United States Of Rugby Shows The Realities Of Rugby Union In The U.S.

At a time when sports docuseries are a dime a dozen, The United States of Rugby stands out by focusing on the human element of a sport that is on the cusp of breaking into mainstream American consciousness. The six-episode rugby documentary series available on Roku Sports Channel follows Major League Rugby club the Chicago Hounds during their second season (2024) in the competition.

Along the way, viewers meet budding stars like rookie sensation Noah Brown and veteran winger Nate Augspurger. They also see the realities of life as an athlete in an emerging sports league: filled with bumps and bruises, limited pay, and lots of travel. According to the series director, Alex Donnelly, United States of Rugby is “for people who are looking for the next big thing, and looking to get in at the beginning.”

Peter Bernick got in at the beginning despite not being a rugby man. He joined the Hounds ownership team shortly after its inception, adding much-needed investment to the franchise. In a recent interview with the Rugby Pod, Bernick admitted that he got involved with the MLR club seeking a long-term return on investment.

The documentary was Bernick’s brainchild. After getting into the ownership group, alongside plenty of experienced rugby veterans, Bernick said he watched all the rugby documentaries he could find (of which there aren’t many) and was left dissatisfied. Seeing the potential to grow the sport and captivate a major audience, he proposed producing a series that gave viewers a look behind the curtain, a la Drive to Survive.

In Bernick’s words, “The reason we decided to do the show was to highlight the culture of the sport and more importantly the people who make it such a wonderful game.

As such, the show takes the audience on a journey into the Hounds’ locker room and houses, tackling the highs and lows of a compelling season. What could have been an awkward experience for players quickly became the norm. Speaking to me at a press event about the series, Augspurger said that the documentary crew “became part of the team.” They traveled alongside the players, and by the end of the season, he admits they “didn’t even notice them.”

In his first season during filming, Brown was a little apprehensive about being in front of the camera at first. It was his first time with a camera crew, and he admits he was “anxious not to say stupid things.” However, he quickly became a star of the series as he raced to four tries in his inaugural season and earned his senior test debut for the USA Eagles against Spain.

Moments like Brown’s rise from obscurity to international player are exactly why Alex Donnelly agreed to direct the project. Not usually one for sports stories, Donnelly saw the opportunity to capture intimate conversations and help viewers fall in love with rugby, which he calls “an incredibly American game” due to its strategy and physicality.

Rugby has a global following of over 500 million fans and estimates suggest the U.S. has about 55 million fans. However, Major League Rugby, North America’s domestic competition, remains nascent. Ahead of this season (its eighth), the league signed an improved broadcast deal with ESPN, but even that will struggle to elevate MLR to the level of the NHL or MLS. According to Donnelly, what people need to fall in love with the sport are heroes. This is why he chose to hone in on captivating personal storylines, like Noah’s rise to the top of a sport that is yet to be fully embraced by the American public.

What he found striking about the players he filmed was the conviction they have for the sport they love despite some of the conditions they continue to play in. They pour blood, sweat, and tears into a game that “hasn’t quite clicked yet” for most Americans but remains their dream.

Both Augspurger and Brown said they hoped this series showed the special connections rugby players have and their commitment to the sport regardless of how much they get paid. Augspurger specifically noted that as more people in the country are exposed to the game, rugby will continue to get better, it will continue to professionalize and it will be a worthwhile endeavor for those who want to give it a try.

The two biggest things holding the sport back right now are infrastructure and victories, or lack thereof. As Donnelly notes, “We have an opportunity to send this sport to a stratospheric level, but we have to build the infrastructure.” While the Hounds play at SeatGeak Stadium, a 20,000-seater, most MLR stadiums are either not rugby-specific or lack the necessary capacity and amenities to be considered top-tier. The matchday experience, while fun for the average rugby fan, does not yet meet the expectations of the average American sports goer. Moreover, the USA Men’s national team is ranked 15 in the world, with the women are slightly higher at 9. To push attendance higher and garner more interest MLR needs to deliver an amazing product and Americans need to win. As Brown said, “Americans love winners, if you ain’t first, you’re last.”

The Hounds are beginning to win. After a strong second season —captured by the series — the Hounds have begun this season winning four of their first five games. They are tied for third place in the standings and serious about contending for the title this season. As Augspurger said, “The standard is to have a shot at a championship,” noting that on a personal level, he would also like to make the USA Eagles summer tour which includes a men’s and women’s doubleheader in Washington, D.C. against England and Fiji.

Rugby remains a sleeping giant with huge potential and fantastic passion. It has many organizational flaws but if they can be corrected the sport could be catapulted to a new level. As Hounds owner Patrick Bernick says, “The future for rugby in America is very bright. As evidenced by the awarding to the USA of the 2031 and 2033 Men’s and Women’s World Cups, the game at its highest levels is on the way to American shores. Just as importantly, the game is rapidly growing at the youth level and is the fastest growing team sport in America. We are excited to be a part of that growth.”

Fans who tune into the United States of Rugby will see injuries, bruising tackles, comradery, player development, games with half-empty stands, and players who are desperate to ensure that they can play the sport they love for as long as possible. The series excellently explains a sport that is “largely misunderstood in America” according to Bernick, but is poised to join the big leagues of American sports.