Echoes of Beckham as Ma’a Nonu becomes MLR part-owner but ex-USA boss rues ‘sad reality’ of All Blacks legend’s status
All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu and an insert of David Beckham.
Ma’a Nonu joining the San Diego Legion as part-owner has echoes of David Beckham buying into Major League Soccer in the United States.
The two-time Rugby World Cup winner will move up to the boardroom after four years playing for the current unbeaten leaders of Major League Rugby.
“I’m honoured to take this next step with the San Diego Legion,” said Nonu, who will finish the season as a player with Top-14 side Toulon despite being 42.
The 103-cap All Blacks midfield legend added: “I believe in the vision of growing rugby in the United States, and I’m excited to contribute to the future of the Legion both on and off the field.”
A source close to MLR welcomed the move and said there were “definite parallels, albeit not on the same scale,” with Beckham founding Inter Miami after a glittering playing career that included five years with LA Galaxy.
The marketing team working for San Diego says Nonu’s “transition into ownership reflects his deep connection to the team and his confidence in the league’s potential”.
Nonu ‘not only a rugby icon but a great person’
His involvement, it claims, will strengthen the Legion’s position as a “powerhouse in MLR, both competitively and as a driving force behind the sport’s expansion”.
The New Zealander’s presence, it adds, “reinforces the club’s mission to elevate rugby and inspire the next generation of players and fans while contributing to the continued rise of Major League Rugby on the global stage”.
SDL founding member Darren Gardner described Nonu as “not only a rugby icon but a great person and leader in the global rugby community”.
The question is whether this move can have anything remotely like the influence on rugby union Stateside Beckham’s purchase of Inter Miami did on soccer there.
‘Beckham’s was a strategic, financial business play’
“Beckham’s was a strategic, forward-thinking financial business play to own in the league when he made the decision to move and play there years before,” said Mike Friday, until recently head coach of the US men’s sevens team.
“I don’t see that being the case here. Nonu, I suspect, is more likely to be a marketing play by Legion. The sad reality is relatively few people in USA know Nonu and the rugby legend he is.”
When Beckham joined MLS in 2007 he negotiated a share of LA Galaxy’s total revenue but also the right to purchase an MLS expansion team for $25 million after he retired.
The deal paid off handsomely for both parties with attendances spiking by 40 per cent and, according to brandvm.com, television deals expanding from $8m in 2006 to $250m by 2022.
And that was before Beckham enticed Lionel Messi to head to Florida in 2023, making Inter Miami the hottest ticket around.
All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu makes stunning return to European giants at 42
MLR hope Nonu’s presence moves dial in right direction
With the US hosting the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033 respectively, the MLR will hope Nonu’s presence can also move the dial in the right direction.
At the very least the league wants to be in a position to take advantage of the increase in interest the World Cups will bring.
The MLS was created in response to the 1994 football World Cup in the States. The MLR is ahead of the curve in that regard, with six years to ready itself for rugby’s circus coming to town.