Canterbury club players could benefit from sale
Local club players could benefit from the Crusaders and Canterbury Rugby Football Union’s decision to own a tiny slice of the Seattle Seawolves rugby club.
While the International High Performance Unit business, a joint venture between the Crusaders and the CRFU that offers specialised coaching for fee-paying players and coaches, could prosper most from the new relationship with the Seawolves there could also be an opportunity for grassroot players from Canterbury to play in the United States.
Canterbury CEO Nathan Godfrey said the idea of purchasing a minor ownership in the Seattle club came to fruition after the CRFU sent their commercial and marketing team to the city for training and development late last year.
Although the share of the US club was modest, he still hoped it would pay dividends.
‘‘We (CRFU and the Crusaders) literally own one per cent (each) of the franchise,’’ Godfrey said. ‘‘It is probably the equivalent of having a fulltime employee based in America, that is the way we view it.’’
Warren Goddard, the managing director of FHG Ltd and also the Crusaders commercial manager, has also purchased a minority ownership.
Having spoken to club representatives from around Canterbury last year, Godfrey was asked whether the CRFU could assist in catering for players who want to play rugby while on their OEs.
Now that the CRFU and Crusaders have a small toehold in Seattle, there is potential for Canterbury club players and coaches to be shipped to the United States to satisfy their wanderlust as well as keeping playing sport.
There is also potential for talented players from the US to join clubs here.
The IHPU, based at the Crusaders and Canterbury’s training facility at Rugby Park in Christchurch and managed by Grant Keenan, attracts clients from around the globe. It has proved to be a good earner the Crusaders and the CRFU and attracting new clients is always a priority.
There is not yet an agreement in place in regards to the numbers of players from Seattle who would attend the programme.
There are other reasons to forge a relationship with the Seawolves, who are a founding member of Major League Rugby. The inaugural season begins in the northern spring, with the Seawolves to play the first-ever professional rugby match in Seattle against the San Diego Legion.
‘‘There is a three-year broadcast deal attached to the new North American league with CBS, and then there is the fanbase in Seattle,’’ Godfrey said. ‘‘There are other really successful sports franchises there, including the Seahawks, Mariners and Supersonics.’’
This is not the first time the Crusaders attempted to dabble in the North American market. In 2015 the Crusaders agreed to send a second-string team to play an exhibition match to play English club Saracens in New Orleans but it never went ahead.
The game, organised by a third party in the States, was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. The failed venture did not cost the Crusaders any money because they had already ensured they would not be exposed financially.
Sending a Canterbury team to play in the States was possible, said Godfrey.
‘‘In the future we wouldn’t rule that out. There are opportunities to bring a team over here or to play a team over in the States.’’