There are breaking stories, looking-back stories, and stories that are worth looking back to and forward to, as well.

Here are five pieces of news from 2017 that have legs, and ramifications, into 2018. How will American rugby be affected by the developments in the New Year?

USA Rugby Finances

USA Rugby entered 2016 in a financial bind after going way over budget in 2015. The picture wasn’t any prettier at the beginning of 2016, and when Dan Payne took over as CEO he was met with rising expenses and dwindling revenue.

We’ll total 2015 and 2016 financial info because some 2015 over-spending was kicked down the road to 2016, making 2016 look worse and 2015, Nigel Melville’s last full year as CEO, look somewhat better. In 2015-2016, USA Rugby brought in $29.28 million in revenue, up 2.7% from 2013-14.Expenses were $32.84 million, up a staggering 33% from 2013-14.

So in 2013-14, USA Rugby operated at a small surplus of about $188,000 over those two years. In 2015-16, USA Rugby ran an operating deficit of $3.56 million. That’s right, million.

(All numbers from USA Rugby’s audited financial statements.)

So going into 2017 USA Rugby had to slash expenses, cut staff, and find ways not to lose another million while also participating in a World Cup and doing all the other things the organization has to do. 

Did USA Rugby right the ship? We’ll confirm what is likely positive news in the coming weeks. 

Coaches Leave

Pete Steinberg is no longer the USA Women’s Head Coach, and his departure brings up the question as to whether the WNT head spot should be a full-time job rather than a part-time job. Of course, the women Eagles don’t play many games each year, which is one reason why it’s been a struggle to get to the top of the world again. But could we now find a job description that keeps the Eagles coach on full time? And could we not find a more regular playing solution?

Meanwhile, John Mitchell left the Eagles have accomplishing what no other MNT coach had accomplished - qualifying for the Rugby World Cup on the first attempt. Mitchell also logged an ARC championship, but his success came at a price. His salary was ore than USA Rugby could afford (see item #1), and his leaving has turned out to be a financial gain for USA Rugby.

Will Gary Gold actually be what USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne expects? An Ambassador for the sport and a teacher of coaches, as well as the USA MNT 15s head coach? Will the women's program find a regular international competition and a model that makes it work for the head coach, and the athletes? Questions to answer in 2018. 

Rugby World Cup 7s

The Rugby World Cup 7s is coming to San Francisco in July, and that isn’t new news for 2017 - we knew this in 2015. But as AEG is also involved, and with the tournament shifted from two venues to one (AT&T Park all weekend), the news is more about how American rugby can leverage this event into something greater.

Still have holiday shopping left? Give the gift of rugby this season https://t.co/grko0ZQfaC #RWC7s #ReadyForRugby pic.twitter.com/Cl4P2u98G2

— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) December 21, 2017

That all starts with attendance, but it goes further than that. Does hosting a major World Cup help USA Rugby position itself to host more events (not the 15s World Cup ... but something else)? Can more fans be brought to the sport, and more young people take it up? Is this one of those magic bullets? All questions to be answered.

PRO Rugby and Major League Rugby

We’ve touched on this a bit, so we won’t go into too much detail. Suffice to say, 2017 was when PRO Rugby finally crawled under the deck, and Major League Rugby said it would succeed in its place.

MLR hasn’t started yet, but the potential is there for the league to be better run and more sustainable than PRO. PRO ended 2017 with three hearings in actions against, and didn’t show up. Now it's MLR's turn to show up.

Media Matters

FloSports is a multi-sport organization that covers sports on an OTT platform and invests time, effort, and resources into covering that sport. In 2017 FloSports decided to invest in covering rugby. 

NBC has been another media outlet that has shown interest in rugby, but in 2017, the longtime broadcaster of the USA 7s and the CRC has parted ways with those tournaments’ organizers. UWS went with ESPN. The short-term upshot has been that it has been easier for some to see the other Sevens World Series men’s tournaments. But World Rugby has been a big supporter of the World Series being on network TV in the USA.

Will ESPN be a move World Rugby supports? And, given that sanction for the USA 7s has to be renewed after 2019, should the tournament be concerned. A story to follow in 2018.