Craig Dowd
Rough ride for Tigers sad for United States rugby
Craig Dowd
June 10, 2015

United States rugby is missing out with the cancellation of the Independence Cup fixture between Leicester Tigers and the Rough Riders in Philadelphia; it is a real shame - sad - the game is not going to go ahead.

Speaking to players and having been involved with getting the likes of Ali Williams and other internationals to play for the Rough Riders, the players were really desperately keen to play this game. They are just fascinated with what America can offer, but they feel they have had the wind knocked out of their sails now that it won't happen.

They're really disappointed because coaching clinics had been set up to help players throughout the week preceding the game, and the Tigers and the international stars wanted to showcase the game and put something on for the people of America - and do it in an evenly matched game. The All Blacks went to Chicago to play the Eagles last year, and full credit to them for doing so, but that wasn't an even match-up and sport in anyone's language is about the contest; that is what people go along to watch.

So far as the Hemisphere Cup match between Saracens and the Crusaders is concerned, RugbyLaw - the organiser of the fixture, and the operator of the National Rugby Football League that had arranged the Tigers-Rough Riders game - had lots of communication with USA Rugby, and chief executive Nigel Melville has been involved in all that conversation, so we're really hopeful that game will go ahead.

The game was put together six months ago so we couldn't know the Super Rugby and European Champions Cup winners, but the Crusaders are the southern hemisphere's most successful franchise and Saracens are the reigning Aviva Premiership champions. The two teams will come together and play a game that is a starting point for what will hopefully become something of a legacy. The two champion teams from each hemisphere that desperately want to play each other to take bragging rights and the spoils; wouldn't it be great to see? The Hemisphere Cup also offers the chance to start a cross-over global season.

For those who ask why RugbyLaw is doing this, it is purely a line in the sand to start something, somewhere, with the intention of turning it into something very, very big with the help of USA Rugby. And you have to acknowledge the role played by RugbyLaw because they are determined to make it all happen.


ESPN columnist Craig Dowd is Director Southern Hemisphere for RugbyLaw, the organiser of the Hemisphere Cup match between the Crusaders and Saracens, and the operator of the National Rugby Football League in North America.

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