Bringing the domain of Major League Rugby all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, Rugby United New York joins MLR’s second season. Though they’ve yet to play a league match, they’ve managed to produce a constant string of headlines since they announced their existence back during the 2018 season. The biggest of which, arguably, announced the signing of English international Ben Foden to the roster. Foden has yet to suit up for RUNY, though reports suggest he’ll be arriving in New York this week.

Only an associate member of MLR in 2018, the side has been limited to a string of exhibition matches. In those matches, RUNY has yet to lose. Unfortunately, a fender bender when leaving NYC prevented a much anticipated friendly against the Toronto Arrows this past weekend. The Battle of the Border (or my preferred name, the Niagara Bowl) will have to wait til June 2.

Regardless, the talent collected in the Big Apple is undeniable. A strong Irish connection, in particular, has benefited the blue and orange. With the pedigree they’ve assembled from former Eagles’ head coach Mike Tolkin and his staff all the way down to players pulled from the local club scene, it is difficult to imagine RUNY not being competitive this year. But with so little time together and so few real challenging exhibitions under their belt, parsing exactly where they stand is a challenge.

2018 Review

2018 was only an exhibition season for RUNY, so we’ll also look at some of the 2019 preseason fixtures here to try and get a better sense of where the men from the Big Apple stand.

It all began in March 2018 with a friendly against the predecessor of fellow expansion team Toronto Arrows. RUNY met the then Ontario Arrows at Iona College and sent them packing back to Canada with a 19-32 loss. At the time, that contest took a back seat in fanfare to the upcoming fixture against constant NYC rival Boston. But now, having seen how successful the Ontario and then Toronto Arrows have been in their own exhibition schedule, this win is arguably RUNY’s finest.

Next on the friendly schedule was the Mystic River Rugby Club from Boston. Perhaps the true first battle in the so-called “Cold War” series, this one would not be nearly as close as the 2019 exhibition against the New England Freejacks. In this one, RUNY would send off Mystic River by a score of 50-0.

Skipping ahead to 2019, RUNY had scheduled matches against New England, DC Selects, and the Toronto Arrows in a final warm-up.

The Freejacks match was closer than anticipated, with RUNY needing a penalty goal at the death to nab the win. Their unbeaten record in friendlies remained intact, but some of the mystique faded.

The following fixture with the DC Selects, however, saw RUNY back in fine form. They sliced and diced the visiting club team from the get-go, with contributions across the roster. Though the scoreboard stopped operating in the latter portion of the game, the score was already better than 70-0 at that point and is believed to have ended at 100-plus-0. A particular stand out, even amidst the total war barrage, was Seimou Smith, who was also the first try scorer against New England.

The big rematch with Toronto, much to everyone’s frustration, was canceled when a fender bender on the drive to Buffalo delayed RUNY to the extent that they could not arrive on time to play. That, for the first time, felt like a real starting 15 and a real chance to preview what RUNY would look like at their best. Alas, it will now have to wait till Round 1 against the San Diego Legion.

Key Additions

As RUNY did not have a team in the league last year, all their players can be considered additions. But let’s just review some of the biggest and perhaps a couple of the most underappreciated.

England international Ben Foden is, in all likelihood, the most accomplished rugby player in the MLR today. Foden was an England international who was, for a time, the first choice full back. He owned that role during England’s 2011 Rugby World Cup. He will be both coaching and playing for RUNY this year.

Former Leinster fly half Cathal Marsh also joins the team. Stuck behind Johnny Sexton for the foreseeable future, Marsh crosses the pond to don the #10 shirt in New York.

Another notable signing this offseason was assistant coach Tiff Faaee. Tiff was the captain of the Eagles in the last women’s Rugby World Cup and won a club national title with New York Rugby Club. She is the first female professional coach in the MLR.

The list of notable additions goes on. Eagle Paddy Ryan, Marcus Walsh, and Ross Deacon return from Austin Elite Rugby for this second season. Matt Hughston comes in from NOLA Gold. Eagles Mike Petri, Luke Hume, and John Quill sing on as well.

However, two additions that may go relatively unnoticed among the bigger-name signings are Anthony Parry and Seimou Smith. Parry is a loose head prop who saw some reserve time on loan to NOLA last season. With his limited looks in the bayou, he still managed to be one of the side’s most effective forward ball carriers. He is disciplined and technical in the scrum. Look for Parry to have a breakout year and be in the discussion for best loose heads in the MLR.

Likewise, Seimou Smith has the makings of a future star and USA Eagle. He was a 2017 College All-American honorable mention. His speed and quickness in attack set him apart on the pitch, though the jury remains out on his defense. Regardless, if he gets regular playing time this season he could very well end up in the top five try scorers in the league.

TV Contract & Stadium

In an exciting move, RUNY announced that local sports network SNY will air nine matches this year. In terms of local coverage, that is hard to beat. Best known as the network of the New York Mets, SNY is a staple in the New York sports-watching scene.

With no paywall and bars across the city showing SNY by default, that is a lot of new eyeballs on rugby. As TV providers go, this one is a home run. Of course, no financial details are available. Supporters will hope that SNY is providing a source of revenue rather than a new cost. That remains unknown.

The stadium choice of MCU Park is more controversial. Located in historic Coney Island, MCU Park is home of the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets’ minor league affiliate). It is also accessible through many subway lines, which is critical for success in the city. But those subway rides will be bordering on 90 minutes for people in midtown Manhattan. That travel time may be prohibitive.

If RUNY plays it well, they will set up partnerships with the local Coney Island attractions and establishments to make matches a more comprehensive, all-day experience that can justify the long trip.

Also worth noting, MCU Park seats 7,000, which is on the larger side for MLR crowds. In America’s most populous city, how many seats RUNY can fill will be an interesting data point when contemplating the long-term financial viability of MLR.

2019 Outlook

Looking strictly at RUNY’s roster and coaching staff, they seem like they could be the best team in the league. But it is always a fool’s errand to play rugby matches on paper. Their track record together is far behind the teams that had MLR’s first season to gel. How will they fare against the likes of Seattle Seawolves or Glendale Raptors, who have already logged so many hours as a team?

A lot will ride on two elements.

The first will be the set piece. Being able to gain advantage through the set piece will be important in giving RUNY the time it needs to work out its expansion team kinks. Some missed connections or suboptimal lines are easier to overcome when you can keep the lion’s share of the possession through work in the set piece. In this, RUNY looks to have the right tools, at least. Paddy Ryan will anchor the scrum and if he can stay healthy is one of the best scrummagers on offer. Eagle’s Nate Brakely and Dylan Fawsitt should lose no time working in the lineout. And a potent back row featuring the likes of John Quill, Ross Deacon, and Matt Hughston will help manage the breakdowns.

The second element will be the play of Marsh at fly half. He will need to organize the forces without knowing them particularly well (at least most of them). Tolkin is a strong backs coach, but with no obvious replacement in the event Marsh fails or gets hurt, a lot rides on his shoulders. In the early going, he looks up for it. Against the DC Selects, his decision making and feel for the offense liked finely-tuned. Of course, it is easy to say that when your team is winning by a century. He’ll need to bring that same field vision to bear against the top contenders in the MLR if RUNY wants to be the last ones standing this summer.