Brumbies build in the USA
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The Brumbies have linked with one of the world’s biggest tertiary institutions in Arizona State University to bring professional skills to the USA’s ever-growing college rugby community.
Between the Brumbies and ASU Rugby club, a new branch will form which will provide fantastic opportunity for players from the USA to make it as professionals in both Hemispheres while improving the quality of rugby played in their own backyards.
Traditionally the Brumbies have achieved the bulk of their success through the club’s Academy systems, with players like Ben Alexander, Christian Lealiifano, Pat McCabe and Nic White all current graduates.
Now with a similar system planned for Arizona, both organisations are keen to see positive results over the next 12 months and beyond.
Having launched commercial relationships in Japan and Papua New Guinea, Commercial Academy Manager, Nick Leah said it was an exciting opportunity for ASU and the Brumbies.
“The Brumbies have been embarking on a program to commercialize their intellectual property for the last two years,” Leah said.
“We have proprietary partnerships with both the Kubota Spears in Japan and also Papua New Guinea Rugby Union and the link between Brumbies and ASU Rugby is both a synergistic relationship and a natural extension of what we have already created elsewhere in the world.
“We are excited about the prospect of expanding the relationship in the future and the potential of the first fee-for-service program in North America that is backed by a world class research institution in the University of Canberra and a world class rugby program in the Brumbies.”
Arizona has regularly been sought out as a destination where professional sporting teams can go to gain an edge.
Athletes from the NBA, NHL and MLB regularly spend their pre-season months there, while the AFL and NRL have also seen benefit in taking their athletes there thanks to fantastic facilities and year-round weather.
Now through the partnership between Brumbies and an ambitious and innovative rugby program in ASU Rugby, US Rugby Athletes have similar opportunity.
Leah and Head Coach Stephen Larkham will tour the US in September conducting Advanced Coaching Courses and culminating in a selection camp at the ASU Tempe Campus.
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