The great American dream: How the Roosters are investing in US growth
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The Sydney Roosters are backing the growth of the game in the United States, with the establishment of a development academy, an LA Roosters team and a raft of sponsorship deals.
The Roosters, who were one of four clubs to open the season in Las Vegas, have signed the first North American NRLW player, Liz Tafuna, while pan66.combine winner Michael Woolridge will join the club on a training contract.
The Bondi-based will be the USARL game development partner for the next three years and hope to make an impact on the game in the United States through a series of initiatives, including:
- establishing the Roosters West Coast Rugby League Academy;
- sponsoring the USA Hawks men's and women's teams;
- sponsoring the first Junior Hawks team competing in July's U19s European Championships in Serbia;
- sponsoring match officials in the domestic USARL competition, and;
- becoming the ball sponsor in 2025 for the USARL competition.
"We are extremely excited to partner with USA Rugby League,” said Roosters CEO Joe Kelly, who recently joined the USARL board.
“This landmark agreement presents a unique opportunity to expand the reach of rugby league and share our expertise in game development with a passionate and growing rugby community in the United States.
“We believe this partnership will have a significant impact on the growth of the sport internationally and we are incredibly optimistic as to the opportunities that exist to unearth future rugby league talent in the US.”
The Roosters in Vegas: Episode 3 - Welcome to LA
The Roosters will also enter a team in the Pacific Coast Rugby League conference as the Los Angeles Roosters for the 2025 season.
The move follows the rebranding of Boston XIII as the Boston Bears as part of a deal with North Sydney Bears, but the Roosters investment in the United States is far more extensive.
The LA Roosters will be based in Orange County, between Newport and Long Beach, and coached and managed by an LA local, Emiliano Nash, who has permitted the Roosters to rebrand the LA Bandidos team he founded in 2023.
“In keeping with the League of Roosters (LOR) that our Chairman Nick Politis established, the LA Roosters will become the 26th club to join the LOR, with five of these being based outside of Australia,” Kelly said.
“Through the Roosters’ involvement in the Pacific Coast conference, our vision is to see many more people take up the game of rugby league, and what drew us to Emiliano is he is specifically focused on supporting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to try our great game.
“Along with our Roosters West Coast Academy, we will be supporting the coaches and players with equipment, facilities and skill-based development programs.”
Tafuna, who has played Rugby 7s for the USA, arrived last month to join the Roosters NRLW squad, while Woolridge has been offered a training contract.
Woolridge, a former defensive back with Saginaw Valley State University, was one of four athletes - two male and two female - chosen from the NRL talent combine in Las Vegas to spend time with NRL clubs.
He impressed at the combine, with a 2.7sec 20m sprint, bench pressing 125kg three times and clocking 4m50s in the 1.2km bronco endurance test.
Michael Woolridge reflects on his combine experience
Kelly said that on the back of the NRL’s long term commitment to Las Vegas, the Roosters were optimistic about the opportunities to unearth future rugby league talent in the US.
“The numbers are staggering, there are one million college football players. This leaves thousands and thousands of extremely talented athletes that are looking for an alternative once they finish college," Kelly said.
“We are taking a long-term view, but we are confident that we will see US athletes make their way to Australia eventually and play in the NRL and NRLW with the Sydney Roosters.
"Rugby league participation in the US is currently very low and is under resourced, and all competitions are amateur and community based, but with a new USARL board that is passionate and focussed on growing the game exponentially, it is a great time for the Roosters to get involved.
“In turn, as participation numbers grow in the US domestic market, this will support the local interest in NRL Las Vegas.
"It truly is an untapped market, and we are excited to see how rugby league will evolve in the United States."
According to US participation data, only 6.8% of male athletes and 9.5% of female athletes transition from high school to NCAA college programs. Just 3.06% of men and 0.8% of women reach professional sports.
USARL chair Matt Goschnick said the partnership with the Roosters offered those other athletes a chance to pursue their dreams of becoming professional athletes.
pan66.combine: Athletes put to the test
“Our goal is to see players from this program secure NRL contracts in the coming years,” Goschnick said.
“As a board, we are committed to continually seeking opportunities to support the growth of the game and recognising the efforts of our volunteers.
“This partnership with the Roosters exemplifies our dedication to creating further opportunities for all involved in rugby league in the US.”
PCRL president Ady Cooney said: “This announcement marks a new beginning for Rugby League in the US and especially on the West Coast.
"We're excited to see how the Roosters can boost the game's visibility, develop local talent, and create pathways into the NRL and NRLW.”
Roosters West Coast Academy
The academy’s goal is to identify and develop talented youth rugby league players and provide elite coaching and training programs for young men and women across the US, with a base on the West Coast.
Camps will be held several times throughout the year, with Roosters coaching staff attending to support the local Academy staff.
USA youth team sponsorship
The Sydney Roosters will be the major sponsor of the USA youth representative team participating in the U19s European Championships in July in Serbia with the front of the team jerseys to feature the Roosters West Coast Academy logo.
USA Hawks sponsorship
The Sydney Roosters will be the back-of-shorts partner for the men’s and women’s USA Hawks teams. The Roosters logo will appear on the shorts of the women's team playing in the Americas World Cup Qualifiers in November in Florida, as well as the men's team in future internationals.
Referees and ball sponsorship
The Roosters will sponsor the referees in the USARL domestic competition, with the Roosters logo appearing on the shirts of match officials. In the second year of the partnership, the Roosters logo will also appear on every football used for training and matches across US domestic competitions.
Club development fund
Annual funding will be placed in a club development fund enabling clubs from the four USARL conferences (PCRL, Utah, Rugby League United and Florida Rugby League) to apply for this funding to support the growth of rugby league awareness and participation in their regions.
