Australia Day Challenge: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Leeds Rhinos

[DIEHARD]

Wow that was brilliant! Wish I could have been there. 12,000 crammed into a 10,000 seat stadium.

I thought the Australian commentator was fantastic as was the american host McManus. He really helped the american listeners understand with some good comparisons to NFL and other sports.

Great to have Russell up in the booth towards the end.

They also said Denis Rodman and Greg Norman and the OCC boys were there among many others.

I really hope this turns into an annual event.

I sent the radio station an email thanking them for their support and great coverage I also mentioned that I was a Gold Coast Titans fan and that our coach coached the USA Tomahawks and that Matt Petersen also represented the Tomahawks.

As Borat would say "Great Success!"

[~lee~]

Yep it sounded like a great game, very impressive 2nd half comeback from the Souths. I heard him say Wu Tang members were there also.

The Aussie commentator was really good, his american co-commentator did a good job too. I was surprised to see how biased he was in favour of the Souths though.

Lets hope the crowd come out in numbers to support the Jax Axemen.

[DIEHARD]

Well he is a Souths employee so its to be expected.

It was funny when they were wrapping up, Rus reminded him that he is on contract and wants him back on that plane to Australia. In reference to his impressive commentary.

The yanks even said they had never heard anyone call a game so fast, but its a fast game and its par for the course really.

[~lee~]

I meant the American one. Yeah Rus' comment was funny, as was his comments regarding the difference between american and nrl players. I liked the way the aussie guy kept promoting both the superleague and the nrl, giving out website address; etc, he did a good job there.


I'd love to know who the fight was between, it sounded like it started with Senior.

[~lee~]

CROWE PRESENTS RHINOS WITH GIFT

Following the Australia Day Challenge against the Rabbitohs the Rhinos were invited into the Souths dressing room to be presented with a gift from Russell Crowe.
The American-college style jackets had been specially designed for the Rhinos with an amber L on the right chest and the Rabbitohs heritage logo the reverse. The Souths had a similar jacket but with a S on the chest.

Crowe had earlier in the day been presented with his own specially commissioned Rabbitohs chopper motorcycle by the team from American Chopper and had welcomed a host of celebrities to Hodges Stadium including basketball legend Dennis Rodman and Australian golfing great Greg Norman.

Speaking in the Souths dressing room, Rhinos Chief Executive Gary Hetherington said, "I would like to say a big thank you to Souths, Peter Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe for pulling together today's game. The relationship between ourselves and Souths has been given a great lift off today. One of the many qualities the two clubs share is a passion for Rugby League and to have 12,000 Americans here today, in the rain, is a massive boost for the sport of Rugby League."

Rus' Bike




leedsrugby.com

[HodgoBerro]

RHINOS 26 SOUTHS 0 AT HALF TIME


The Rhinos kicked off at Hodges Stadium in cold conditions but with the rain from earlier having eased off

They named a stadium after a broncos player?

Only In America...

On all seriousness good result. Good warm up game for Leeds in the weeks leading up to the WCC and for South Sydney good game with less than 50 days to go till the start of the NRL season.

[Super Cronk]

if they were going to name it aftera broncos player it would be a better one then hodges....ie: anyone from Qld cup.

[DIEHARD]

A fantastic gesture from Russell.

I loved what Issac Luke said to the media after the game.

"Rugby league has a big future everywhere, everyone who watched this game, start playing rugby league now!"

[DIEHARD]

Big-hits show may travel

THE success of their Australia Day Challenge match in Florida has ensured South Sydney and Leeds will repeat the international venture next year, but they could take the game to another part of the United States - or even to Dubai.

Despite wet conditions and temperatures that did not exceed 8 degrees in Jacksonville on Saturday, a crowd of 12,000 helped set an attendance record at Hodges Stadium, which has an official capacity of 10,000, and bought up all of the $39,000 in merchandise Souths were able to get through Customs.

Among them were colourful former basketballer Dennis Rodman, Australian golfing great Greg Norman and his partner, former tennis star Chris Evert, seven-time world women's surfing champion Layne Beachley, Muhammad Ali's legendary trainer, Angelo Dundee, and, of course, Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe.

But it was the enthusiasm which the locals showed for the game that left officials convinced they should make the match an annual event, although it could be up to other clubs to build on their pioneering work in Jacksonville.

"We've had conversations with other cities and there is a lot of interest in us playing in those places," Crowe said. "Jacksonville has been fantastic and obviously it is a sports town, so that weighs heavily in Jacksonville's favour ? but we've got some pretty heavy hitters who are interested in having a game in their backyard as well. At the moment that interest is coming from cities on the west coast and cities in the middle of America."

With Souths' major sponsor, Virgin Blue, to begin long-haul flights to the US this year under the name V Australia, it is likely it would want the Rabbitohs to play in one of its new destinations.

But Leeds boss Gary Hetherington suggested Dubai as a venue and Souths executive chairman Peter Holmes a Court confirmed the emirate was under consideration as the site for a future match.

"I think in America you've got to keep coming back for three years to make a real impact, but Dubai has been mentioned," he told the Herald.

Hetherington, who told a gathering of players from both sides after the match that in years to come the game would be viewed as a "significant" moment in rugby league's development, said it was now up to the governing bodies of the sport in Australia and Britain to follow up the initiative begun by the Rabbitohs and Rhinos.

"I believe what we have done is create a demand in Jacksonville for an annual game but there's no reason why, going forward, that couldn't be Wigan versus Parramatta or some other teams," he said.

"As long as it's a good quality contest between two quality teams, that is what they will be craving for.

"For South Sydney and Leeds there may be opportunities in other cities around the world and ideally we would like to create a demand to stage this game in a number of venues.

"Dubai is an obvious one. It's a city that is easy to get to and is a place that is craving for more and more top-class sport. But what we have done here today is throw some very important seeds down and that needs to be cultivated. I truly believe the 12,000 people who turned up would have gone home pleased with what they've seen and looking forward to next year."

With the referee's comments played over the loudspeaker and the ground announcer explaining what was happening on the field, the game was easy for the fans to follow. What they appeared to like the most was the physical aspect of the game.

"The contact was unbelievable, there was some hitting out there today," legendary former Michigan Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said. "What a game it is - and I don't think it would have any problems gaining a foothold here."

Brad Walter's trip to the US was funded by the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

http://www.leagueHQ.com

[HodgoBerro]

I agree they should have more expo RL games in North America

There is so many people who are interested in seeing the game

In North America so many people find it intriguing how they tackle without padding like in American/Canadian Football

[Coaster]

Great result for RL, i would love to see the World Club Challenge held in a big stadium over there.

Would only be a matter of time before there own comp would be trying to compete in it.

Long term future could be the winner of the NRL, ESL, USA RL Comp, play a tri nations style mini comp to decide the best club in the world.

[qld power]

Great result for RL, i would love to see the World Club Challenge held in a big stadium over there.

Would only be a matter of time before there own comp would be trying to compete in it.

Long term future could be the winner of the NRL, ESL, USA RL Comp, play a tri nations style mini comp to decide the best club in the world.

thats what i miss with the the ole superleague comp seeing the english and aussie teams play each other