The United States has long been dubbed the sleeping giant of world rugby.
But such has been the slow rate of growth, one wonders whether the giant will actually ever wake from its slumber.
There have, however, been positive signs over the past few years with Major League Rugby bedding down its early roots and then expanding, while the national team recently turned in a credible performance against an understrength England line-up, losing 43-29 at Twickenham.
And now a fledgling program to turn athletes from other sports into rugby players is underway in Glendale, Colorado — aka RugbyTown, USA.
Americans have long claimed to have the best athletes in the world, and given there is a surplus of those who fail to reach the heights of the NFL or NBA, the Colorado XOs rugby squad has been created to try and turn some of those very athletes into rugby players.
RugbyTown is also the name of a 10-part documentary series that charts the journey of the XOs.
“The idea was to create a brand new rugby team of superior athletes from a new stock of athletic talent that will fundamentally change the way that America can compete in rugby going forward,” RugbyTown documentary creator Patrick Guthrie tells ESPN. “To create the foundation of players, a pathway and a program, that can create 50 or 60 players by 2027 to win the World Cup.”
It is certainly a lofty ambition.
But the series, which airs on ESPN on Australia, New Zealand and across the Pacific Islands from this Sunday, certainly makes for compelling television as viewers are taken inside every facet of the athletes’ journey as they start their rugby careers from scratch.
Guthrie describes it as a bit like the NFL’s “Hard Knocks” style of storytelling, with viewers also taken inside the classroom, to players’ homes and inside their family circles; the show riding the ups and downs of injuries, disciplinary incidents, triumphs and defeats.
“From the second episode what we do is we reflect on the weekend’s game, ’23 turnovers, come on guys, how did we go through that’ and that’s Act 1 of a 28-minute show,” Guthrie explains.
“Act 2 is we might go home with Gelen Robinson to see his family, visit his brother who’s an NBA player, we go to his gym and then go to his house and have a big dinner. And that’s a seven-minute segment, so that’s Act 2.
“Act 3 for every episode is always the game and the game is told again by the players and their voices…what we wanted to do is not create a show about rugby, as we figured if we really want rugby to break through in America the show really can’t be about rugby at all. What it has to be about is interesting characters and that’s where I really think we’ve hit the goldmine of RugbyTown season 1.”
Having assembled a group of dedicated and experienced coaches, headed by Mark Bullock, who founded the Glendale Raptors Rugby Club in 2005, and former USA international Luke Gross, the education of the crossover athletes began with an introductory camp last November.
From there, a group was selected to return in January when the Colorado XOs were officially born and the RugbyTown story really began to unfold.
“Just like anybody else starting a new sport or anything new, those first few days were ugly,” XOs hooker and former XFL player Gelen Robinson tells ESPN.
“The first few weeks of me actually trying to get the hang of passing and just getting a handle on the rugby ball, the rules and decision-making that comes along with it, it took me a while. And even to this day, you want to convert back to the past 20 years; me playing [American] football in my head, sometimes I want to go back to it.
“But they are two completely different games in my mind, and although they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, it’s tough because it’s brand new for me and being able to make those decisions don’t come naturally to me yet. I’m working on that still to this day, just making those little decisions and executing them well on the pitch.”
Picking up an entirely new skill set, let alone sport, is always going to represent a huge challenge, particularly in adulthood when so many instincts are already ingrained. But the XOs’ education doesn’t just unfold on the field, with classroom sessions and one-on-one player interviews also brought to life in the RugbyTown series, viewers taken inside each individual’s learning experience, their review sessions and their key work-ons moving forward.
“Those instincts are changing for me, things as simple as running onto the ball hard or supporting your teammate after you’ve passed,” Robinson reflected on his journey. “These very small things that rugby players in other countries have been getting since six years old, those things started clicking for me very early and now they’re really starting to develop,” Robinson says.
— RugbyTown National Training Center (@RugbyTownNTC) June 4, 2021
“And that’s the growth within the year that I was hoping and expecting to have. So it’s been really cool to see that progress from not being able to read anything on the rugby field, to getting the ball in my hand and making a good decision with a defender in front of me.”
The crossover athlete concept is one that has long been thrown about in the U.S. and while the likes of Perry Baker and Carlin Isles have managed to do it on the sevens field, the transition to XVs is a significantly tougher challenge.
Given six Colorado XOs athletes were then signed to the MLR after their RugbyTown season had concluded, the team in Glendale might really be onto something this time around.
Robinson was among those six players to gain MLR exposure, the hooker signed by LA Giltinis where he got to mix it with Wallabies greats Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
“I got the call about a week after XOs season had finished, I got that call to go out and finish up the season with the Giltinis,” Robinson said. “It was an opportunity that I’d been hoping for, I didn’t know if it would go through but obviously did, but it was another great experience in my athletic career that I will never forget.
“Playing with legends, the knowledge that you’re able to take away from a program like that, you can’t ask for a better year of introduction for a first year in rugby. It was great to be around those guys and staff; the four weeks that I was there it blew my mind in the world of rugby, just that education that I got.”
Perhaps then the USA can one day actually compete with the big boys of world rugby, so too that crossover athletes will play a key role in helping them do so.
Robinson, for one, is adamant the RugbyTown television series is going to have an impact on the American rugby scene.
“It’ll definitely take some and who knows how long that will be, but I know that we have the athletes to be able to do it,” Robinson tells ESPN. “But it’s just about getting exposure to those athletes and putting rugby in the eyes of guys who are like me, or guys that were like me a year ago, because it’s important for them to know that this is a beautiful sport that you can travel the world with and make a great living.
“So I think this documentary will open the eyes of many young athletes and let them know that this is an amazing sport that needs to be shown, and there’s a lot of potential for guys to be creative and show who they are in this sport. So it’ll definitely be the start of something to get the ball rolling for U.S. rugby.”
A key figure both in the documentary and the XOs concept is Glendale Mayor, Mike Dunafon.
A passionate rugby figure in America, Dunafon keeps a close key on the XOs at the Infinity Park field that he built to give rugby a home in Glendale. He is at the heart of RugbyTown and is all in on the ultimate goal of Rugby World Cup glory.
“Make no mistake, in RugbyTown, our goal is for the United States to win the Rugby World Cup in 2027,” Dunafon told ESPN. “We have the world’s best athletes, together with great American coaching, world class facilities, and a collective desire to achieve greatness by winning the Rugby World Cup in 2027.”
If American rugby talent can one day match American ambition, the Webb Ellis Cup might just be within the Eagles’ reach. And RugbyTown is well worth a look in the meantime.
RugbyTown Episode 1 airs at 8pm [AEST] Sunday August 29 on ESPN in Australia, New Zealand and through the Pacific. Check your electronic planner for details.
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t participate in the Home Run Derby, replaced Friday by Atlanta teammate and fellow All-Star Matt Olson.
Acuña is a starting outfielder for the National League and still is expected to play in the All-Star Game on his home field. Olson is a reserve infielder.
Instead of Acuña, Olson will try to become the first Atlanta player to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night. He could become the fourth to win at home. The All-Star Game is Tuesday night.
Olson competed in the 2021 Derby while with the Athletics. He was eliminated in the first round. The 31-year-old entered the weekend with 17 homers this season.
NEW YORK — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn’t sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again.
“I didn’t know at first,” he said. “For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.”
Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won five straight games following a a six-game losing streak.
Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP.
He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million.
He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multihomer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall.
“I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,” Bellinger said. “But it was a good catch.”
“Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,” Bellinger added.
A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder’s glove.
“I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they’d probably look at it and get it overturned,” Tucker said. “I’ve probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone’s hand or whatever but I don’t know if anyone’s ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.”
Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row.
“The fan just beat to the spot,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.”
Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3.
“Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,” said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. “I’ve seen PCA rob so many homers. He’s a freak athlete out there.”
Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.
He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice.
“No, no, no revenge,” he said. “Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.
“He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger” over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,” Boone said. “Belly’s loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.”
Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse.
He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger’s teammates could sense the significance.
“It’s always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,” Boone said. “To perform right away against them I’m sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.”