Building a rugby team from American athletes | Cross The Line

[@MbanziSD]

Originally from South Africa, I helped coach a high school rugby team several years ago in the USA. I found it very challenging to break the football mindset. The coaches, not having played rugby themselves, were 100% focused on making big "hits", but the kids had no idea how to play offense when they got the ball in hand. Everyone was encouraged to be a running back and power through tackles, inevitably isolating themselves and giving up possession of the ball. However, it's been encouraging to see the growth over the last few years, largely as a result of using coaches from traditional rugby playing countries and local ex-college rugby players. Several kids said they love being able to play "their" game and be creative, instead of being scripted from the sidelines. I see a bright future for US rugby with the huge pool of talent available here!

[@black-op345gaming5]

I remember my high school bringing in a rugby coach (I can’t remember if the coach played rugby or not) to teach us how to tackle properly. It’s stuff like that, that helped us to the state finals.

[@tazwildcat7]

well what version of rugby u coaching. just back in 2015 that was south african way 2nd best world, u fuckers were bulleryers botha masnfield burger beast, brussow u back line was about big hits, u had habanna rest were knock u out. i call that war rugby. i played rugby england 80s farm team to wasps scarceans our year won world cup martin johnson same thing. i hate u new era rugby, as nobody blocks u, nobody runs anymore like why is flanker called flanker as he chases ball, now sub it like football. when before u rugby was only sport world all round everything. since u got rugby in high school usa has gotten worse. we are getting worse players now. when u best men play now u get sheldon big bang thoery nerds. im half yank im half british mum scotish dad florida. i want rugby always be u top 8 countries, usa always suck, we have nfl. i claim potamic river both sides we have best bad asses all time chase young carmon wake curtis, shawn merriman allen howie long son chalres haley bruce smith lawrence taylor. so make a deal keep rugby to orginal 8 or i will wake up rugby what all blacks did to our worst men we will do to u. i hate american rugby i lost my job bec yakuza hawaii mafia. not 1 american rugby player would help me w my law suit.

[@harveys1047]

@@tazwildcat7 good English

[@andrewtoth184]

Also from South Africa. I agree with you on the American "football mindset".

[@tazwildcat7]

@@andrewtoth184 u have never head of men called masnfield, botha, brussow, beast, schalk burger. even habba 2015 2nd best team world ran like poor bo jackson but hit like ronnit lott. atleast tell me of man named eramus how he played rugby when he played. have u only been watching rugby for 4 years. history of rugby was almost different sport until 2015. south africa was last team to play rugby smashmouth. thats way u played it. run through tackles was how south africa was 2nd best team world 2015 everybody but habbana. i think u 2015 team is better than u team won world cup.

[@ashishd380]

Please make this a series it looks fun, I'm down for more countries to play rugby

[@randolphfuller4681]

Have a look how many countries play on the sevens circuit...amazing.

[@ashishd380]

@@randolphfuller4681 yeah it will be better if they play 15 man rugby as well,7s is a good starting point

[@WorldRugby]

Hi Ashish! It is a series - episode two is out on the channel now, with new eps going out each Tuesday!👍

[@ashishd380]

@@WorldRugby awesome✌

[@II_Cheeseburger_x]

I'm from new Zealand and we love our rugby. However, there's no denying the depth of elite athleticism within the United States and if they really really wanted too, they could definitely field a formidable national team.

[@jacobpeters5818]

too bad our 15s team is absolutely atrocious as of right now

[@II_Cheeseburger_x]

@@jacobpeters5818 that's understandable. The same would happen with us. I think the best would be for athletes to head to countries where they can fully immerse themselves. Easier said than done though.

[@WorldRugby]

Absolutely, arguably the best depth of elite athletes in the world. Can Alex mould this group into a formidable rugby side?

[@Enoch940]

South Africa just seems to be getting stronger and stronger even though so many of their players play overseas.

[@WorldRugby]

For everyone asking when the next episode is out - new episodes will be released on Tuesday each week

[@ShadowBlades6194]

cant wait

[@seanrota3359]

Good series episodes could be a little longer

[@aryehlevine8677]

I play elite level rugby in the US. There's a team called the Colorado Raptors, and they did this same thing. A bunch of crossover rugby players. They're actually not bad for a new team, a couple of their guys have signed MLR contracts already

[@caseydent3199]

That's that Rugby Town doco yeah? Watched it, sublime piece to watch my man, really enjoyed it.

[@jeffjefferson3364]

@@caseydent3199 it's not just a documentary. You can watch them play games live I've been following since they started last November. They aren't terrible for guys that just started playing a year ago. 2 stand outs for me, kaleb Geiger and ricky haley

[@WorldRugby]

it's a very simple concept! Do you think Alex's team will come good?

[@bright9187]

Corbs was probably the best tighthead to play for England in the last 15 years. Don't think these guys realise they're talking with a legend.

[@jhfh3112]

He was a loosehead, and he didn't do a lot for Englnd that Sheridan or Vunipola didn't do

[@bright9187]

@@jhfh3112 Corbs career was ruined by injury, we never got to see him in his prime. But back in 2013 we got a glimpse of what he can do. Man of the match performances for the lions as a young kid. He was unplayable. Sure Vunipola is great in the loose but his scrummaging is often woeful. Inverse with Sheridan. Great in the scrum but doesn't have the fast hands Vunipola is blessed with. Corbs had both. Certainly would of been England's n1 for the last 10 years.

[@WorldRugby]

They'll come to learn in the coming weeks I am sure!

[@zyaicob]

Alex Corbisiero approaching someone and them assuming that he's homeless is the funniest thing I've seen

[@plat1973]

Looks good. Am looking forward to the next episodes.

[@randolphfuller4681]

I'm from South Africa. If I remember, Alex comes from Argentina. Being into sport all my life, I can tell you that America has a great future in rugby when you consider that the ACSM plays a leading role in sports science.

[@joejoeob]

He's from America, not Argentina

[@Andy-gb8sx]

@@joejoeob Argentina is part of América. America is a continent not a country 🤣🤣🤦‍♂️

[@joejoeob]

@@Andy-gb8sx He is from USA, also known as America. America is not a continent - there is however North & South America. I hope these geography facts are able to get into your tiny brain. Remember Andy, America is not a continent and Argentina is a completely different place to USA. Or believe what you will idk

[@randolphfuller4681]

Is this the room for an Argument, thanks for the correction. Why I said Argentina, I don't know...

[@MbanziSD]

Geography knowledge aside, you do win the prize for the best username though!

[@expressoevangelism80]

I’ve known this for years. If the US ever gets the desire and motivation to want to take on the world to play rugby in the international stage, then it can certainly produce a wide range of people with the right body shapes and abilities. Time will tell. Like with everything in the US it will need to pay big money.

[@mysticproduce705]

Alex you will do a great job as you always do as a international former great rugby player, broadcasting rugby on tv. Looking forward to follow this program. Thanks

[@davidjackson5236]

Can’t wait for the next drop! Love rugby … so interesting to see how the USA guys get on 💪🏼🏉 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@vallecasrugbyunion5631]

Well done! We are very looking forward to the next episodes!

[@hannesolivier204]

I’d love to see this. Heck any time I can watch more countries play the best sport in the world, I’m happy.

[@hannesolivier204]

Side note: I think Americans are too soft 😉 change my mind

[@mkapsalis1]

This is great... i'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode. Perfect format for the youtube generation

[@paulb43]

Looks like such a cool series!! Cant wait for next eps

[@LanceMan]

When I played in college and even as an adult the hardest thing was for people to toss football aside. It's so ingrained in our sports society. I love rugby. It's such an awesome game.

[@xXLordoftheRingsXx22]

Growing up as a youth and now a young adult playing rugby here in California, there are many logistical problems when it comes to rugby. But to me the biggest detriment to rugby growth here, is the fixated mindset that Americans have on being #1, padding stats, and scoring. Until we understand that rugby is a true team sport and not a ME sport, we will continue to bounce between a tier 2 and tier 1 nation.

[@WorldRugby]

That's an interesting point - do you think that comes from general mindset or a coaching mindset?

[@kentcansell]

almost every person he spoke to had heard of rugby now i understand where the 40 million fans comes from. Great show cant wait for episode 2

[@janicep11]

I'm an American in LA area (Long Beach) and have been following Rugby Union for years. Long Beach and San Diego have big Rugby clubs. Die hard All Blacks fan, but also a fan of Giltinis and Legion. This is incredible! ☺️

[@hayden9944]

More of this please!

[@tbwhawk5637]

Give us this as a TV show, would be amazing

[@valeriyapro1]

That’s a very promising project. Wait for the next episode!

[@standard12th66]

Looks good, but a bit too staged ( the "hey bro" is very fake), but would still love an episode 2

[@StreetCornerFilmsAndTV]

yeah is bit staged and that's 100% turn OFF

[@Kjk172]

Nail on the head however I think they're trying to appeal to an American audience which needs that cringe

[@sports2hedz542]

Oh relax...they gotta get some different camera angles. Enjoy it for what it is: encouraging LA kids to continue sports and keep them off the street.

[@Kjk172]

@@sports2hedz542 I dont actually think thats what it is but hey im all for it :)

[@andycandyandy]

Well it is bit fake, but these people would still need to apply and stuff, or be found! Also I wonder how many Americans are watching this more than just Europeans and South Africans XD

[@joshuashibata1840]

Luv this! Can’t wait for the next episode

[@sebastianspur6017]

America is a continent... not just USA. Regards from Argentina

[@She555Ran]

South america is a continent

[@sebastianspur6017]

@@She555Ran so is North America

[@xentalqueux]

Can't wait the next episodes! :)

[@whodatyt]

I have a friend who does the same thing and legit runs up to people to ask them about rugby. The weird thing is, it usually works. He’s the reason I started

[@balwc147]

Man that's quality content 👌🔥

[@CRVENAZVEZDA-wn1ws]

Im Football ⚽ and Rugby 🏉fan from Serbia 🇷🇸

[@LittleWing-35]

Yes, episode 2 please 🙏🏼😂

[@siyabulelamanona1438]

Awesome video super keen to see follow up…

Ooooh i'm gonna love this series

[@etitus6470]

This Texas gal spent a few years overseas & I'm now a HUGE rugby fan! Grew up in 'Friday Nights Lights', as typical, BUT discovered Rugby is my sport. I'm devoted to the fast pace of the game and athleticism of EVERY player. It shames the American football athletes that don't cardio or even try to be athletic. And, YES, I know if the States focused and engaged seriously in Rugby (I hope, I wish), we would make a splash or defeat All Blacks from this day forward. My dream, unrealized. :)

[@ivanhughes8699]

Is this going to be a series? Looks really good!

[@WorldRugby]

Yep! Episode two is out now

[@jamesbeach8362]

The USA won the Olympic Rugby Union Gold Medal in 1924. They beat France in the final at State Colombes Paris. As Rugby was dropped after these games they were current champions for many years.

[@vinniechan]

I love how Alex is getting ppl of all shapes and size

[@tonyross5799]

In the 1999 Rugby World Cup, the only team to score a try against Australia was the USA in Pool E, Australia won that game 55-19. The only team to score more points against Australia was South Africa, 21 after extra time. 18 at full time.

[@HVDonkeyPark]

The challenge as I see it is that the most successful rugby teams consist of players who have developed an intuitive awareness of their teammate's current and expected positions on the field relative to their own. The closest US sport that develops this is probably basketball (although in recent years the team mindset has taken a back seat to the superstar mentality). Learning to pass and kick the rugby ball are skills that will take some time to become instinctive enough that players can focus more on dynamic strategy. When US teams are successful now, it is usually because they have foreign players carrying the load. Point is, until US children grow up playing rugby, I think we will have a hard time competing with teams from other countries whose elite players embark on their careers with the basics of teamwork and ball handling already a reflex. I am interested in seeing where this project goes. It would be helpful if the description provided an overview of what is intended as far as programming is concerned. I felt like I was left hanging which makes me hesitate to invest any energy in trying to follow this further.

[@rittherugger160]

The guy that invented basketball was a rugby player living in the Midwest. Winters there are long and very cold and he was desperate for an indoor activity to keep fit and entertained.

[@vinniechan]

RUGBY USA is doing the hard work to build it ground up which takes a lot of time and no return guarantee

[@svensvensson627]

Big dude at 5min has the right attitude, teamwork!

[@Seanc74]

Love this! Where's part 2,3 etc?

[@allistaircampbell9282]

Great stuff. We all want to see a great USA Rugby team.

[@Eurynomos326]

Yo! Exactly the content I was looking for. 50 more episodes please. Season 2 in Russia or Brazil or India please. Please, thank you and please.

[@Sulu-sw3zo]

Looking forward to this. Untapped natural talent in the States is a bona fide goldmine for rugby.

[@WorldRugby]

Absolutely! Alex seemingly has found some great athletes, can they be a great team?

[@sandeeptiwari7157]

@@WorldRugby Is there anything about Rugby india . I am interested in rugby but never played it . I played cricket professionally but too much compitition. So would love to play rugby atlest for fun . Waiting for reply .

[@Savage-sz8go]

Awesome series idea

[@sujankavinda8977]

Waiting for the next episode ✌🏻

[@zyaicob]

Take a shot every time Corbs says "hey bro"

[@rittherugger160]

Of course we have plenty of athletes here and most of them could play rugby quite well but we don't have something that every other country that plays rugby has. Medicare for All Access to healthcare is a big problem for club rugby here. Even 'minor' injuries can become large issues in someone's life if they can't afford to tend to it. Another issue is RugbyUSA. They seemed to abrogate all responsibility to both club and colligate rugby. I know that college sport isn't a big deal in the rest of the world but it's a big deal here. The stadiums are huge (up to 100K seats) and they are packed full every weekend for other sports. Our national union has ignored it so much that the schools have started to govern themselves resulting in the formation of some 5 separate 'unions' playing different seasons making it difficult to play each other. What Alex is doing here is nothing new. There are KZbin videos about the Colorado Raptors Crossover Academy where this exact thing has been done. Despite the magnificent editing work I doubt that Alex was able to spend only one afternoon walking around LA convincing random folks to play. It takes a lot of convincing to get random people without healthcare to try something as optically dangerous as rugby.

[@jackofswords7]

Bit of a wimpy Joe Bidon attitude there.

[@karlosdeevs]

makes a massive difference tho..

[@acchaladka]

True. I moved from Canada to the U.S. and practiced with a very decent US side...they wanted me to join up and I declined because no team health insurance. Imagine breaking a leg or needing a concussion assessment and having to pay US private sector rates for every step. Great way to break your entire life.

[@zyaicob]

Oh wow that's such a good point

[@symeremeyers4148]

There is no pads in rugby but there is rules regarding tackling - it’s not like football in that you can tackle any way you want so it’s actually safer than football

[@christopherwhippy3181]

There are tackling rules in rugby because playing without pads or helmets with no tackling rules players would be getting seriously injured, crippled or killed every weekend.

[@texamurai]

Reality and perception are different. Parents are getting their kids out of football (American/gridiron) now because of concussions, I don't think they will move their kids to the sport where you don't wear anything remotely protective outside of a mouth guard. I played for a few months at my university and my dad forced me to quit out of fear after the first match he saw.

[@jrlozano973]

First Guy you met is Boogie Frantick, proffesional Popping dancer, would have been interesting to have him in the team

[@aggiebaka4081]

love this.....next episode plizzzz

[@samuelmidzi8240]

I wanna see the next one already

[@rugby_talk6806]

Looks like a great concept

[@riccowheat4837]

THE BOOT IS HERE!!! GO GETTEM 👑 SON... D.DUNCAN💪🏾🏁

[@spudnreno]

American here. Ready and waiting.

[@thebottjers]

As a US youth rugby coach, I can tell you that America doesn’t lack talented athletes, we lack game IQ which requires players to start early. Players will not start early enough because they chase the other sports with larger jackpots. A high end athlete (whatever that means) will chase the full ride scholarship and corresponding NIL through football/basketball/etc… with the hopes of a pro contract. There is no interest in education. The current US rugby path, is local clubs, limited scholarships, limited fan fare, and limited pay offs. So you’re asking the most pre-Madonna people to check their egos, grind more than any other sport, and receive no IG likes.

[@Andy-gb8sx]

There's a lot of talent in America. Considering Canada, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile are all countries in America

[@thebottjers]

@@Andy-gb8sx congratulations you win

[@ezrolly9898]

Let's see what happens after you host the RWC. I'm hopeful. 🇿🇦

[@thebottjers]

@@ezrolly9898 the MLR is where is the MLS was 20 years ago. So yes I’m hopeful. But the game requires humility and respect. Those traits do not exactly ooze out of the other major sports.

[@ezrolly9898]

@@thebottjers since rugby has gone Pro it's been less of respect and humility more than ever. Nothing to worry about there.

[@Tuhoeterra]

1:20 bruh that's Boogie Frantick one of the best pop and lockers vie ever seen, small world i guess.

[@danieltuinayau4253]

Next Episode Please.!! 🤜🤛

[@tobortwo3697]

Please keep spreading rugby here

[@scottiefess8335]

When’s the next segment out guys???

[@Somerset_Rockape]

Used to watch Corbs when he played for London Irish. Great player and a greater bloke!

[@johnmartin7370]

LOve it ... Everyone deserves to find their place on a Rugby pitch

[@leroiduday]

That's the essence of rugby my friend nevermind how you are...small, tall, fat or skinny...anyone can play. "Rugby is the sport they play in heaven".

[@ChrisGleiter]

The hypothesis of “awakening the sleeping giant" of athletic talent persists since USA v Australia - 1976. Progress occurs. Alex, use your fantastic presence to assess regional youth programs or interest of D2/D3 college athletes (ref. Dan Lyle).

[@SK-zy2ri]

Good tactics love this

[@anthonylucido1195]

I play rugby as a teenager in the US

[@joeconte8475]

More please!

[@monunyabidness5949]

San Fernando Valley!!! My (not quite) old neighborhood. (I lived in Northridge.) Go Valley Rugby!!!!! Alex, go hang out with Garrett and my home boys at SFV Rugby and have a pint or two at the Springbok Bar on Woodley, just off the 405 freeway. It'd be great if you also checked out Cal State Northridge Rugby (mens and womens eams) and gave them some of your knowledge. If you do, say hi to Coach Jose from Mo.

[@Roberto_79]

Sky sports rugby used to do a series called “school of hard knocks” I would love to see a UK school of hard knocks versus US school of hard knocks… Perhaps Alex could pursue that

[@mrfrenchman8670]

Need more episodes

[@RadioActiveBreakfast]

How can I get involved with this?! I live in LA!

[@davidevans4544]

Devin Wright actually played rugby with me in college at the D1 level and while I can’t confirm I am going to bet almost every one of these people has played rugby at some level before.

[@Hans._A._Pils]

Keen for this!

[@caseydent3199]

Need more. Hurry up.

[@leroiduday]

Good episode

[@badabing8884]

Just from a perception POV I think Rugby Union will always struggle to break through as a major sport in USA. Just too saturated a market when it comes to sport dominated by Grid Iron, Basketball and Baseball. Maybe a minor sport in certain regions in USA? And RWC in 2031 May spark more interest in the sport. I think 7s has a better chance of becoming more popular- just more simple.

[@TrueFilter]

Same was said about soccer and it’s bigger than baseball now in terms of viewership.

[@badabing8884]

@@TrueFilter really?

[@wiremumatenga883]

I took the title of this video so wrong 🤣 here i was thinking you we're gonna make a rugby team with athletes from other sports 🤣 picture it tom brady playing first five. Anthony Davis and Kevin durant playing locks 🤣🤣 kai greene and phil heathe props brock lesnar number eight 🤣🤣 still would back the ABs over them lol. Anyway great video, hope the game grows in America. They'd be a solid team if they had the right coaches 😉

[@mclanhanndenga6818]

Bring on episode 2

[@vazhasukhiashvili3796]

Good job!

[@zhangatan]

We get a lot of ex football guys that come over to our rugby club each year. They start with a good athletic foundation and become great players once they start picking up some of rugby's finer skills

[@twall415]

C’mon folks… We just ate 100 to New Zealand in our last test window because our system is years behind but sure, this is the perfect time to commission a video that romanticizes the idea of “the savant who ‘finds’ the savior crossover(s) of the century” instead of simply investing into the system that is being left to fail… Oh, you’re down in LA? Do another piece on the growth of Rhino Rugby. They’d appreciate your support. (Immediate edit, this is in no way an attack on Corbs! He’s a standup person, & he’s only involved because he’s the guide to the video)

[@andrewrobb1175]

More Corbs content, seems a good lad

[@partypooper2121]

I feel like basketball is an underrated sport for crossover

[@WorldRugby]

Which NBA player would make the best rugby player? Steven Adams (being from NZ) has got to be up there!

[@kian9982]

When’s episode 2

[@finnnewton2938]

Needs to get popular over their

[@khaymanhayes3685]

Come to Memphis tn we have a lot of talent

[@omarg7702]

Where's ep 2😡

[@gingerbaker4390]

The good thing about rugby is that anyone can play. It doesn't what size or shape you are. The British knew what they were doing when they brought the game around the world.

[@alternantherasix7five834]

Im not american but i love to U.S. to play it

[@Kodiak1234]

This seems completely natural….. But a good idea and should be fun to watch

[@Samuel-qf6ri]

The facilities (sport recreation) exists, the issue is to get people to start heavily investing in rugby. If this happens, they (US) could be one of the best teams.

[@adampoultney8737]

Do we really want the US as a top team? Before we know it the World Cup will be 5 minutes of play followed by 10 minutes of adverts…… Another top team? Want it. American influence? Don’t want it.

[@TWOVO1]

Money talks in America. To draw the best American Athletes to Rugby, you got to make it a viable alternative to football in terms of professionalism and making a comfortable living.

[@DesetDwellerAZ]

Our military has men and women's rugby teams, 7s. I hear they have put together Air Force and Army to form 15s team. Worth checking into. *Flying Tigerssssithink

[@cosifantutte1071]

Dan Lyle was a great No8 for Bath, he was American

[@tim73639]

Corbs has still got it

[@CometCopy]

Some players don't wear pads but we have pads.

[@adycooney]

🤔 Every one of the lads shown in this clip is a rugby player, not just some random kids he found in the park that barely know what it is. Several of them also played rugby league for me in California last year too.

[@tomorrownahitstomora8901]

LETS GOOOOO

[@brandchege6314]

U guys should come to kenya

[@JasonTetsuyaGurkalov]

Rugby is a sport for all people with any backgrounds. This is perfect for the U.S. Hope rugby gets more popular in many countries

[@kareemharris4567]

Jamaica should take a few pages from this Very big book also