Rugby now first show in Paris

History happened few weeks ago in Paris. When Racing Metro hosted Toulouse in front of 74,000 spectators on March 23, the Racingmen not only beat Toulouse by the biggest margin of the season, but allow Rugby to officialy became the first sport in Paris metropolitan area. With a combined attendance of 34,000, Stade Français Paris et Racing Metro surpass the average attendance of football club Paris Saint-Germain. Racing-Metro was already in Top 14 last season but didn't host any games in the Stade de France. Reading these figures, it's easy to undestand why both rugby clubs from Paris are building two new stadiums, Stade Français'one is an exclusive rugby stadium with a 20,000 seats capacity, Racing-Metro's one is a multi-purpose arena of 32,000 seats in rugby use. And both clubs want to sold out the stadium for every games !
Paris is knowing a real transition. Rugby demonstrates how to go to the stadium with his children without hearing constant insults you can hear in a football stadium, escpecially in Paris. Aware of rugby popular rising in the city and after the death of a fan nearby the stadium in hooligans fight, Paris Saint Germain decided to clean his stadium. But after several months tryng to catch women and children that went to rugby, they failed to attract a new public. The 47,000 seats Parc des Princes is half empty, attendance rate is 59%...
This figure is in constant fall since three years. Football won't never take the lead again. Football reputation has never been so low in France. Capital figures are just the reflect of a change in sport show in France. Toulouse figures was already in favor of rugby, Paris figures show how rugby growing capacity is great in France. It's just the beginning of something rugby never know before, a NFLization.

A very soon MLR ?

The IRB tried to do it for years, it seems Americans by themselves will do it in several months. The most waiting professional league of rugby in the United States is nearer and nearer. In a recent tweet exchange, USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville answer me : "@rugbyglobal @mcuban yes, I have interest from a group of investors, its the next step for us...". You should ask you what Mark Cuban does in it. Simple, "@mcuban @NigelMelville Do you think it's time to launch a small pro league of #rugby in soccer-specific stadiums ? Is #NBC interested ?" was my original tweet. Maybe you ignore this, but Mark Cuban is a former rugby player. He already said in several interviews how he enjoyed the game, so his name frequently appears when you talk about possible investors in Pro Rugby. But Mark Cuban is not the only influent man who played rugby during his youth. That's the advantage of the game "for barbarians played by gentlemen". Two former US president, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush or Tony O'Reilly, former CEO of Heinz played rugby at different level. Money turns around US rugby since a long time, the problem was rugby unable to catch it.
What's new now ? Three words : Major League Soccer or specifically Soccer Specific Stadiums. The MLS is making its financial model by building human size cheaper stadiums. But now these stadiums are built, the question of their commercial success appears. They need events, they need to attract spectators. So what sport better matches association football pitch ? Rugby football ! Same size, same grass surface, same origin. Stadiums in Europe did the conversion every nearly week. USA Rugby quickly understand this and organized rugby events in The Home Deport Center (LA), Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Denver), Toyota Park (Chicago), Rio Tinto Stadium (Salt Lake), Colombus Crew Stadium, Red Bull Arena (NY) and soon at PPL Park (Philadelphia). All Soccer-specific stadiums but Pizza Hut Park in Dallas hosted or will host rugby events. It's now easy to understand why several MLS owners expressed interest in rugby. The most recent one is Robb Heineman, owner of Sporting Kansas City. He simply said he wants a pro rugby franchise in the new KC Soccer Stadium ! . When you see Nigel Melville tweet, you understand discussions are improving fast. When USA Rugby finally catch NBC as a rugby sevens broadcaster, the next step was broadcasting American rugby on a weekly basis, and nothing else than a professional league can allow this, so yes, the Major League Rugby is very near. And the MLS could participate because the MLR financial model will be the same as for soccer. In both sports, US National Team usually goes to the World Cup, is improving, but failed to win the trophy. Both sports massively attract a foreign-born or foreign descent population. Both sports correspond to an alternative way in sports. Both sports have a strong world wide fan base. Most of all, both sports have big financial supports.
The history of the MLS proves the 1994 FIFA World Cup wasn't the key to success. Don Garber bring success to the MLS changing the league strategy in 1999, assuming the foreign origin of soccer. Investors want to do the same with rugby and found common interests with stadium owners.