Eagles look to awaken 'sleeping giant'

Vision: Peter Thorburn says USA rugby has eight years to hit the big time

SAINT-ETIENNE, 25 September - USA coach Peter Thorburn hopes the IRB Rugby World Cup will help catapult the sport into the mainstream. 
 
"It has always been the sleeping giant," he said.  "I believe that it will reach its potential in the next four or five years, and in eight will be part of the tier one (the best 10 teams in the world)." 

Thorburn believes there is a place for rugby alongside the top sports of basketball, American football, ice hockey and baseball. 

"They (the American public) love physicality in their sports, lots of action, and rugby is also a multi-skill game. I know that if they see it for the first time, they will like it."
 
Developing a talent pool

Thorburn is aware boosting the profile of rugby is no easy task. He stressed the need to develop professional rugby and early athlete development programmes, increasing the pool of talent.

"If you don't have the right materials, you can't build a house. It is the same with rugby," he said. 

"We have to create a professional league in the country so young players will start playing.

"We can't be in the rugby world cup with only five professional players and face teams like Tonga, that has 18 professionals out of the 22 that played against us."

Televising matches

Having more televised rugby is the key to pushing it into the realm of mainstream sports, Thorburn said.

"More people means more money and sponsors. Money is the oil that makes the wheel of world rugby work," he said.

The USA is also a specific market, addicted to success in their sporting teams. "No one likes a team that loses. The Americans like winners," he said.

The chance for USA rugby to grow won't last forever, with Thorburn believing his current eight-year vision is crucial. In other words, the chance must be grasped now.

"If not it will definitely fall asleep and it won't have a future," he said.

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