NBC Sports Programming President Jon Miller said regular rugby fans can help make sure rugby still has a major presence on TV by going to the CRC.

The USA 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship will be held June 2-3 is a big part of NBC’s rugby coverage, and the network and its affiliate channel NBC Sports Network will be showing much of the tournament.

“There’s a lot the average rugby fan can do to help the tournament be successful,” Miller told RUGBYMag.com. “You can tell all your friends about it; use social media, Tweet it. One of the reasons that Philadelphia is such a great location is that it’s within a two-hour drive of New York, Baltimore, DC, and other hotbeds of rugby. If you’re a rugby fan and you live within 200 miles of Philadelphia, come to the event, and bring your family, bring your friends. And if you can’t be there, make sure everyone you know knows about the broadcast.”

The growth of rugby on television depends on ratings and the energy true fans show in supporting an event, said Miller.

“We will have covered nine stops on the HSBC Sevens World Series, eight on NBC Sports Network and one on NBC,” added Miller. “Clearly post-London is when the ramp-up begins in earnest for Rio [and the 2016 Olympic Games]. Having the event in Vegas which is the single biggest rugby event, but the CRC is right there with it. We’re hoping to see continued growth in the ratings and the attendance. We like the sport a lot, and we’ve given it a great time period and a real plumb position on our schedule.”

For more on the USA 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship go to www.usasevenscrc.com.