Staying up past bedtime last night, it was interesting to see league getting a mention during the New York Giant’s shock 17-14 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII as BBC pundit Mike Carlson compared one of the biggest sporting events on earth to the greatest game.
Of course, Carlson was trying to give British viewers a good comparison between the games but the mere fact he knew what league was is a positive sign. Given the BBC’s amateurish coverage of the sport over the past decade and the fact they once compared the sport to Shinty (me neither) it is unlikely that they will have been in a position to tell him much about the game before going on air.
Not that this is a sign that league is conquering the globe but for what is essentially still regarded as a regional sport by the national press and the BBC, to have any mention is testament to the ongoing growth of the sport. The USA in particular is a key demographic, mainly because of the similarities between league and American football and of course the valuable pull of Russell Crowe.
And after Crowe’s South Sydney - Leeds match-up in Florida two weeks ago, that game has been receiving coverage as far afield as Malaysia and South Africa as well as significant coverage across the state of Florida. Perhaps the next step is to increase coverage of Super League and the NRL in the States, to get a broadcaster signed up. Echoing a point already made, celebrities and publicity are all well and good, but the rugby league community needs to push the sport more in the US and more support for organisations like the American National Rugby League (AMNRL) would be a great start.
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