Global Rapid Rugby

[jargan83]

I don’t think Hawaii is a good idea for Twiggy due to distance with a 15 hour flight for the Force and it will be bloody hot. Same goes for Dubai. Anyone who has been there between May and October knows how hot it is there. Night time games will be pushing towards midnight in Perth. The stadium at the 7s is a long way from the city centre.

I assume Aloha Stadium will be used for any side playing out of Hawaii and that's not near the Honolulu city centre either.

Rail project won't run from Ala Moana to the stadium until 2025 either. Cost me $50 US to get a taxi back to where we were staying so it ain't cheap!

[brokendown gunfighter]

I thought a finely tuned athlete like yourself would have run back!

[SPaRTAN]

Maybe, but just maybe, that moron had to look at what other booking there were at said stadium, and noted that the Glory seemed to have bookings on Saturday/Sunday on many of the weeks for the Asia showcase.

So the question might really be "Whichever moron thought they'd have a whinge about bookings, without checking their facts?"

Na, they just botched it, and now an entire generation of kids are going to miss out watching their favourite players play this year.

22 MARCH - Saturday and sunday available
29 MARCH - Sunday available
13 APRIL- Saturday and Sunday available
31 MAY - Saturday and Sunday available
21 JUN - friday and sunday available, Saturday booked out

Only one date clashes with A League on the Saturday with the sunday available that weekend, and one may clash if the finals work out favourable for the Glory(highly unlikely and a big IF).

[SNOB]

Wouldn’t be any good Sunday doesn’t suit me!

[SPaRTAN]

Wouldn’t be any good Sunday doesn’t suit me!

That's fine, no one is suggesting putting all 6 FORCE fixtures on a sunday.

[sittingbison]

An entire generation of kids!!!

OMG, what about the kids

Just to let you in on a little secret, generally a "generation" isn't usually limited to a single year. And even if it was, I'm pretty sure maybe one or two of the grommets might make it to the odd Friday. It's not THAT onerous on the poor little lambs.

I'm starting to think the only "generation of kids" who will miss out are those whose dad's are too busy looking for bargain basement shirts rather than hopping on the train to make game. You know, the dads who have admitted never going to a game

[jargan83]

I thought a finely tuned athlete like yourself would have run back!

I was lucky I could walk to a Taxi.

[SPaRTAN]

An entire generation of kids!!!



Just to let you in on a little secret, generally a "generation" isn't usually limited to a single year. And even if it was, I'm pretty sure maybe one or two of the grommets might make it to the odd Friday. It's not THAT onerous on the poor little lambs.

I'm starting to think the only "generation of kids" who will miss out are those whose dad's are too busy looking for bargain basement shirts rather than hopping on the train to make game. You know, the dads who have admitted never going to a game

Well it's a slippery slope isn't it. They did this with Super rugby and alienated an entire future generation of fans who weren't able to watch their side live. Those fans took up other sports and look at Super Rugby now. You may dismiss it, but for the good of the game and to help the game grow properly then the games need to be accessible to kids of every age, this isnt possible when
1. They schedule every game on a school night/work night
2. They schedule every game as late as 7:45pm
3. They schedule every game on a Friday night

This makes public transport an issue for most families too, generally people don't like using our public transport system at night due to the constant violence constantly being reported by our media. And with the late kick off times organising transport either side of the train or bus is very problematic.

This hasn't been well thought out at all, then we have all the away fixtures at perfect family friendly times for all foreign teams to encourage families to engage in the sport but unfortunately all the little kids that have aspirations to play for the Force one day will have to miss out this year and stay home with their Mum whilst Daddy goes and gets shitfaced with his larikan mates.

It's not a good look and the first major fail for GRR. When you fail to look after your future generation, then like SuperRugby the product has already failed. I'm still totally surprised they put so much talk into family friendly times and bringing families back to the game when they have scheduled in the total opposite.

[The InnFORCEr]

The only fail that I see so far is you failing to convince anyone else to align with your views and opinions about this fixture.

Sure a spread of times would have been nice, but like most, I'm just happy we have some Force matches to attend in 2019.

[WCRugger]

I assume Aloha Stadium will be used for any side playing out of Hawaii and that's not near the Honolulu city centre either.

Rail project won't run from Ala Moana to the stadium until 2025 either. Cost me $50 US to get a taxi back to where we were staying so it ain't cheap!

Then there's the issue of Aloha being a bit of a dump and in desperate need of renovation.

[WCRugger]

I don't see why you are trying to argue these two things are relevant to each other? Two different propositions that result in more US based rugby players can ONLY be good for WR.

Or is this the typical G & GR view of 'oh look at the cute Force fans thinking they can do things, they don't know the status quo is the only way things can possibly be!' Although I suppose if you had this view you'd presumably think WR would also want to stick to the status quo, which approving GRR & the World League seems to indicate not being the case.

This is an us vs them argument. I've been materially supportive of the GRR concept and was and still am far from happy with the decision to cut the Force from SR in the first place. And while I was disappointed we'd not see it this year (though from the looks of it with the Showcase series they may have been able to get something in place) I am glad they have held off a year as that ensures the product presented will be of higher overall quality.

This is purely from a start up perspective and GRR avoiding trying to be too much, to too many, too soon. GRR's focus should be on the Asia-Pacific region (yes, I know Hawaii technically fits into that sphere but I think it's clear on what I am referring) and implementing the right structures and programs to foster growth in a region that offers probably the greatest growth potential of any for the game as opposed to slapping a team that will likely be more PI BaaBaas-esque than Red, White and Blue in Hawaii in direct competition with a WR recognised venture.

If the money behind Hawaii want to join a competition then they have one in the form of MLR who would be happy to hear from them and if they meet all the necessary bits and pieces offer them entry. GRR should be focusing on our neighbours to the north. SR looks like dropping another team in the form of the Sunwolves. They'd be a solid get for GRR especially as they seem to be finally sorting themselves out and draw nice crowds in Tokyo. Would also offer the opportunity for rivalry with any other Japanese entity if one or more were to arise.

There are more than enough eyes in this region for GRR to develop. Let the Americas do it their way.

[WCRugger]

Well it's a slippery slope isn't it. They did this with Super rugby and alienated an entire future generation of fans who weren't able to watch their side live. Those fans took up other sports and look at Super Rugby now. You may dismiss it, but for the good of the game and to help the game grow properly then the games need to be accessible to kids of every age, this isnt possible when
1. They schedule every game on a school night/work night
2. They schedule every game as late as 7:45pm
3. They schedule every game on a Friday night

This makes public transport an issue for most families too, generally people don't like using our public transport system at night due to the constant violence constantly being reported by our media. And with the late kick off times organising transport either side of the train or bus is very problematic.

This hasn't been well thought out at all, then we have all the away fixtures at perfect family friendly times for all foreign teams to encourage families to engage in the sport but unfortunately all the little kids that have aspirations to play for the Force one day will have to miss out this year and stay home with their Mum whilst Daddy goes and gets shitfaced with his larikan mates.

It's not a good look and the first major fail for GRR. When you fail to look after your future generation, then like SuperRugby the product has already failed. I'm still totally surprised they put so much talk into family friendly times and bringing families back to the game when they have scheduled in the total opposite.

Since when has Friday been a school/work night? At 8:30pm during post work drinks I'm sure not thinking about going in on a Saturday.

[SPaRTAN]

Since when has Friday been a school/work night? At 8:30pm during post work drinks I'm sure not thinking about going in on a Saturday.

I work a lot of Saturdays to be fair.

The point is that the kids have been at school all day, some kids will be in before school care too, others in day care. expecting kids to stay up till 8pm on a Friday with all the additional time it takes to get to and from is asking too much. Whoever did the fixtures didn't have one inkling of consideration for the future fans, kids.

[SPaRTAN]

The only fail that I see so far is you failing to convince anyone else to align with your views and opinions about this fixture.

Sure a spread of times would have been nice, but like most, I'm just happy we have some Force matches to attend in 2019.

I don't need to convince anyone, because it's a fact, in GRR first ever fixture release they have shat the bed. They spent all this time promoting the game for families with light shows, parachuting dudes from the sky, that it would be at family friendly times, afternoon rugbys back etc ad nauseum. But instead they have gone back to the old mentality of trying to cash in on beer and beverage sales at the expense of attendance numbers by targetting Friday nights. If they were serious about supporting kids and families then the fixture list would have looked similar to last years with the majority of games falling on Friday with Saturday and Sunday games in the mix. We even had 17k turn up to a mothers day fixture on a sunday and that game was absolutely stacked with families and kids, it was the future I thought the Force was smart enough to see, but in their first official fixture list release under GRR they have shat the bed, and oh boy it's a big one.

[GIGS20]

Simple, don't go


Ass

Friday isn't a school night, school night is the night before a school d a y.

Yes I find it hard to make a Friday night game, but at least it doesn't affect my sporting commitments on the weekend.

How much would you whinge if the force hf ame was scheduled in direct opposition to your kids' Saturday rugby game?

I suppose that would be a "kid friendly" time, wouldn't it?