[bbgunn]

Long Island awarded expansion franchise; another to go to Canada

LOS ANGELES - The North American Rugby Conference announced on Monday that they have awarded one of two new franchises for the 1997 season to an ownership group in Hempstead, New York, led by New York-based South African businessman Korstiaan de Villiers. During the same press conference, the NARC also announced that the second expansion franchise will go to either Toronto or Vancouver, with a final decision to come before the first Rugby Bowl in June.

The group led by de Villiers was in the running last year for the New York City-area franchise that eventually became the New Jersey Knights. The group wanted the club within New York State, but were not able to find a suitable stadium. Things changed for the group when de Villiers acquired a parcel of land in Hempstead to build what is believed to be the United States' first rugby-specific stadium. Ground has already been broken, as de Villiers was intent on building the stadium no matter what happened with NARC expansion. The stadium will eventually seat 25,000 fans, but the group is planning for roughly 16,500 of those seats to be ready in time for the 1997 season.

"We are excited to become a part of the North American Rugby Conference," de Villiers, who was present at the press conference in Los Angeles, said. "We've been working hard to bring a team to New York City, Long Island, and New York State, and our hard work has come to fruition."

"It's an exciting day for rugby union fans in New York," said NARC commissioner Delmar Scrivens. "With the new club and the Knights, we will have a true rugby derby in the New York area. And don't forget about the rugby stadium as well. That will have an impact on our sport."

The Hempstead stadium will have real grass, unlike the stadium in whichever Canadian city will land the second expansion franchise. Toronto and Vancouver's candidacies were made possible with a NARC rule change that allows a team's stadium surface to consist of a new type of synthetic grass called FieldTurf. FieldTurf is said to resemble real grass a lot more than AstroTurf, which will help curb some injuries. A group of potential owners have secured permission to use BC Place if a team is awarded, and would split the cost of installing FieldTurf in the stadium with the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions. Toronto's group, meanwhile, plans to do the same with the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium, which would also have to be renovated.

"There's still a lot of work to do," Scrivens said, "but we are excited about having another franchise in Canada. We've always said we need more than one team in Canada, and it looks like that will happen really quickly."