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Could make life interesting
Global Rapid Rugby to find strength from unsuccessful Pacific Islands Super Rugby bid
Nick Taylor The West Australian
Friday, 7 December 2018 9:15AM
Western Force can expect to face powerful Pacific Island sides in next year's Global Rapid Rugby competition after an ambitious attempt to set up a combined islands Super Rugby team failed.
A joint bid from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to SR governing body SANZAAR fell over after required funding of about $11 million could not be found.
The move means players not already signed to SR or overseas clubs are likely to view GRR as an option.
Sides from Fiji and Samoa will play in the $1 million competition, bankrolled by WA mining magnate Andrew Forrest, while an announcement on a Hawaii-based team with a strong Tonga player base is said to be imminent.
The Japan Rugby Union council meets next week when a decision will be made on which of their teams will join.
Sides from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia - understood to be backed by South African Currie Cup division one club Falcons - will make up the eight-team tournament.
More here
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...ng-b881043560z
I wonder if they can muster up a few Cape Malays for the Malaysia team?
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
There is a rather gloomy piece on Roar this morning.
Is Australian rugby following in the footsteps of West Indian cricket?
https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/12/1...ndian-cricket/
I posted the following reply:
However here in Western Australia, I sense that rugby is on the cusp of another boom, like we had 12-13 years ago when the Force got into Super rugby. When the ARU unfairly axed the Force, the WA junior and club registrations dropped and there was a lot of anger in WA.But with Twiggy creating Global Rapid Rugby there is a now sense of optimism about rugby in WA. Twiggy has often said it was the passion of the Force fans that prompted him to do something to keep the Force alive. He and other WA business people are really making a difference in helping the Emerging Force development squad of young 17-20 year old male and female talented rugby players. The RugbyRoos program has development coaches and Force players visiting different non-rugby junior schools every week introducing them to rugby.Twiggy funded a massive marketing and media campaign when he ran the World Series Rugby series in Perth this year. WSR was on free-to-air and pay TV in the west. Some of my AFL crazy golf mates started talking rugby to me for the first time. I imagine the publicity campaign for Global Rapid Rugby in the next few months will dwarf that for the WSR.So rugby in the West is not going the way of West Indian cricket. When GRR get a team in Western Sydney for the 2020 season, then the boom will also spread across Australia.
Good work JSJ
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Not much news, but it's in the news...
More Pathways For Players: O’Connor
December 10 2018, 11:00
by NICOLETTE CHAMBERS, LAUTOKA
The Fiji Rugby Union aims to participate in the Global Rapid Rugby Competition next year.
FRU’s chief executive officer John O’Connor made the comment after the special general meeting at the Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi on Saturday.
O’Connor said this was part of creating new pathways for our rugby players.
“Next year we will be playing the Maori two times and we will be playing USA, Canada and Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup competition,” he said.
We are now in final discussions to have a team in the Global Rapid Rugby which kicks off in February or March. There’s quite a lot of pathways that have been created for our players.”
He said during the SGM the administrators were informed to communicate to the players the pathways that were now available to them and for the players to also prepare well for the next season.
http://fijisun.com.fj/2018/12/10/mor...ayers-oconnor/
Was talking to a Sth African fella at a grandkids' Christmas do the other day (had a members cap on). He had been to a few games last year and was pretty impressed with the skills and speed Panasonic displayed (as was I). But he was relatively unaware of what's in the pipeline for 2019. I really hope we will see an advertising blitz that surpasses what we saw before the Fiji match last year. Once everything is nailed down I'm pretty sure we will too.
I'm actually hopeful we will see more than one or two Japanese teams involved over the next half dozen years.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
The ad and media blitz will no doubt come. But us hardcore fans from TWF and Sea of Blue on FaceBook can spread the word to fringe fans and others as well. I wear my Force hat every day and have a Force sticker on my car. It prompts questions about what is happening with the Force, so I never miss the opportunity to tell them all the positive news on the Force and GRR. The amazing survival and growth story of the Force when it it is retold in books and documentaries in years to come ,will make us TWFers so proud to have played a small part in the story.
I have a TWF inspired Western Force sticker on my ute.
Not sure how good that it is for recruiting fans being in Western Sydney.
But - it makes me happy.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Hi Ex, whats with the new .X handle?
Yes, you are doing your bit for us over there in Sydney. I am trying to get some positive stuff on Roar about the GRR and the Force, so those real rugby fans in Sydney find out whats happening. There have been a couple of people responding to me with Ex in their handle, and I have assumed one of them is you?
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa