Weekly News Roundup: The Biggest Headlines in the World of Youth Sports
Anwar Stetson
Youth sports business news comes from BuyingSandlot.com. Subscribe to their free newsletter here.
🏉 Scoop: Major League Rugby
It’s still a few years off, but the U.S. will host two Rugby World Cups next decade: the men’s in 2031 and the women’s in 2033. Those events could mark the sport’s breakthrough in America, and national leaders are working to lay the foundation now.
A major point of emphasis is coaching. Rugby is a contact sport, which makes quality instruction even more important, but there is also limited expertise available, especially at the youth levels.
Major League Rugby and USA Youth & High School Rugby will tackle that challenge as part of their expanded partnership, Buying Sandlot has learned.
“We found coaches and parents didn’t have the experience or expertise, but wanted to get a certification in coaching because they wanted to help and get involved,” YHS Executive Director Giovanni Vaglietti said.
See the full coverage on Buying Sandlot.
“When the World Cups leave, what is the legacy?” Vaglietti said. “That is the bigger piece for all of us. The World Cups are that launch pad.”
🎥 Rematch Closes In On 10K Users
The sports video service tells us it is gaining traction in the US market:
- On pace to hit 10K users by the end of August
- 10.5M social media views over Q1/Q2
- Over 22K highlights and 2K games filmed in Q1/Q2
- Over 6K highlights captured in July
- Close to 3M views in July
The company started in France and launched in the U.S. earlier this year.
The service’s AI allows users to “rewind” the previous 15 seconds of game footage viewed through its app — ensuring parents can capture big moments and plays without constantly recording.
“The proof of concept in France gave us the confidence to launch in the U.S., but you can never predict the future — there’s always a mix of anxious and excited energy,” Rematch U.S. CEO Hanna Howard told Buying Sandlot.
Read more here.
⚽️ i9 Sports Launches Training Program
There is a lot of space on the youth sports spectrum between a local recreational league and a time-intensive club or travel competition.
i9 Sports is trying to address that delta with its latest offering.
The multi-sport franchise provider has launched weekday Training Sessions to complement its existing league play programs, where kids participate in a practice followed by a game once a week.
The sessions are a byproduct of i9 families showing interest in more opportunities, but not necessarily a desire to go from one day a week to the demands of club sports.
“We just found a niche and said, ‘Let’s give this a try.’” i9 President Matt Kuroski told Buying Sandlot. “It was a need, let’s fill it and see what happens. It’s really taken off for us.”
🏒 NHL Team’s Massive Youth Sports Investment
The Edmonton Oilers have pledged a whopping $21M+ for youth sports in their region (and have delivered two-thirds of it already).
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) announced today it has invested $14.1 million to date in its Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative through its delivery partners and hockey engagement programs, with an additional $7.2 million committed over the next five years for more than $21 million invested in the initiative by 2030.
The Oilers led the NHL in revenue for the 2023-24 season with $388M and have a projected value of $2.65B.
