In the News As a part of the overall development plan for Rugby League in the USA, the AMNRL are about to unveil the Western American National Rugby League (WAMNRL).
That's right!
Rugby League running, tackling and scrumming in Utah, Arizona, Hawaii and soon to be developed in Califonia!
Flash Harry has the scoop and thought it would be more than generous of me to brief all my fans on some inside mail prior to the big announcement.
Heading up the team is Sione Mokofisi in Utah, along with US Internationals Loren Broussard in Arizona and Mike Evergin in Hawaii. Sione brings to the organization many years or administrative and management expertise. Along with being a skillful match referee, Sione is also a leading light in the development and structuring of the Utah Rugby Union. Beyond his ability to bring together the Rugby community in Utah, Flash Harry hears that Sione has more relatives and connections in the Polynesian community than Don Ho! Mike Evergin has been serving the US Armed Forces wholeheartedly for many years now in the Pacific and fortunately not so much as a coconut has been tossed in anger down there since Pearl Harbor allowing Mike to lend his energies to preparing players for College Football, local Rugby Union and the XFL. Mike's passion for Rugby League led him to reacquaint himself with the old team of Rugby League developers in the USA and his plan to develop the sport in Hawaii has found willing ears at the AMNRL.
Flash Harry knows that many NRL Club Teams in Australia will be treking to the island this year and the opportunity to tap into their presence will be mutually beneficial.
Flash Harry can picture it now....the World Nines in Waikiki! Sounds more attractive then the World Nines in Widnes!!! Loren Broussard has been finishing off movements on the end of the US National team backline for many years now and Flash Harry is excited to announce the commitment of Loren to establish a movement of his own in Arizona.
In consultation with Sione,the WAMNRL and the AMNRL, Loren plans to bring the game to Pheonix and Tempe and expand from those bases. It's exciting news and the wealth of talent in Arizona means that the heat will be on to crown the king of Rugby League in the US this summer. It gets hot in Flash Harry's house on the east coast in Summer, but out there it's a diffferent kind of heat....right?
The whisper on the street is the players from the WANRL are itching to get a crack at the National Team. That should translate to good news for the National Squad and positions on the team may be at a premium. Flash Harry hears that a meeting between the Western League officials over Easter was successful. So much so that teams from Utah and Arizona will be playing this Summer and coaching clinics and a developmental competition establsihed in Hawaii also. At the end of the Western Conference Competition the two top teams from the West wil be heading to the East Coast to play off for the National Championship against the beasts from the east this August crowning a National Champion. EMAIL: AZRUGBYLEAGUE@YAHOO.COM |
