Global Rapid Rugby

[Rebels3]

Where are you getting this from?

Cheika's aim (stated last Saturday during the Super Rugby interview) is that players would be right around 25 games for the year in the Rugby World Cup Final.

I think Hooper played 33 games in 2014 (19 Super Rugby and 14 test matches).

In 2019 there is the potential to play 19 Super Rugby games and 12 test matches. Clearly key players are going to sit out at least the Samoa game and the Uruguay game at the RWC so that brings the max number down to 29.

They've got to plan at least to some degree that a team might make the Super Rugby final and that we want our squad to be in the best condition possible at the business end of the Rugby World Cup.

If a team makes a run to the Super Rugby final then key players in that team might end up with more games than desirable.

Not one of these players will be in this Force team.

I have nothing against the Hoopers of the world been given the odd week off, 33 games isn’t sustainable and I agree 25 would be optimal but players are been rested that won’t even go near that count. Once again this Force team is prime examples of this.

This argument is losing a lot of context from both sides.

 

[Braveheart81]

Not one of these players will be in this Force team.

I have nothing against the Hoopers of the world been given the odd week off, 33 games isn’t sustainable and I agree 25 would be optimal but players are been rested that won’t even go near that count. Once again this Force team is prime examples of this.

This argument is losing a lot of context from both sides.

I think Reg's comment in this thread was tongue in cheek. Clearly no Force player needs to be rested this season. I think it is very much a case of giving their squad a chance in a game they will almost certainly comfortably win.

I am pretty sure no one else talking about resting players in this thread was doing so in reference to the Force. Obviously this is a Force related thread though but I am pretty sure you're the only person who had those players in mind in their posts.

 

[Rebels3]

For those interested in the fines of teams not putting the best side out

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...30/gregg-popovich-david-stern-spurs-fined-nba

https://www.google.com.au/amp/www.e...100k-fine-pelicans-anthony-davis?platform=amp

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www...92496/adam-silver-nba-rest-players-fined-memo

I’m happy to put my hand up and admit it’s just the nba and not all American sports.

 

[Rebels3]

I think Reg's comment in this thread was tongue in cheek. Clearly no Force player needs to be rested this season. I think it is very much a case of giving their squad a chance in a game they will almost certainly comfortably win.

I am pretty sure no one else talking about resting players in this thread was doing so in reference to the Force. Obviously this is a Force related thread though but I am pretty sure you're the only person who had those players in mind in their posts.

Lol it was as I thought a loss in context. It does however irritate me a little in Super Rugby with occasional wallabies and Super Rugby squad players getting ‘rested’. The Hoopers, Folaus etc I agree deserve the odd week off.

Anyway back to Force stuff.

 

[kiap]

Something interesting in two weeks time!

 

[VassMan]

Great news! Tour of Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong will be good for the team. The Sunwolves are playing the Highlanders the day before so I'm guessing it won't be a full strength team. Is this an early indication that the Sunwolves are looking to join GRR since axing from Super Rugby?

 

[kiap]

WF two-game Japan tour …

Western Force lock in Japan tour for April​

Nick Taylor The West Australian​

Friday, 12 April 2019​

​

Western Force will play Japan ‘A’ in a two-match tour before their next Global Rapid Rugby clash in Singapore.​

​

They kick-off the tour against a combined Sanix Blue and Coca Cola Red Sparks side in Fukuoka next Sunday before taking on the Japan side, nicknamed the Wolfpack, in Tokyo six days later.​

​

… “We are very fortunate to be able to travel to a wonderful place like Japan and play against quality opposition,” Sampson said.​

​

“With Japan hosting the World Cup later this year, it will be a great experience to be amongst what seems to be a huge increase in support for Japanese rugby.”​

​

Sampson said the two matches would provide good preparation for the next GRR game.​

​

Sauce: https://thewest.com.au/sport/western-force/western-force-lock-in-japan-tour-for-april-ng-b881167306z​

So, upcoming games in April (2nd and 4th in the list below will be broadcast LIVE. Hopefully the Japan games as well). All times are AWST:

• 20th (Sat 13.00) Comb. Sanix–CocaCola v Western Force - Global Arena, Fukuoka

• 21st (Sun 15.10) South China Tigers v Asia Pacific Dragons - Aberdeen Sports Ground, Hong Kong

• 27th (Sat 15.30) Japan A Wolfpack v Western Force - Chichibunomiya, Tokyo

• 28th (Sun 15.10) Asia Pacific Dragons v South China Tigers - Queenstown Stadium, Singapore

 

[Brumby Runner]

What laws of the game will pertain to the overseas matches? Stay with GRR or revert to WR (World Rugby) laws?

 

[kiap]

What laws of the game will pertain to the overseas matches? Stay with GRR or revert to WR (World Rugby) laws?

In Hong Kong and Singapore, Rapid Rugby variations

Good question regarding in Japan, though, as I don't know. Maybe the game against Combined Sanix–CocaCola is also RR to allow interests there to see that early - ahead of potenially more extensive involvement down the line. Ditto the Wolfpack match - or maybe Japan want some preparation of their national squad players under standard laws.

I guess we'll find out this week.

 

[ForceFan]

Samoa embraces revolutionary Global Rapid Rugby

APIA, SAMOA – WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL 2019:

Global Rugby maybe revolutionary with its 70 minutes playing time and time limits for scrums and lineouts. Scoring tries will take in not 5 or 7 but 9 points without even having to convert the try.
But as far as the Samoa Rugby Union is concerned, it’s another opportunity and pathway for Samoan rugby players and Samoan rugby overall.

Coming at the windfall of the controversial World Rugby competition that will be discussed by the World Rugby Board in Dublin next month, Rapid Rugby has shown itself to be swift, demanding and exciting rugby union.

The new format has the full support of Union Chairman Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi as he told Talamua in his weekly news interview last night that it will provide opportunities to feed Samoan rugby in 7s and 15s and give a new opening for young players. “It could be the next best thing to Sevens which has the ultimate recognition as an Olympic sports,” said Tuilaepa.
And coming with a million Australian dollars as First Prize.

The fast developing new form of rugby union has been sanctioned by World Rugby to have a competition of clubs based in Asia, Western Australia, Fiji and Samoa.
The Samoa Rugby Union has partnered with Pacific Sports International to provide guidance and help assemble a Samoan identity club.

Kagifa-Samoa
The club is called Kagifa-Samoa, Kagifa being a legendary massive “wild fish” which caused much havoc in ancient times.
Kagifa-Samoa is formed by Pacific Sports International of Hawaii, United States under the leadership of Richard Fale the CEO.

Currently the club is being assembled in Auckland NZ drawing on the large and deep Samoan rugby playing diaspora as well as the Manu Samoa and players from the Samoan “Super 9” competition that started last weekend.

This year, the Rapid Rugby Showcase will launch the brand in the Asia Pacific region, traveling throughout Asia, the Pacific Islands and Australasia to give fans, viewers, players and coaches a live taste of what is to come in Season One in 2020.
And that is when teams including Kagifa Samoa will compete for an AUD$1 million first prize.

The first match will be 18 May 19 hosted by the GRR Fijian Latui club and played at ANZ National Stadium in Suva.
Kagifa Samoa will play their first game in Perth against the Western Force 31 May and their return match will be in Brisbane 15 June.

 

[ForceFan]

Pleasing to see some Irish press coverage.....

https://www.the42.ie/global-rapid-r...0jlmqAlrRGwzuIZUZxoFu2PdnFBMBH1GEiBb0UuSNv13Q

 

[andrewM]

APD vs HKT now streaming on SBS

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/sport

 

[ForceFan]

Asia-friendly and growing: Forrest's rapid rugby revolution

AFP 22 Apr 2019

Mining billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has hailed the first foray into Asia of his new rapid-form, high octane version of rugby

Australian billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has hailed the first foray into Asia of his new rapid-form, high octane version of rugby and is convinced it can take the continent by storm.

Global Rapid Rugby was hatched after Forrest was outraged by his beloved Perth club Western Force being given the boot by Super Rugby in 2017, despite having the second best record of the five Australian sides in the southern hemisphere club competition that season.

The passionate rugby fan was so disillusioned with the way the game was being run in Australia that he decided to start his own competition.

Forrest's brainchild will comprise eight teams from Perth, east Asia and the Pacific islands and the new format is currently touring to gain a head of steam ahead of the first full season launch in March 2020.
"Today was the litmus test to see two Asian sides come head-to-head for the first time," the mining magnate told AFP after jetting into Hong Kong for Sunday's match between the South China Tigers and Singapore's Asia Pacific Dragons.
The Tigers, who represent not just Hong Kong but also the neighbouring Chinese province of Guangdong, won 29-19 in the fourth of a series of showcase matches -- and the first to be held outside Australia.

- Evolving game -
Likened to rugby's version of Twenty20 cricket, match time has been cut to 70 minutes with radical new rules such the outlawing of direct defensive kicks to touch and an innovative nine-point "power try" if a scoring move starts behind a team's own 22-metre line.
The time allowed for scrums and lineouts has been squeezed and 10 rolling substitutes are designed to keep the action free-flowing.
"It is a game that is Asia-friendly," Forrest insisted.

A healthy crowd turned out at Hong Kong's compact Aberdeen Sports Ground to see stars such as former England Test wing Tom Varndell and Fiji's Olympic gold medallist Samisoni Viriviri. "We have a growing fanbase," said Forrest.

Global Rapid Rugby has evolved from Forrest's inaugural concept of World Series Rugby in Perth last year -- initially dubbed the Indo-Pacific Championship -- which featured three teams from Australia and five from Asia-Pacific.

This year there are six sides involved in a showcase series: Western Force, the Dragons, the Tigers, a World XV, Fijian Latui and Kagifa Samoa.

The plan is launch the first full Global Rapid Rugby season of eight teams in March next year with interest also shown by Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and China in hosting franchises.
As with any journey of exploration, there have been bumps along the road, not least having to delay the launch until 2020 because of a "tight time frame and the intricacies of a World Cup year".

Nevertheless the mining magnate sees Asia's inaugural hosting of a Rugby World Cup in Japan later this year as an opportunity to build momentum and attract some big names to his own venture.
"Post World Cup there will be heaps of players who will not be playing for their national sides but will want to keep going," he said.

- Marquee players -
"Would we support clubs in identifying and signing marquee players? Yes we would."
Names bandied about for Global Rapid Rugby next season have even included All Blacks legend Dan Carter, but Forrest would not be drawn into naming any individual targets.

He was keen to emphasise that he is not bankrolling Global Rapid Rugby as a vanity project.
"I'm in it for however long it takes to make it successful," said the man who consistently ranks in the top 10 richest Australians and had a net worth estimated last year at $4.4 billion.
And to make his vision sustainable he knows he needs to develop a base of Asian players and a culture of social rugby to develop fan loyalty and support.

"We need to build the game's social infrastructure. We want to start from the ground up in Asia," he said.
"The next thing we will do is move into schools.
"We are determined to bring in schools to playing rapid rugby, not to go head-to-head with existing rugby but to complement it."

 

[formerflanker]

I was thinking about The time allowed for scrums and lineouts has been squeezed during last weekend's Super games. My casual observation was that scrums are being set slower and slower every week.

Play stops: player goes down injured: ref blows time on some time later: forwards amble over to a spot 10m from the mark: ref says come closer: front row complies slowly: second row finally arrive and spend some time getting acquainted: ref finally starts his instructions. Oh dear, front row down, reset the scrum. New bindings are now called for and the process turgidly unfolds again. Lineouts are getting slower too - team throwing in have a pow wow 10m back from the mark and then slowly walk to the mark with some shenanigans going as to who will actually be in the line out and who will be the acting half. Ground announcer plays uplifting music to cover the blank stares of the moribund crowd.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Agree FF (Folau Fainga'a). Particularly with the lineouts. The thrower seems to take an eternity once the lineout is set to actually hoist the ball in. There was a time when the thrower was short armed when he delayed the throw by a second or two.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Watching scrum resets at the SCG is the exact opposite of everything GRR should be aiming for

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Watched the second half of the south China tigers vs apd - rugby not bad and reckon both sides
Improved with changes from their games from the force. Hope another (east coast) oz side part of 8 sides next year as would give me enough domestic sides to get me interested if rugby standard of this last match and keeps improving.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Watched the second half of the south China tigers vs apd - rugby not bad and reckon both sides
Improved with changes from their games from the force. Hope another (east coast) oz side part of 8 sides next year as would give me enough domestic sides to get me interested if rugby standard of this last match and keeps improving.

There was some mention of interest from Newcastle, Western Sydney and Queensland in a recent article. A couple of EASt Coast teams would be great to provide the competition with a solid base of teams to start and build interest and support in the larger markets in Australia.

 

[Forceright]

There was some mention of interest from Newcastle, Western Sydney and Queensland in a recent article. A couple of EASt Coast teams would be great to provide the competition with a solid base of teams to start and build interest and support in the larger markets in Australia.

Yes, but there’s this certain element of Clyne, Castle & the RA who don’t/won’t allow it to happen, despite all the BS from Castle that the RA are ‘working’ with Twiggy, RA have done their utmost to block any development with GRR. It’s up to the provinces themselves to finally shunt the RA and be proactive. Maybe when the RA Folau trainwreck makes them insolvent, there will be some hope of positive opportunity for those areas.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

There was some mention of interest from Newcastle, Western Sydney and Queensland in a recent article. A couple of EASt Coast teams would be great to provide the competition with a solid base of teams to start and build interest and support in the larger markets in Australia.

Yeh aware of the article and team from Newcastle / Sydney / qld ‘interest’

I am hoping western Sydney team selected here as has most legs to be most successful support wise imo