Leinster Rugby and Syracuse University Announce Partnership

[LeinsterLeader]

Leinster Rugby and Syracuse University have this afternoon announced a wide-ranging partnership allowing both organisations to utilise the on and off-field expertise of the other.

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is based in New York and has 45 sports clubs, including rugby union and this is the first such partnership for their rugby programme.

Syracuse University RFC was established in 1969 and as part of the partnership, Leinster Rugby will appoint a coach to live and work on campus full-time, offering student athletes attending Syracuse University access to Leinster Rugby coaching and training expertise.

The partnership will also see the establishment of the Leinster Rugby School of Excellence summer camps bringing young players from around the States to Syracuse, and will create coaching development programmes for Syracuse and for Leinster Rugby coaches.

Finally, it will also provide opportunities for Syracuse students to learn in Leinster’s head office, in addition to exploring exchange opportunities for Irish and Syracuse University students.

Announcing the partnership this afternoon, Shane Nolan, CEO of Leinster Rugby said, “Leinster is excited to begin its relationship with Syracuse University, an institution with a great history, excellent academic standards and values, and a strong rugby culture.

“As Leinster Rugby looks to build a presence in America, Syracuse is an ideal partner for us to explore the possibilities and we’re excited to see what that looks like.”

Kent Syverud, Chancellor of Syracuse University echoed those sentiments and said, “The University is committed to becoming a leader in collegiate club sports offerings, and our partnership with an exceptional organisation like Leinster Rugby helps us further that goal.

“We are excited for the future of our rugby programmes and look forward to building close ties with Leinster Rugby in the coming years that will hopefully benefit us both.”

Representatives from Leinster Rugby have already visited the campus and Head of Rugby Development, Philip Lawlor, commented, “We’ve been to Syracuse University and have met with the administration, the rugby club coaches, their alumni and current student-athletes, and we’re very excited to launch this initiative.

“We want to help propel Syracuse’s rugby teams to be among the best in the United States, and we think that Syracuse University, with its impressive educational quality and strong rugby club programmes, can also benefit Leinster Rugby in terms of our players but also for our coach and staff development.

“With a lot of excitement building in the States towards hosting a Rugby World Cup for the first time in 2031 and 2033, we feel it is the right time to put in place a partnership such as this and we believe that Syracuse, based in New York with its strong Irish connections, is the perfect setting for this partnership.”

The Leinster Rugby School of Excellence has been running for over 25 years, with over 1,200 boys and girls taking part every summer.

As well as establishing the School of Excellence model on campus in Syracuse, the ability to harness the knowledge and coaching expertise of Leinster Rugby staff is one of the key benefits according to Bob Wilson, head coach of Syracuse University RFC.

“This truly unique collaboration with Leinster Rugby will enhance the student-athlete experience and raise the profile of rugby on campus, in Central New York and throughout the country.

“It will attract potential students to the University from around the world and expose our athletes to Leinster’s great sporting and professional culture.”

Wilson also hopes that the University will become a sought-after destination for Irish students looking to study abroad in America while playing competitive collegiate rugby, while the partnership will provide experiential learning opportunities for sport management and other University students, who will intern at Leinster’s operations in Dublin as part of a capstone project.

The first of the Leinster Rugby School of Excellence camps will run from 31 July 2023 and will be open to boys and girls, ages 13 – 17, and will offer residential and non-residential options in Syracuse University.

The appointment of a first Leinster Rugby coach to live and work on campus in Syracuse University will be announced in the coming months and will be in place for the start of the 2023/24 academic year.

[deco]

That's impressive on a number of levels.

[robhall.i]

What's in this for Leinster lads? Hoping for US sponsorship? It's not like we need to tap into their player pool.

[Oldschoolsocks]

What's in this for Leinster lads? Hoping for US sponsorship? It's not like we need to tap into their player pool.

Top European club taps into potentially huge market? Selling merch maybe?

[Theleinsterlad]

What's in this for Leinster lads? Hoping for US sponsorship? It's not like we need to tap into their player pool.

Not too sure about that could find a couple of behemoths or speedsters and the added bonus is the great granny rule will apply with irish Americans. They just keep looking to expand its great to see like the crusaders thing they did during lockdown

[Degz]

Not a massive outlay to pay a coach there, would it be? Give us great exposure to talent, the market in general and Leo loves that 'learning' that we'll pick up from other sports over there too. I'd imagine we might flog a few tickets to an occasional friendly, too. Everyone's a winner.

[D4surfer]

We might unearth a few massive second rows.

[fourthirtythree]

Where's the usual rush of people to pour scorn on the CEO?

[blockhead]

Where's the usual rush of people to pour scorn on the CEO?

Where's our new bleedin stand?

There you go!

[ronk]

Syracuse have an indoor stadium with almost the same capacity as the Aviva.

They're fairly significant in sports without being one of the megauniversities. I think there's a lot that they can learn from us and a lot that we can learn from them, particularly at the level of player development in the academy age range.

A key consideration is that keeping large parts of the collaboration related to academics also brings funding sources and career prospects. We have no shortage of people who'd be good fits for coaching roles in NY and there's no shortage of US college students who'd be interested in interning in Dublin.

The School of Excellence is also useful there as it helps pay for coaches as they develop. The program doesn't need a single player to become a Leinster pro to be a success.

This isn't an expensive scheme to establish the Leinster brand in the US, its a cheap scheme to strengthen coaching development using funding outside of the pro game.

[jezzer]

What's in this for Leinster lads? Hoping for US sponsorship? It's not like we need to tap into their player pool.

$$$$$$$$$$

[Up Wexford]

Have to view this as a very positive move - we are leaders in player development but US college sports is another level. Syracuse gym and sports facilities outside the US would be very tasty - i think they have a top level basketball team and lacrosse is very big there - ie they are not mugs

[paddyor]

Spit-balling, maybe this is about the 4 centres of excellence/academies they planned to open. IIRC they opened 1 in the midlands around Carlow RTC. Maybe it's about having something more to offer wrt studying or working in the US as well as bringing talent and skills back over here. It's a bigger draw than the bright lights of UCD I'd imagine.And this way you wouldn't just be cannibalising your exisitng structures to flesh out the other parts.

[paddyor]

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/statu ... 57186?s=20


So not just a training thing

[Ruckedtobits]

Here's a story about an Irish guy in the US who's making his way into NFL. Maybe the Syracruse programme can attract guys like him:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65974949

[the spoofer]

Spit-balling, maybe this is about the 4 centres of excellence/academies they planned to open. IIRC they opened 1 in the midlands around Carlow RTC. Maybe it's about having something more to offer wrt studying or working in the US as well as bringing talent and skills back over here. It's a bigger draw than the bright lights of UCD I'd imagine.And this way you wouldn't just be cannibalising your exisitng structures to flesh out the other parts.

There is only one of the centres of excellence open, the Ken Wall centre.

[FtD]

Here's a story about an Irish guy in the US who's making his way into NFL. Maybe the Syracruse programme can attract guys like him:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65974949

He's a punter though?

Apart from kicking penalties to touch, it's hardly a comparable skillset?

[ronk]

From the RCA site:

As part of the Joint Venture between RCA & Leinster Rugby there will be five core pillars of focus during our initial project with Syracuse University.

Coaching School of Excellence
Running a Coaching School of Excellence for ages 13-17 in July/August 2023.

Coach the Coaches Clinic
Running a Coach the Coaches Clinic in August 2023 with Sean O’Brien as Ambassador.

Irish Rugby Tour
Facilitating Syracuse University's upcoming tour to Ireland in Spring 2024.

Satellite School of Excellence
Facilitate multiple satellite School of Excellence camps in 2024.

Gala Legends Dinner
RCA & Leinster will host a Gala Legends Dinner in Manhattan NYC in Nov 2023

[Oldschoolsocks]

Here's a story about an Irish guy in the US who's making his way into NFL. Maybe the Syracruse programme can attract guys like him:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65974949

He's a punter though?

Apart from kicking penalties to touch, it's hardly a comparable skillset?

He also has the skill of being very big?