The AMNRL has announced various plans to expand. The Bucks County Sharks, who had not competed in the 2010 season, announced that they planned to return for the 2011 season.[12]
In 2009 league officials announced the creation of a new, fully professional league, the National Rugby League USA (NRLUS), which originally hoped to launch in 2010. The AMNRL would serve as an amateur and semi-professional feeder league for the new competition. However, the new league has not gotten off the ground.[13]
The AMNRL has also stated its intention to expand beyond the sport's traditional "heartland" in the Northeastern United States. A Florida league is currently going through various stages of development and will be seeking to enter a representative team from that league into the AMNRL in the near future. Florida has hosted rugby league games in the past, the state was the host to 1999 North Pacific Qualification Tournament, where the USA beat both Japan and Canada to meet Lebanon for the right to play in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. In 2001, Florida was also host to the Sunshine State Challenge, where the United States competed against the Huddersfield Giants, Halifax and the Leeds Rhinos; the miniature tournament drew a crowd of 6,700.[citation needed]
The Canadian team will feature in the War at The Shore which will be their first game after years of inactivity. There are also proposed competitions which will be played in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.[14] There are also plans underway to get new tv deals for the NRL and Super League on American TV.[15][16]
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