I love the idea of professional 15s, as do probably most of you who will take the time to read this, but I don’t think it’s a commercially viable idea in the States just yet.

Brian Budzinski, the President of the Missouri Comets professional indoor soccer team, who came on one of our most listened-to podcasts to talk about niche pro sports, said about rugby something to the effect of: “I think there’s a market for it, but not 15s. I would pay $25 to come to a 7s tournament, but you couldn’t pay me $25 to sit through a 15s game.”

Unfortunately, I think his sentiments are shared by a large amount of the American public. Fortunately, that means I think 7s, if wrapped in the right package, is something America is ready to buy now.

So back to the title, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would begin plans for a professional 7s circuit, and here’s how I’d start.

We’d like each city to have a core team. If I’m in Seattle, OPSB has to commit to playing in six of my eight tournaments. Another criterion is that the city has a venue that could make money and accommodate media – like Silverback Stadium in Atlanta, Infinity Park in Glendale, Boxer Stadium in San Francisco, or Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City.

Other criteria are the city’s population and rugby awareness. The Bay Area would be a must for this hypothetical competition because it has both. Salt Lake City would be a serious contender, too. Denver would make a lot of sense.  Let’s just say these cities, for argument’s sake: San Francisco, LA/San Diego (SoCal), Denver, Dallas/Houston (Texas), Denver, Las Vegas, Atlanta, NYC/Boston/Philadelphia (Northeast).

I would offer serious prize money at each tournament. Every team plays for free, and I’d assure each tourney pays the top two teams. Let’s say it’s a $10,000 purse: $5,000 for 1^st, $2,500 for 2^nd, $1,500 for third and $900 for fourth.  Winning my championship is worth $25,000. Finishing second is worth $15,000 and third $5,000. That brings my grand total of payouts to $125,000.

To cover the nut of the payouts I would need to average just under $16,000 of profit at each tournament. If I charge an average of $20 a head and average, say, 2,000 fans, less than half of what the aforementioned indoor soccer team averages a home game, then my budget is $40,000 a tournament. For every extra 500 people I get at each event, or every $5 I raise my average ticket price, I expand my budget by $10,000.

Take out the prize money for each event, and I have $24,000 to work with. I think I could rent the likes of Infinity Park, Silverback Stadium or maybe a Texas high school football stadium, pay referees, stadium/event staff and properly market the event for that kind of money, plus maybe leave a little on top for me. I could quite possibly find hotels for the core teams and feed the participant teams, for that, too. I haven’t sold a nacho or a beer yet.

So, If I’m a club considering partaking in this circuit, perhaps as a core member, what am I looking at? Well, I have to pay to transport my teams to from city to city. That’s a serious amount of money. But, several teams spend serious money already. O-Club has been to Denver 7s, Glendale went to San Diego and Dallas this summer, a Pacific Barbarians team always goes to Cape Fear, etc. Plus, 16 teams every year go to San Fran for Nationals, most of which fly.

And there’s more prize money on offer than ever before.

Let’s draw some comparisons. Let’s say Belmont Shore, as national champs, mimics New Zealand’s 2010/2011 IRB 7s World Series success on my circuit – they win $49,800. Schuylkill River, mimicking South Africa in 2010/2011, would bank $32,500. Utah (England) would make $19,900.

Are teams getting rich? No. But they aren’t now, and they’re playing in inferior competitions that have no potential to earn money.

If we add an average of 500 fans paying an average of $5 more at each tournament, and put it all into the prize kitty, you could triple those figures. Imagine the average attendance at each tournament is something closer to 8,000 people after a couple of years (that’s still less than the CRC did in its first year) and it would create an extra $120,000 in revenue for each tournament, not to mention greatly increase the circuit’s ability to garner sponsors.

Does this concept sound like something that already kind of existed, but on steroids? Yes, the Club Championship Series run by USA Sevens. The CCS was a great concept. Why did it ultimately fail? Probably because teams would collect the prize money from a qualifier and not take the trip to Vegas for the final tourney, and maybe moreso because USA Sevens had other things on its mind that beckoned for more attention, like USA Sevens.

Would players get paid? Something tells me Sean Whalen in Utah, David Pope with The Woodlands Exiles and Bill Gardner, formerly NOVA’s financial backer, would see worth in a competition like this and spend enough to be competitive. Others would, too.

Plus, if successful, the circuit could expand in a million different ways. Maybe the Pat Clifton Pro 7s Circuit would contract a few guys, like Paul Emerick, Maka Unufe and Justin Boyd, and makes them the poster boys. Maybe the Utah event starts drawing upwards 10,000 fans each summer, and Whalen decides he wants to buy the tourney away from PCP7s (We’d probably have to hire a marketing person to come up with a better name), then that’s a revenue stream for his team, and he just pays a royalty to PCP7s each season.

Would it be on TV? I don’t believe TV coverage is the end-all be-all for sporting success, especially considering how far online video options have come, but, yeah, it very well could end up on the tube. I would think NBC Sports, set to enter your living rooms in 2012, would have interest.

I’m no genius, no innovator. But this makes sense to me, and I’m certain more thought, tweaking and number crunching by people far smarter than me could come up with something that made infinitely more sense. And the best part about it? It’s doable without winning the lottery.

Unufe’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric this year. Maka began the year playing with United (Utah) U-19 team. From there he had latched onto the Utah Warriors newly formed 7′s team. Together with Ben Nichols and Mike Palefau, Maka and the Warriors tore up summer play winning tournament after tournament. While the Warriors may not have won the National Club 7′s Championship, it wasn’t due to Unufe’s play.

After playing for the Warriors, Unufe found himself on the Pacific Coast Grizzlies roster for the National All-Star Championships. Much like the Warriors, the Grizzlies found themselves dominant at the tournament only to suffer one trip up that cost them the title. Due to his strong play, he was selected by Al Caravelli to be one of the players to stay for a try-out match after the tournament.

Maka played well enough at that tournament to eventually earn a spot in the camp preparing for the Pan-Am Games and to the surprise of some, Maka was included on the roster. Once the tournament started it was easy to see why Al Caravelli had chosen the youngster. Not only was he strong and quick, but he also showed rugby smarts beyond his years. His rise would have continued if commitments hadn’t kept him from being selected for the first three tournaments of the IRB Sevens Series.

The future only look bright for Maka Unufe. At least he gets is started out well with This Is American Rugby’s Youth Player of the Year Award.

Sika is a smart guy with a long professional rugby career behind him. When he retired from rugby, I asked him about coaching, and he said he was certainly interested, but needed to settle back at home first. I am pleased to see that didn’t take too long. To have Sika back in the game in the USA is a positive thing, just as it has been when other former Eagles get involved in pushing rugby forward.

But for me, the special aspect about Sika is that he is Polynesian. Rugby in America is a wonderful cross-section of ethnicities. What used to be considered, on these shores at least, a heavily-white game is not so anymore. Players of Tonga, Samoan, Fijian, and Hawaiian descent have all done their part to make that happen.

The next step is to encourage opportunities for those players in the coaching ranks.

One of the curious things I’ve seen in this sport is that we have plenty of Polynesian coaches, but they are often coaching teams that are 80-95% Polynesian. Same goes, to some extent, for Kenyan coaches. But why should that be? Just as Kevin Battle and Don Ferrell are considered top coaches (not top African-American coaches), why can’t we recognize the success of the likes of Olo Fifita (who helped coach Hayward to a national club title), or Kenyan Kevin Immonje, who has led Boston’s 7s team back to prominence?

I would love to see more Polynesian coaches emerge as coaches for select sides, college teams, and eventually the Eagles, not because we need a Pacific guy on the list, but because they know what they’re doing. We all know the names – coaches we have respect for, or players who are close to retirement and who would make outstanding coaches when they hang up the boots.

And I think they should be encouraged, not through some need for affirmative action, but simply because it’s a talent pool the sport needs to take advantage of.

It’s logical, of course, that if you have a national team with a lot of Polynesian players on it, having a Polynesian coach could help with communication, but I hesitate to make that argument. A Tongan coach shouldn’t just be there for the Tongans on the team, he’s there for all of us.

Good luck Salesi, I hope you do well. You will certainly learn a lot (and good coach does). And, no pressure, but I hope your appointment helps mainstream the idea that not only are Polynesian and Kenyan coaches valuable and smart and good at what they do, but that is true regardless of the ethnic makeup of the team they are coaching.

“His business is growing and he’s had to put a lot more time and attention into his business,” said Whalen of Law, “so it’s a good decision to have him focus on that.”

Sika, formerly of French Top 14 Castres Olympique, was an All American at BYU and an Eagle on the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cup squads. He retired from the professional game last year and has returned to school in pursuit of his PhD.

“He’s a really smart guy, super smart, and just said, ‘Look, I don’t have tons of time, but if I’m going to commit to this, I’m going 110%,’” said Whalen, “And I said, ‘Great, welcome to the club,’ and he agreed to come on, and he’ll be basically running the whole deal for us in 2012.”

Whalen said he considered a handful of other coaches, “(but) Salesi’s name kept coming up and coming up, so I called him and took him out to lunch, and he took a couple of weeks. He checked me out and checked the team out and talked to Mike Palefau and a lot of other guys that he knows, and he saw my commitment to it. He went up to the facility and saw the facility that I’m building.”

Whalen broke ground on a training facility some months ago, and though not yet open to the public, it’s been occupied by the Warriors plenty during the offseason.

“We’ve been going hardcore fitness, I mean hardcore fitness, for the last month. I’m not just saying it because they’re my boys, but I hope the other teams are in shape, because we’re going to hang a lot of freaking points on these teams when we play,” said Whalen.

“These boys are in shape, like no-joke in shape. Having Salesi out there running with them, and not only bringing that, but bringing his playing experience, is phenomenal…He gets the game and understands the game, plus he’s a cool dude.”

Sika’s title with the Warriors is coach, but, says Whalen, it’s not impossible Sika will make his way onto the field.

“It’s funny, he’s actually been playing quite a bit with the boys. He’ll go out and run with them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him in a Warrior uniform as well, too.”

He never left, of course, and only had to pass on national team opportunities because of school, work, and family. Nobody ever said Palefau, who helped Las Vegas to a 2010 national DI club championship and the Utah Warriors to a successful launch in the Super League, couldn’t play. And he’s proven that again.

In two 7s tournaments where the USA were inconsistent, Palefau was one player determined to take charge. He seemed ready to attack at any opportunity, and challenged defenders to stop him.

The result has been six tries in 12 games to lead the team.

“I’m feeling good and have no injuries,” Palefau told RUGBYMag.com. “I’m definitely a lot more comfortable at center and enjoy playing there.”

Now fans will want to see Palefau’s confidence reflected in the rest of the team. Some have shown it, but not all at the same time. Palefau expects it.

“The guys spirits are pretty high and everyone is fired up for the weekend,” he said. “I feel all the games in our pool are winnable, can’t wait to play.”

This Is American Rugby: The 2012 Super League schedule has come out and the teams will be playing an all-time high of 8 games. How important is it for you as an owner to have four (possibly more with playoffs) home games?

Sean Whalen: The more games the better! I’d love to see even more games with more teams across the country. The 2012 season will be a great set up for all the teams and the warriors are excited about the opportunity to play every team once at home and once away. It’ll allow us to have even more opportunity for fans to come watch us play and learn the great sport of rugby!

TIAR: Have the Warriors settled on a venue for next year?

SW: We are going to play 3 of our home games in Salt Lake County, and one home game in Utah County. We will announce the venues in January.

TIAR: What are the Warriors doing to bring more fans out to games next year? What will the game day experience be like?

SW: Expect to see some new and exciting things for the 2012 season! Last season we really tried to get the fans, especially the youth involved with the Warriors. At our first home game we gave away 100 rugby balls to the first 100 kids through the gate. We got a lot of feedback from the fans, and they loved that. We are planning to do that at every match in 2012. We will also have a lot of half time opportunity for fans to win Warrior gear, prizes, and money. Expect to see a lot of exciting opportunity for fans to be involved with interact with the team! Follow the Warriors on Facebook to find out all the match activities and all new and real-time updates!

TIAR: What are you doing to bring in players for next year? Will players like John van der Giessen be returning?

SW: The great thing about being in Utah with the Warriors is the fact that there is more rugby talent here than any other place in the U.S.A. Having John on the squad last year was fantastic, and we hope to be able to have him play with us again in 2012. We have put a lot of focus on the talent here in Utah, and getting that talent in shape and ready for the season. The Warrior roster will be similar to last year, but expect to see some new names on there, and some names you have seen playing a lot of international rugby.

TIAR: Mike Palefau and Maka Unufe have been integrated into the U.S.A. 7′s team and could miss a big part of next season. How does the team cope with potentially losing a couple of its key players in the middle of the season?

SW: The goal of the Warriors is to be a team that U.S.A. Rugby can have a large pool of potential players to choose from for the Eagles. Having two of the best players in American on our team is absolutely fantastic. Loosing them to international play is hard for the Warriors because of their tremendous talent, but at the same time it is an exciting thing for us. To watch our teammates represent the U.S.A. is something we are all proud of, and is the end goal of many of our players. Ryan Chapman was able to get his first cap this year, players like Matt Byrd are on the U.S.A. radar and Maka Unufe not only put on a U.S.A. jersey, but he scored 2 tries in his very first game. We know that having that type of talent could mean loosing those players, but the Warrior organization is working to build depth on our squad, so when the Eagles call up players we can fill those spots and keep winning.

TIAR: Are there any plans to play games outside of the league schedule? Friendlies perhaps?

SW: We are looking at playing a few matches with co California teams in Vegas during the 7′s tournament and we are trying to coordinate a trip to play Glendale as well. We’ve scheduled a preseason match with the University of Utah on February 4th.

I don’t want to say it was an easy decision, but I knew I wanted to stay and play with the Warriors.

Between National obligations during the summer, Palefau played 7s with the Warriors and helped them qualify for the National Club 7s Championships in San Francisco Aug. 6-7, the first weekend after the start of the Eagles camp in preparation for RWC warm-up matches with Japan and Canada.

The week prior to the start of camp, Palefau and Warrior teammate Jason Pye started their own business – a weight loss camp. O’Sullivan granted Palefau amnesty on missing the first week of camp to help get his business going, and gave him the OK to join the Eagles Sunday the 7th. Then O’Sullivan caught wind that Palefau planned to play for the Warriors at 7s Nationals on the 6th and 7th before joining the team.

“He found out that my team was saying I was going to go to Nationals. He told me not to go, and then I decided to go and that’s kind of it,” Palefau said. The fullback prospect was then eliminated from consideration for the World Cup.

With the RWC in the rear view mirror, having passed him by for the second time, does Palefau regret choosing to play for the Warriors at Nationals?

“I don’t really regret it. If I would have went, I would have been wondering what happened with my business, same with my team,” he said. “I wanted to be there with all my friends that I trained with in the summer. I don’t want to say it was an easy decision, but I knew I wanted to stay and play with the Warriors.”

Palefau had to miss the Pan Am Games because of a work commitment, but he says his job has been supportive since, and he’ll likely be available most, if not all, of the World Series season this time around.

It might seem strange, that Palefau would forego a shot at the World Cup to play 7s. He says doesn’t necessarily like the game of 7s better, but the atmosphere.

“It’s more a close-knit group with the 7s team, as opposed to the 15s, just because there’s so many guys,” he said. “The actual game, I probably like 15s better. When you have to be away for a long time, the 7s team is more like a family, so it makes it a little easier to go away on a long tour.”

There are a lot of new members to the family headed to the Gold Coast. Guys who weren’t on the team when Palefau was a regular, the fastest man on the team. Palefau notices he’s not the only speedster anymore.

“Yeah I know,” he said laughing. “I’m just trying to get my strength up and my weight. I’ve probably pu ton 16 pounds, so I’m almost 220, so I’m trying to be a little more powerful. I’m trying not to rely too much on my speed, just trying to get through half gaps and offload and set guys up.”

Palefau, once a wing, will likely spend most of his time at center in Australia and going forward.

In one game for the USA 7s team, at a critical moment, the Eagles had the ball and started attacking through the backs. Out on the wing, Maka Unufe was ready for the pass and started creeping up level with center Mile Pulu. Pulu was slightly held up by the defense, and Unufe quickly changed his speed, fell back, and not only put himself onside, but put himself in a position to, once again, run onto a Pulu pass.

In the Bronze med match against Uruguay, Unufe was set up for the pass, but the pass went behind him. Unflustered, the wing gathered the ball, took a moment to assess what was in front of him, and burst through a gap to score a key try.

Later on he had the ball again with the USA behind and time ticking away. Unufe saw he didn’t have the space to run around the defense, and cut back in, ducking and wriggling until support was there to win the ball from the ruck. From that possession, the Eagles scored the winning try.

For 19 years old, he’s been just phenomenal. I think he’s a star in the making.

Of these three events, only one involved Unufe scoring a try, which is something he did six times at the Pan-Am Games, to lead the tournament. But what they all showed was awareness. He didn’t panic. He avoided the trap of the over-eager young speedster, who runs too fast and gets a forward pass, or tries to avoid contact when it’s inevitable, and therefore loses the game.

In short, he showed us something. He wasn’t perfect. At only 19 he was caught out of position on defense once or twice, but with his astounding speed, and his knowledge of how to stay deep and run onto the ball, he’s a keeper.

“For 19 years old, he’s been just phenomenal,” said USA 7s Head Coach Al Caravelli. “I think he’s a star in the making. I mean a kid like that? He has 2016 and 2020 in his sights. If he does the hard work required to be a world class athlete, and an Olympian; he’s got the God-given athletic ability, and now he just needs to put in that work to blossom into a world-class player.”

“Making this team, it’s crazy, man; it’s fun,” Unufe told RUGBYMag.com. “I didn’t know it was going to happen, definitely not this quickly. Without my teammates I wouldn’t have the confidence to do some of these things. I put it all on them.”

Caravelli has had extensive conversions with Unufe, who turned many heads playing for United at the USA National U19 Championships. He says the teenager had the right attitude and will continue to work on his game. But right now, he made an outstanding start – leading the Pan-Am Games in tries, and showing a good head for space and timing. It’s all, says Caravelli, in his hands now.

These athletes work with the best trainers in the best facilities, and we are ecstatic to have so many high level athletes training here.

“The number one focus has been to design a state-of-the-art facility that is functional and not just another gym with bikes and treadmills,” said Warriors owner Sean Whalen.

“I wanted to offer elite athletes a facility equivalent to that of a DI sports program, or professional sports team, and to also offer the public a truly unique experience to train alongside NFL players, NBA players, UFC athletes and World Cup rugby players.

“We will also have state-of-the-art rehabilitation and recovery facilities such as ice and warm plunge pools, treatment rooms, locker rooms, yoga and pilates studios and a few other things I’ll keep secret until the grand opening.”

Head Coach John Tyler will not bring Old Puget Sound Beach speedsters Isi Daveta or Fili Botitu, a decision perhaps influenced by the USA coach Al Caravelli’s request to not bring players who weren’t USA eligible.

The squad has not been finalized, but it does appear that OPSB stalwarts Nu’u Punimata, Miles Craigwell and Alipate Tuilevuka will all join the Grizzlies, as will 2010 NASC MVP Mile Pulu from East Palo Alto. Pulu, of course, played his 15s with San Francisco Golden Gate, and three other SFGG players, the speedy Folau Niua, bruising Siupeli Sakalia, and indomitable Mose Timoteo, should also suit up with the PCRFU.

From Utah, Mike Palefau and Jason Pye are unconfirmed possibilities, but all eyes are on the youngster Maka Unufe, previously of the United U19 program and the Utah Warriors 7s team. The rangy back is a supreme attacking talent, and still a teenager.

Unufe was a star of the national U19 final, which United lost to Highland. He scored two tries and was electric.

“Anyone who watched [knows] he is dynamite,” said United Head Coach Colin Puriri after that match. “That kid, he’s got speed, he’s aggressive, he’s got defense. This is only his first real year playing rugby. He’s a local kid, and when he touches the ball, he’s dynamic.”

A few other players, some high profile, could well join the currently incomplete squad, and as always, Tyler has been on the lookout for young, possibly overlooked talent. The coach has a history of plucking players, especially young Polynesian athletes, out of relative obscurity and into the limelight.

This Is American Rugby: Now that you have completed your first year, how do you feel it is going on and off the field?

Sean Whalen: I think everything is going fantastic. The Warriors have a few players that will be representing the USA in the World Cup this fall in NZ and we are extremely proud of our players. The Warriors came together very quickly under the leadership of Jon Law, and we did amazing things year one in the Super League. On and off the field, it’s amazing to see how much talk is still going on about the Utah Warriors and it’s players. Utah has some of the best rugby players in the world, and the Warriors are thrilled to showcase that talent. The Warriors begin camp this fall, and will be bringing a team in 2012 that will be very difficult to beat. The attitude from the team has been to rise to the level we know we can play at because 2011 although a great year, was not how we wanted to finish.

TIAR: Are you pleased by the response of the rugby community in Utah?

SW: Rugby has a HUGE base of fans in Utah. We were able to put things together this year and get Warrior Nation started, and the Utah Warriors loves the fans and loves Warrior Nation!

TIAR: You stated at the beginning of last year that planned on playing at Rio Tinto Stadium (home of Real Salt Lake) but ended up playing at the University of Utah. What caused the change?

SW: There were circumstances that caused us to not have Rio Tinto work out as planned. We would have loved to play there, but because of timing, getting accepted into the league and other considerations it did not work for us to call that home this year. Maybe next year if things allow.

SW: Rio Tinto is a great facility and we are still looking there as a possibility to play a game or two. Candidly the Warriors have many options around Salt Lake County for playing in 2012. One thing is for sure, the Warriors will have a schedule much further in advance next year and will be able to rally and grow Warrior Nation to be able to come support the team. We will absolutely have a top level facility next year where we will play our home matches.

TIAR: Does the lack of concessions and ticket sales at the University of Utah affect your ability to get sponsorships and your ambitions to one day professionalize the team?

SW: Not at all. In fact we did not seek out any sponsors year one, and have yet to seek out any sponsors in year two yet. That is not to say we will not consider or look at a sponsorship, but I wanted to build the value of this team before looking for a financial partner. We received a significant amount of press year one, year two will be an opportunity for us to grow that even more, and I believe it will be a great opportunity to start talking with some sponsors as they see the continued growth with the Warriors.

TIAR: Because the Warriors are a new kind of team in the Super League, some worried about the financial health of the club in the long-term. How are the finances of the team looking?

SW: Team and finances are looking good. I never intended to just toy around with the team, or with the Super League. I see the future of rugby growing in America, and I want to be an intricate part of that growth. Having the Warriors be a solid, stable and growing entity will allow us to showcase what can be done with a little vision and financing. I suspect there will be many more Utah Warrior type “teams” built as an organization in the near future.

TIAR: Do feel that lack in number of regular season Super League games has a negative impact on your visibility in the community? If so, how? How do you go about compensating for that?

SW: Absolutely. One agenda item for the summer Super League meeting is the expansion and growth of not only the league but of the games played. I absolutely want to see more games. I’d love to have a 6-8 game home season. I can see that happening over the next few years. In the mean time we compensate for that by making each home game in 2012 a MAJOR event! We have a few curtain raiser games before the Warrior games, and we produce each game as almost a concert like event. Lots of excitement, lots of “hands on” for the fans.

TIAR: How are you reaching out to the media?

SW: We have been fortunate to have a lot of media covering the team. We want to put out a good product, and we hope the media will report on the movements and growth of the team. Having the media cover the team is a big deal and we greatly appreciate the media support!

TIAR: What are you doing to lure new people out to watch Warriors games?

SW: Facebook has been a great marketing tool for us and we will continue to work the social media avenues. Next season we will roll out a few additional marketing efforts. Expect to see the Utah Warriors and Warrior Nation everywhere you look!

TIAR: There has been some debate about moving the rugby season to the Fall rather than the Spring. Would that be something the Warriors might potentially support?

SW: It should would help with regards to weather. I don’t like the idea as much because it conflicts with Football, and truthfully rugby is not big enough yet to compete with football. It will be someday, but not yet. I like the fact we as a team, and the public now have a sport to attach to in the spring.

TIAR: You’ve had several players play for the national team since you began. Is it your goal to produce national team players?

SW: It’s not the goal or ambition to farm the players or grow those players, but it’s our goal to run an organization that will be competitive on a global scale that we can attract top national talent. I believe we have had some players seeking us out and wanting to come play with the Warriors because they know our organization will take care of them and treat them right. This is only getting better. With the opening of the Warriors training facility this fall, we will only be attracting more and more top level national talent to come play with the Warriors.

TIAR: Did John van der Giessen approach the team, or did the team approach him about playing with the Warriors after his time with Bath? (Would you like to approach more returning national team players?)

SW: John came home to get ready for the Cup. He did not really have anywhere to play, so instead of being up in Idaho working to stay in shape, we invited him to come play with us to stay in shape. I think it would be a wise move on every Super League’s team to open up their arms to National Players. Look, we all want to win the Super League Championship, but everyone I know in the Super League is looking to grow and expand rugby. We would be stupid not to look for opportunity as a league and as individual teams to get those guys who will be playing on the National team, to play with us to stay in shape. The Super League has the best players in the country, plain and simple. Having John play with a D1 team, or a club team does him no good. He needs to be refining his skills with the best players America has, and that is why he and others should be playing in the Super League to get ready to represent the USA on a global scale. I would absolutely love to have John back and would love to have as many top level players who are interested in playing come talk with the Warriors.

TIAR: This is your first season of 7′s rugby, how has that been going?

SW: This was our first season for the 7′s team and we are 14-0 so far, and we just won the Pacific Region Championships. I believe we have the best 7′s team in the country, plain and simple. We will shortly find out at Nationals, but if I was a betting man (which I am) I would put my money on the Warriors 7′s being National Champions in their very first year. Not a bad way to launch!

TIAR: In your press release you stated that the Warriors 7′s team would “consist of many of the best USA Sevens and US Eagles players.” Which players have you been able to attract?

SW: Mike Palefau was with the Warriors 15′s Super league team. He has been one the 7′s team, and he is one of the best all around rugby players in America. He is a brilliant rugby talent and great guy to have on the team. We also have Jason Pye who has played for the Eagles 7′s squad. Another brilliant rugby mind. There area few more players that have dabbled with the National team, but these tow guys are probably the best in the business.

TIAR: Have you approached either BYU or Utah about staging an exhibition 7′s match during halftime of one of their football games? If not, is that something you are looking to do?

SW: Not yet, but that is a great idea! We will have to look into that!

TIAR: Do you think the future of rugby in this country is in the 7′s game or in the 15′s game?

SW: I can see both taking off. I see rugby as a sport generating momentum at a rapid pace. I think 15′s will be easier for America to grab on to. It’s so close to football, I think it’ll be easy, but 7′s has the sheer excitement that people will love. I can see 15′s being set up and structured much like the NFL with multiple teams across America, and 80 minute games being played in big stadiums. I think that concept is close to happening. I can see 7′s being more of a circuit structure where you will have 2-3 day tournaments across America multiple times a year.

TIAR: You recently took over the Highland rugby programme. What are your plans for the programme? Do you plan to change much of what Coach Gelwix has put into place over the last 30 years?

SW: Larry Gelwix has built a dynasty. He is the most winning coach in the world. It will be hard to top what he has done. Whatever the Warriors can do to help Highland rugby to continue on the tradition to stay on top of rugby we will do.

TIAR: What do you think is the best thing for growing rugby in this country?

SW: I believe rugby just needs a chance. Without exception every single person I know who has ever seen a rugby game in person has loved it! I think that is what we need. We need people to just give it a small chance, and I will grow on them. The rugby community needs to know that right now money is not the name of the game, it’s exposure. The more exposure we can give rugby in America, to America, the faster and larger it will grow.

In addition to the current Utah Warriors team in the Rugby Super League (RSL), the Warriors franchise will expand into the following teams during the remainder of 2011 and into the 2012 season:

Division 1- Due to the large amount of players, and limited spots on their Super League roster, the Utah Warriors have decided to enter a team in the Division 1.  Their first season will begin in 2012.

Utah Warriors principal Sean Whalen said, “We are excited about getting a Division 1 team in place as soon as possible. Players in Utah saw the fantastic opportunity the Utah Warriors provided this season, and we want to ensure our Division 1 and Super League teams are competing every year for a National Championship. The Warriors Division 1 team will quickly become the best D1 team in the country because Utah has some of the best rugby talent in America”.

USA Sevens- The Utah Warriors Sevens team will consist of many of the best USA Sevens and US Eagles players in America.  They begin their three-month season in June, with the championships occurring at the end of August. It is anticipated the Warrior Sevens team will play around theglobe at various tournaments through out the year, and will be heavily involved with the rapidly growing movement in Sevens rugby.

Highland High School- Highland has the most successful high school rugby team in the history of U.S. rugby, and was the inspiration for the movie “Forever Strong.”  The Utah Warriors, along with famed Highland coach Larry Gelwix have agreed that the Utah Warriors organization will assume management and future operations of the Highland High teams after Mr. Gelwix steps down at the end of the 2011 season.

We want Utah rugby to be able to be the largest producer of top talent for the U.S. Eagles to select from, and for National teams to contract players to play professionally around the globe.

Haloti Liava has been chosen as the new Highland Varsity team head coach, and beginning next season, a new position has been created at Highland, Director of Rugby Operations.  This position will oversee all aspects of rugby with the newly formed partnership and organization between the Utah Warriors and Highland Rugby, The HighlandWarriors.

Jon Law, head coach for the Utah Warriors, has accepted this Director position. The Highland teams will keep many of the legendary traditions of winning coach Larry Gelwick, as he transitions into a full-time service mission for the L.D.S. church.

“Our goal is to be able to support Utah rugby from rookie rugby and the youth programs, all the way to the U.S. Eagles” said Utah Warrior’s principal Sean Whalen.

“We want Utah rugby to be able to be the largest producer of top talent for the U.S. Eagles to select from, and for National teams to contract players to play professionally around the globe.”

With the Utah Warriors involved in rugby from youth programs up to the national team, there is a consistency that will beable to create best-in-breed players for the national team, and teams aroundthe globe.

College teams often need the approving nod from a club sports director or student government official. For high school teams, it’s athletic directors, school officials and parents. Club teams are always soliciting sponsorships, and often from companies run by non-parishioners. At the highest level, USA 7s is selling the sport of rugby to television networks, and its coaching staff is targeting high-level football players.

Sure, the rugby community does a good job of taking care of its own. Clubs are largely funded by alumni donations, and several ruggers have done quite well for themselves and provided something to the game. This very publication is as good an example of that as any. But if American rugby is truly going to grow to the heights we all hope, it needs the attention of more outsiders like Sean Whalen.

“This isn’t a pro bono deal, this isn’t a charity. It’s not my brother’s team that I’m just supporting and trying to find plastic trophies at the end of the year for,” Whalen told RUGBYMag.com. “I know that we can make money with this. We’ve run the numbers, and we know we can make this thing profitable from day one.”

When news broke of the Utah Warriors being accepted into the Super League, it was unclear what the team was all about. The fact that Jon Law, president of the Utah Rugby Union, was the head coach led some to believe the Warriors would be a Utah select side. We knew there was a financial backer, but we weren’t sure who it was or to what extent he/she would be involved. Now, it’s clear. Whalen has joined forces with Law and a handful of other people from the Utah rugby community in an effort to create a professional rugby team.

“I’ve owned my own business, I’ve been an entrepreneur for a number of years, and I realize that a professional sporting organization is a fantastic opportunity, and if you can get in and help mold the future, that’s an even better opportunity, and that’s what I see with the Super League,” said Whalen.

“I’m a firm believer in ‘if you build it, they will come,’ and the reality is nobody’s actually stepped up and put a good product in front of the marketplace. If the product is good enough anybody will buy. There’s always money, there’s always investors, there’s always somebody willing to come and see what you’re doing.”

Whalen is a self-admitted mixed martial arts (MMA) fan, and it’s the meteoric rise of that sport, and really the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), from fringe sport to a premier, money-making venture that has inspired Whalen to invest in rugby, in which he sees a lot of parallels to MMA.

“If you look at what the UFC has done over the last couple years, it’s the perfect sport. It’s got a mixture of covering multiple different bases from jiu jitsu to Muay Thai to karate to boxing to flat out street fighting,” said Whalen.

“When you look at soccer in America, soccer hasn’t really even caught on in America. It still is a boring sport to everybody here, but when you add the football component to it, where now guys could get nailed instead getting red carded, that adds a lot of excitement to it. The same thing with MMA; I’m not going to watch a karate match, I’m not going to go watch a guy roll around and wrestle for three or four hours, but if I can watch a guy wrestle and then punch a guy in the face, that’s pretty cool.”

What will ultimately make or break the Warriors’ ability to be a profitable entity is their ability to put butts in Rio Tinto Stadium seats. It’s how all viable professional sports leagues began and how they work today. Television contracts now make up a large piece of the pie for the NFL, MLB and NBA, but they were non-existent when those leagues were formed. While TV is part of Whalen’s long term plan, it’s not the immediate concern. Attendance is, and Utah has a history of attending its high-profile rugby events.

“We tend to draw very large crowds. We’ve had 5,000 plus for each of the national championships the past few years that have been played here, and that’s just for the U19/High School championships, so we’ve got a base that’s excited about rugby,” said Law, who played on four national championship Highland teams from ’89-’92. “We’ve done some of the marketing in the area. We know that the community will support the team. We know we can put fans in the stands to watch the games.”

You have kind of a fine line of the old school and the new school, and I think a lot of people are always scared of change or scared of the new school

Being an outsider, Whalen believes he possesses the business sense and know-how that rugby administrators and higher-ups often lack. “Tell them to keep their eyes on the Utah Warriors in 2011 and they will know how to monetize a rugby team,” he said.

“If every team was playing on an even field, in the sense that they all had $50,000 a year to market or a $100,000 a year to market, most of these guys have no backing in that. They’re firefighters, they’re policemen. They know nothing about marketing, they know nothing about business.

“They’re phenomenal rugby players, they’re kick ass rugby players, but the reality is somebody’s got to stand at the helm of the ship and say ‘Guys, I’m going to market, I’m going to get people here. We want you to focus on playing rugby.’ My thought process is the Utah Warriors are going to be able to plant that flag in the ground…and really what I’d like to do as an individual is offer to the league that vision and that opportunity, and I really do think they’ll catch on to it.”

Whalen, while confident in his ability to build a company, is not unaware of the pride, effort and hard work possessed and put in by the administrators and shepherds of the game he’s talking about.

“Without a doubt, you have to be respectful of the guys that are playing the game,” Whalen said. “(Professional rugby) is going to happen one way or another, so if it’s going to happen, why not have those guys there molding it and shaping it so that it’s what they want to see or what they want to do, because one way or another there are going to be guys like me popping up all over the country. There already are.”

“You have kind of a fine line of the old school and the new school, and I think a lot of people are always scared of change or scared of the new school,” Whalen said.

Utah’s battle with the ’old school’ is not done, and it’ll likely serve as motivational fodder for some of the Warriors’ opponents this spring. However, Whalen is determined to turn the Warriors and the Super League into commercial entities. For the time being, the Super League seems open to letting him try.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take a chance, and I think everybody sort of bashes the Super League over the years about, ‘Well you’re a closed shop, you don’t do this, you don’t do that,’” said RSL president Sean Kelly, “and I think and I hope that these guys have a good vision, and they’re going to use it and they’re going to see how it turns out.”