Dubai: US rugby coach Al Caravelli feels that the National Football League (NFL) has helped rugby — American football's "grandfather" — integrate well into public consciousness back home.
The sport is growing rapidly according to Caravelli, who has been tasked with overlooking the development of the sport.
Caravelli says rugby's Sevens format and NFL have much in common and the American public, which is particularly fond of sport that is "high-scoring, physical and where the attention span is short", has taken to the Sevens game like ducks to water.
"I think our success is a reflection of USA Rugby and the IRB giving us an opportunity to grow the sport, and we've shown that we were able to achieve full-time status on the Series," Caravelli said.
Perfect
"As the sport continues to grow in the US it is easier to attract athletes to the Sevens game compared to the 15s format. The American public likes a sport that is high-scoring, extremely physical and hitting and where the attention span is short. Rugby Sevens offers that and that's why it is a perfect game for the American public.
"Rugby is the grandfather of American Football and we think that it is good not just for the athletes but also the viewers who watch the NFL where just about 17 games are played every season. With the Sevens game around we'll be able to attract more of that public and probably even split a season with them [NFL]."
Caravelli says rugby getting the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) nod for the 2016 Games, will help grow the sport in a big way in the US because athletes who don't make the NFL cut now have an alternative that could net them an "Olympian" tag.
"There is a lot of interest especially from the universities. We have over 3,000 universities in the US [playing American Football] in different divisions and only about two per cent of those players go on to make the NFL. Now if we can expose those players to rugby sevens in high school and they can't make it in the NFL, but they want to be an Olympian they have the opportunity of a lifetime and can become one.
"The Olympics is going to give us a big boost because what we can offer now is the chance for athletes to become Olympians and the NFL can't offer that."
Caravelli's men were exceptional in their first full IRB World Sevens Series last year. They made the quarterfinals on four occasions and even won the Shield in Dubai with a comfortable victory over hosts Arabian Gulf. The US will field a team featuring a number of new faces and despite the challenge of building the squad in a short time the diminutive Caravelli has high hopes for the 2009-10 season which starts in Dubai this week.
"We hope this season is better. Our goal is to make it a better season where results are concerned. It's going to take a little time because the core members of last year's team went on to sign professional contracts in the bigger versions of the game like the 14s and 15s with some top clubs in Europe and elsewhere.
"Starting this weekend in Dubai we have eight new faces in the team, so the more we can keep them together the more we will start to see success. Hopefully, it will pan out this weekend in Dubai, if not we want to see it continuing through the season.
"We can better last year's performance; I'm sure we can and the quicker the players can come together and build the continuity of the team and the more experience they'll gather the better they'll do," he said.
