US ASSOCIATION OF RUGBY LEAGUE OFFICIAL

Board of Directors

The US Association of Rugby League Inc. (USARL) Board of Directors accept responsibility for constructing policy and providing resources for the development of strategies and plans for operations, finance, communication, legal, marketing and promotion and public relations for competition expansion, elite player development, national team performance, high school and college activities, coach, referee and volunteer education and training.​

Drew Slover

Drew Slover

Director

Mr Slover has been involved in the development of Rugby League in the United States for since 2006 and has been an acting board member of the USARL since 2017.

Drew was introduced to Rugby League during a trip to Australia in 2005 and immediately fell in love with the game. Upon returning home to the US, Drew wasted no time in founding his own Rugby League team, the Jacksonville Axemen, with his business partner in 2006. Since then the Axemen have been a mainstay of rugby league in the United States and continue to be a formidable force on and off the field now three time USARL Club Champions winning in 2010, 2012, 2018, & 2022.

Drew currently owns his own marketing and advertising consulting agency in Jacksonville. He draws on his professional experience, industry relationships and team success to continue to grow the game of Rugby League in the United States.

 

MORE + CLOSE -
Email
Billy Neilson

Billy Neilson

Director

Billy has been involved in Rugby and Rugby League Game Development since his collegiate days at the University of Florida. Since then he has played on numerous teams and held executive level positions with a focus on all assets of the game.

Billy is a co-founder and current board member of the Tampa Mayhem where he strives to provide a professional sporting product that can be attended and enjoyed by every person in Tampa and the surrounding areas.

Billy is a Level II USA Rugby coach and Level I NRL coach. He is also an acting member of the USARL Board of Directors.

With over 18 years of playing and coaching experience as well as project management and operations expertise, Mr Neilson is valuable asset as USARL Hawks Team Manager.

 

MORE + CLOSE -
Email
Miranda Barnard

Miranda Barnard

Women's Director

Miranda Barnard has been involved in high-level sports for most of her life. From qualifying for the junior Olympic shooting team at the age of 14 to roller derby in Alabama to rugby union in Florida to rugby league all over the United States. Competitive sports are in Miranda's DNA. Miranda plans to grow the sport of rugby league using her 18 years experience in corporate management where she is a highly respected and valued for her business leadership and project management. She will lean on lessons learned from her years of experience successfully fundraising for multiple nonprofits alongside her ability to build partnerships with local and National businesses for sponsorship opportunities while fostering internal relationships to cultivate a transparent culture amongst the administrative teams of the Women's Committee and National Governing Body.

Prior to working with the USARL Miranda served on the boards of multiple non-profits and organizations filling many roles including president. Miranda is excited to continue to build on the success of the East and West Coast talent camps and create even more opportunities for League athletes in the United States to grow and compete at high levels.

Miranda lives with her beautiful family in Jacksonville, FL where she is an active, respected, and beloved member of her church and community.

MORE + CLOSE -
Email
Darren Piggins

Darren Piggins

Director

Darren Piggins was born in Australia, is a successful entrepreneur who built his first business, Workout World a fitness retail chain, from the ground up. Starting with one store in Wollongong he built it the chain to having 35 stores throughout Australia, 3 in the USA and also a commercial office in New Zealand, ultimately exiting to Rebel Sports Group, Australia's largest sporting goods retailer. 

Darren is now the CEO of CardioGym/Booty Builder (which has over 1M Followers on Instagram). He lives in Sarasota, Florida, which he has called home since 2016, with his wife Brooke and three children, sons Wesley and Liam who play for the SWFL Copperheads and daughter Alana. 

Darren is a South Sydney Rabbitoh supporter, himself playing for their junior rep sides and with the influence of his uncle George Piggins the Souths great. He looks forward in bringing his business experience and knowledge of the game to the board to help with growing the game in the USA.

MORE + CLOSE -
Email
David Abo

David Abo

Men's Director

David was born in the US but grew up playing junior rugby league in his adopted hometown north of Sydney. David also sits on the board for Pacific Coast Rugby League, further widening the USARL board's geographical representation. While David still gets out on the field, his strengths lie in his Sales and Marketing abilities.

MORE + CLOSE -
Email
x