a professional rugby competition and scheduled the Independence Cup, but the venture never got off the ground. In early November 2015, PRO Rugby launched its Facebook page and scheduled an announcement for November 9, 2015. On November 9, 2015, PRO Rugby made an official announcement outlining its plans and
612-491: The 2012 season. With the exit of several teams over a number of years, the 2012 season was the last season for the Rugby Super League. With eight teams remaining in two divisions, the RSL was relaunched as the USA Rugby Elite Cup for the 2013 season. The Elite Cup ran for just one season before folding at the end of 2013. References: Mid-year rugby union internationals For
648-519: The Elite Cup. RSL was developed in 1996 due to the increased demand for greater visibility and a higher competitive structure for rugby union in the United States. The management structures of the 14 best rugby organizations in the United States, created RSL and regular competition started in 1997. In 2007 and 2008 the total number of competing RSL clubs peaked at 18. In the 2011 season ,
684-472: The Lions' 1997 tour, and won the series 2-0, with one draw. Australia hosted Wales, playing their first three-test home series since the visit of the Lions in 2001, and winning 3-0. Australia had already lost a home test to Scotland, who also beat Fiji and Samoa in single tests. Scotland's visit to the Pacific islands was the first tour there by a tier 1 nation since 2006. Ireland lost to the Barbarians, also
720-461: The Lions; Wales won one test each against the USA and Canada, while Japan were defeated 2–0 by Ireland. Japan had previously visited Uruguay and Argentina, losing one test to each. Australia won home tests against Samoa, Italy and France. Australia then played South Africa twice, home and away, with the home team winning each time. South Africa hosted a two-test series against France, winning 1-0 with one match drawn. Italy also toured Argentina, drawing
756-415: The U.S. head coach in place but no further developments from Pro Rugby, the league then offered the explanation that negotiating venues was what was holding up coach and player announcements but that three venues were close to agreement. On January 22, 2016, PRO Rugby announced San Diego as the league's third team, and media sources started speculating that the league may have only five teams in 2016 instead of
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#1732786936541792-791: The USA, losing one-off test matches to both. After their Pacific Nations Cup games, Japan played two home matches against the French Barbarians, losing both. Notes: Note: Because of the 2015 Rugby World Cup , no test series took place between the Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and the SANZAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia). However, England , Ireland , Uruguay , Argentina , and South Africa did opt to play uncapped matches to assist their World Cup preparations. Some Test matches were still played. Samoa hosted New Zealand in Apia , and Fiji hosted
828-487: The competition as the premier club rugby union competition in the United States, distinguishing it from USA Rugby Division 1 . In 2002, the league expanded again, with the inclusion of New York Athletic Club via promotion from Division and Olympic Club RFC , who gained entry through a merger with the Old Blues Rugby Club (CA). The 2002 season saw major changes to the competition, with the dissolution of
864-455: The competition earned up to $ 70,000. The following foreign PRO Rugby players have earned caps for a Tier One nation: PRO Rugby also signed several US-capped internationals who had been playing professionally overseas: Matches were available to stream through prorugby.org or on cable through ONE World Sports . Initially, selected matches were available free to all online through AOL.com, but this came to an abrupt and unexplained end. Through
900-982: The country. The 1997 season was the inaugural season with 14 teams competing into two seven-team divisions, the Western-Pacific Conference and the Midwestern-East Conference. The original competing sides in the 1997 season were as follows: Belmont Shore RFC , the Chicago Lions , the Dallas Harlequins , the Denver Barbarians , the Gentlemen of Aspen , the Kansas City Blues , Life , Old Blue , Old Blues Rugby Club (CA), Old Puget Sound Beach RFC , Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC ,
936-489: The end of 2017, neither Schoninger or any representative for PRO Rugby had shown up in any of the court cases in regards to the expenses owed to former director Lewis and others from the operation on the lone Pro Rugby season. Each team played 12 regular-season games over 16 weeks: six home matches and six away. Teams were awarded 4 points for a win, and 2 points for a draw. Teams were also awarded 1 point if they lost by 7 points or fewer, as well as for scoring 4 or more tries in
972-653: The end of the domestic rugby season for northern hemisphere countries. In 2008, the International Rugby Board (IRB) introduced a three-weekend window in June during which players are required to be released by their clubs for international matches. From 2020 due to changes to the World Rugby international calendar, the window will be moved to July. Australia hosted a tour by Scotland and won 2-0, while New Zealand won their home series against England by
1008-461: The league made its first official announcement regarding player signings when it announced that Italian international Mirco Bergamasco would be joining the Sacramento team. Teams started convening their players in mid-March 2016 to begin training. The competition began play on April 17, 2016. The first weekend of PRO Rugby saw Denver win at home against Ohio 16–13 before 2,300 fans despite a snowstorm, and Sacramento defeated San Francisco 37–25 before
1044-452: The league's official website, all matches were streamed free to all viewers. ONE World Sports was offered by multiple cable and satellite providers and covered a range of sports, most notably a large selection of soccer, prior to its liquidation. The league signed a deal with Time Warner Cable to provide streaming of games from Ohio on April 28, 2016. Rugby Super League (United States) The USA Rugby Super League , usually known as
1080-404: The league, itself; individual investors own an interest in the competition but did not own individual teams. Each team had a roster limit of 30 players, five of whom could have been foreign players. All player contracts were held by the league, not by the individual teams. Players earned salaries, on average, of around $ 25,000, with national team players making closer to $ 40,000. The top players in
1116-498: The local media. All PRO Rugby players then received notice on December 20, 2016, that their contracts would be terminated in 30 days if progress was not made towards resolving disputes between the league and USA Rugby. As of 2018, numerous players still report not to have been paid the salaries specified in their contracts with PRO Rugby. To recover some of their lost income, some players filed claims with their local labor commissioner offices. No other official announcements were made. By
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1152-429: The most recent mid-year window go to 2024 mid-year rugby union tests The July Tests , also known as the summer Tests or mid-year Tests , are international rugby union matches played around the month of July each year. They include traditional summer tours by European nations to countries in the southern hemisphere, North America or Japan, as well as shorter international trips and one-off test matches. They follow
1188-718: The number of RSL teams to 14. To rebalance the conferences, Dallas was shifted to the Red (West) Conference. In August 2010 the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, and Charlotte RFC also relegated themselves. In the fall of 2011, PAC Rugby withdrew from the competition and the Utah Warriors, based in Salt Lake City, entered the competition. The Chicago Lions and Utah Warriors withdrew prior to the 2012 season. The Chicago Griffins announced their withdrawal following
1224-464: The planned six teams. PRO Rugby announced on February 9, 2016 that the league's fourth team would be based in Columbus, Ohio . PRO Rugby officially announced on February 26, 2016 that Denver would be the competition's fifth team. The league had planned to hold a player draft in early 2016, and the league reportedly had begun extending contract offers to select players by mid-February. In early March,
1260-540: The primary reason being their disagreement with an exclusivity clause that would have prevented Rugby Canada from sanctioning other professional rugby clubs in Canada in the future. In turn, PRO Rugby announced that it would no longer contract Canadian players. The league folded the San Francisco Rush in December 2016. Schoninger blamed the folding on the lack of a suitable venue, and on lack of support from
1296-584: The same score. Ireland made a tour of South Africa, losing their 2-0. The Pacific Islanders (made up of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa players) played Australia, New Zealand and South Africa once each, losing all 3 matches. Wales toured Argentina, drawing 1-1. France visited the US and Canada, playing one test against each, and winning both. 2005 saw the British & Irish Lions undertake their first tour of New Zealand since 1993. New Zealand comprehensively won 3-0. Ireland and Wales toured with teams weakened by players representing
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