When it was announced that Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy bought into a lower league American soccer team that’s currently on hiatus, everyone was surprised and a little confused. There didn’t seem to be much of a connection between the Rhinos or the city of Rochester and Jamie Vardy that it was all a bit random.
Now it seems that some of the puzzle pieces are falling into place as it was revealed that Vardy will be in a new documentary series about him buying into, and trying to rebuild, the Rochester Rhinos.
Love Productions USA, the American arm of the production company that produces The Great British Bake Off will be producing the series. Co-presidents Joe LaBracio and Al Edgington will be executive producers and they have produced such shows as Last Chance U and Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians.
Titled Rhino Reboot, the series will have Vardy working with co-owners David and Wendy Dworkin (who also own the Sacramento Kings) as they rebuild the team virtually from scratch. The Rhinos have a rich history in American soccer, which includes beating those in MLS and winning the 1999 U.S. Open Cup as a lower league team but the Rhinos have fallen on hard times and have been on hiatus since 2017.
Rochester’s history kind of explains why Vardy chose the Rhinos in the first place. Vardy’s story is that he went from being an amateur footballer working in a factory to making the Premier League and defying the 5000-1 odds to make Leicester City champions. Rochester is kind of doing this in reverse, but now that they are at their lowest point, this docuseries can potentially chronicle a rebirth of a once great team and maybe defy the odds once again.
[Variety/Photo: @RochesterRhinos]
