‘Rugby has to evolve’: Western Force coach Tim Sampson talks Global Rapid Rugby ahead of Hong Kong tilt with Tigers
- Tim Sampson brings his team to Hong Kong for second match against the South China Tigers
- Coach supports Andrew Forrest’s vision of making rugby more fan-friendly and fast-paced
Patrick Blennerhassett - South China Morning Post - 9 May, 2019
Tim Sampson gets what Andrew Forrest is trying to do.
“Rugby has to evolve,” said Sampson, head coach of Global Rapid Rugby’s Western Force. “It has to evolve. I think rugby is one of the few sports that hasn’t evolved over the years, you look at other sports here in Australia like Rugby League, they brought in little changes here and there. The AFL has changed a few rules, even NBA basketball changing their shot clock.”
Sampson’s Force will be in Hong Kong this Sunday taking on the South China Tigers in the seventh game of Global Rapid Rugby’s condensed Showcase Series season.
Australian mining billionaire Forrest launched GRR this year hoping to sprout a new league in Asia and give his Force team a permanent place to play after they were booted from Super Rugby. The plan was to run a full season in 2019, but various factors including the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, pushed Forrest to aim for a 2020 debut.
Western Force head coach Tim Sampson says he’s behind Andrew Forrest’s vision to bring rugby into the future and grow the game in Asia.
“Rugby has to evolve,” said Sampson, head coach of Global Rapid Rugby’s Western Force. “It has to evolve. I think rugby is one of the few sports that hasn’t evolved over the years, you look at other sports here in Australia like Rugby League, they brought in little changes here and there. The AFL has changed a few rules, even NBA basketball changing their shot clock.”
Sampson’s Force will be in Hong Kong this Sunday taking on the South China Tigers in the seventh game of Global Rapid Rugby’s condensed Showcase Series season.
Australian mining billionaire Forrest launched GRR this year hoping to sprout a new league in Asia and give his Force team a permanent place to play after they were booted from Super Rugby. The plan was to run a full season in 2019, but various factors including the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, pushed Forrest to aim for a 2020 debut.
The Force are currently undefeated, having outscored their opponents 120-51 over four games in Perth and Singapore, two against the Asia-Pacific Dragons, who have split their two contests with the Tigers.
GRR, which has the blessing of World Rugby, has installed a number of rule changes in an attempt to make the game more fan friendly and fast-paced. This includes shorter halves and various tweaks to deter teams from kicking the ball.
Sampson, who recently took his squad to Fukuoka and Tokyo to play against a joint Sanix Blues and Coca Cola Red Sparks team and the Japan A Wolfpack, said there are definitely some coaching adjustments from traditional rugby rules to GRR. He did state however that he doesn’t let it influence line-up decisions.
“I haven’t really considered that and the reason is how we skill up the guys and its the same for every player,” he said. “We try to give them a really broad skill set and base.
“Initially when the rules came out we did discuss it but we thought we don’t want to pigeonhole the guys. And put them in a certain corner and select them for certain games, thankfully we do have a really highly-skilled team and we can put any player out there.”
Sampson said a few weeks of training on either end of Japan allows them to adjust to, and back from, various rule changes.
He said the obvious reason they went to Japan is to help grow the game in Asia, but to also allow him and his boys to gel off the field.
“It was a really good opportunity for us to get away as last year we didn’t get away together and go overseas. And that certainly benefits a team to get away together, that old word that bonding is important.”
Now set to take on the Tigers, Sampson said he expects stiffer competition than the first match, which the Force won 45-22 in late March in Perth. Regardless, the game lived up to its name as it featured nine tries and 67 points in total.
Sampson said the Tigers will look to use home field advantage and play their style on Sunday at the Aberdeen Sports Ground.
“They play a smart tactical game, they have guys that control the game really well,” he said. “They have a really highly-skilled team and they can move the ball around the field really well. With guys like [scrum half] Liam Slatem, their captain, and [fly-half] Matt Rosslee.”