Global Rapid Rugby

[JSJ]

But since we're speculating, I agree with JSJ - six or seven teams look pretty close IMO. Hawaii seemed to be the most in doubt.

I went searching for stadium bookings at NIB in Perth, Hong Kong and Singapore. Nothing shows up in Feb or March.
Singapore have bookings for ""Super Rugby"" on 16/2/19 and 23/3/19, which got me excited that I was onto something, until I found a press release that the Sunwolves were playing Sharks and Lions in Singapore on those dates.

[valzc]

I wouldn’t be underestimating the Mindaroo machine. Remember how we’ve already seen how fast Twiggy will MIH. I would say everything is bedded down bar some finer details. They’re not likely to allow RA a sniff of anything to get their mitts on to impede, there’s already been too much obstruction caused by certain persons. Unlike RA, strategy, planning, organisational skills & above all Hodgo managing a big bulk of it puts GRR on a whole new level to FumbleFort.

[Kiap]

I went searching for stadium bookings at NIB in Perth, Hong Kong and Singapore. Nothing shows up in Feb or March.
Singapore have bookings for ""Super Rugby"" on 16/2/19 and 23/3/19, which got me excited that I was onto something, until I found a press release that the Sunwolves were playing Sharks and Lions in Singapore on those dates.

Heheh, you're like what I was trying a few weeks ago - digging around online trying to find something to fill the news void.

[JSJ]

I wouldn’t be underestimating the Mindaroo machine. Remember how we’ve already seen how fast Twiggy will MIH. I would say everything is bedded down bar some finer details. They’re not likely to allow RA a sniff of anything to get their mitts on to impede, there’s already been too much obstruction caused by certain persons. Unlike RA, strategy, planning, organisational skills & above all Hodgo managing a big bulk of it puts GRR on a whole new level to FumbleFort.

Getting a Force team up and running last year and the 1st game of WSR sold out in just a few weeks, proves Twiggy can MIH. GRR is much more complicated, but they have had months, not weeks this time. I am just amazed how well Mindaroo have kept a lid on most of the leaks.

I am very confident that GRR will happen and be a roaring success.

[JSJ]

Nice bit on Green and Gold about GRR.
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/201...-up-from-here/

GLOBAL RAPID RUGBY – THE REBEL COMPETITION WE HAD TO HAVE


This year will see the emergence of Global Rapid Rugby, with eight teams from Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Samoa, Singapore and United States competing for a $1 million purse. It will see the Western Force finally return to a competition format, and as of January we know of two more teams, being the South China Tigers and the Asia-Pacific Dragons.

Let’s pause for a moment: the fact this competition has made it this far is unbelievable, in all honesty. It’s a testament to the fans out in the West who would not let their team fade into memory. It’s also a testament to Twiggy for putting his energy into keeping the competition going. But it is also a statement. It is a statement of how insane the game has got in this country: that Rugby Australia, as a governing body, does not control every part of the game in the land. It is honestly unbelievable, even more so considering the Force attracted more fans to their games than any of the Super Rugby clubs last year.

However, once the Force stepped out onto the field to play Fiji for the first of seven exhibition matches, something happened. There was a sense, at least to me, of rugby finally being a product that casual viewers would want to watch. There was pre-match entertainment, crowd engagement, and it was easily accessible. It was on free-to-air television! What is this?! Twiggy is a man on a mission, and it says a lot to me that Raelene Castle is keen to engage with that.

Let’s go down a rabbit hole for a moment: could it be that Twiggy might become what Kerry Packer was for cricket back in the 1970s? I have no idea, and there are plenty of mixed feelings in the rugby realms around that. But considering the comp has made it this far, we could be in for a massive opportunity. Asia is part of the world that is still to experience the game, but if it was to expand there, how good would it be for our game if we led that?

It’s clear that RA, the NZRU, the Pacific nations and World Rugby itself see value in this competition. And I think it is something we should champion. As a code, having this competition finds us in uncharted waters. But could it be a watershed moment.

Frankly, I’m tired of the way things are going. If we want the game to appeal to the Australian general public, it’s going to have to do something different to what it is doing now. So, why the hell not? What do we have to lose? If this crazy comp is a success, that can only be good right? If the Force prosper, how good would it be for the game nationally? Hell, it could even lead to reunification with the other states in the long term? From what I saw last year, I’m willing to give this competition a shot.

[WCRugger]

Nice bit on Green and Gold about GRR.
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/201...-up-from-here/

GLOBAL RAPID RUGBY – THE REBEL COMPETITION WE HAD TO HAVE


This year will see the emergence of Global Rapid Rugby, with eight teams from Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Samoa, Singapore and United States competing for a $1 million purse. It will see the Western Force finally return to a competition format, and as of January we know of two more teams, being the South China Tigers and the Asia-Pacific Dragons.

Let’s pause for a moment: the fact this competition has made it this far is unbelievable, in all honesty. It’s a testament to the fans out in the West who would not let their team fade into memory. It’s also a testament to Twiggy for putting his energy into keeping the competition going. But it is also a statement. It is a statement of how insane the game has got in this country: that Rugby Australia, as a governing body, does not control every part of the game in the land. It is honestly unbelievable, even more so considering the Force attracted more fans to their games than any of the Super Rugby clubs last year.

However, once the Force stepped out onto the field to play Fiji for the first of seven exhibition matches, something happened. There was a sense, at least to me, of rugby finally being a product that casual viewers would want to watch. There was pre-match entertainment, crowd engagement, and it was easily accessible. It was on free-to-air television! What is this?! Twiggy is a man on a mission, and it says a lot to me that Raelene Castle is keen to engage with that.

Let’s go down a rabbit hole for a moment: could it be that Twiggy might become what Kerry Packer was for cricket back in the 1970s? I have no idea, and there are plenty of mixed feelings in the rugby realms around that. But considering the comp has made it this far, we could be in for a massive opportunity. Asia is part of the world that is still to experience the game, but if it was to expand there, how good would it be for our game if we led that?

It’s clear that RA, the NZRU, the Pacific nations and World Rugby itself see value in this competition. And I think it is something we should champion. As a code, having this competition finds us in uncharted waters. But could it be a watershed moment.

Frankly, I’m tired of the way things are going. If we want the game to appeal to the Australian general public, it’s going to have to do something different to what it is doing now. So, why the hell not? What do we have to lose? If this crazy comp is a success, that can only be good right? If the Force prosper, how good would it be for the game nationally? Hell, it could even lead to reunification with the other states in the long term? From what I saw last year, I’m willing to give this competition a shot.

Generally speaking I share Nick's sentiment regarding GRR. I want to see it get up and running and genuinely wish it all the success in the world. I think it offers many positive developments and ambitious vision particularly looking north in Asia. And that's part of my frustration with the lack of detail we're seeing. I want to know what coming and start to get excited about it. Importantly I want to see some hype in general built around it. What worries me is that the longer it takes to get everything out there the less time they will have to do just that which will only do the competition a disservice.

[JSJ]

Interesting article by Nicholas Bishop on Roar this morning.
https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/0...asifika-rugby/

He and everybody fails to mention GRR and Twiggy. I think the bit about Brexit could be a huge boost for GRR recruiting players.

Here is a little extract.

Moreover, a ‘no-deal’ Brexit is likely to dramatically reduce the attraction of players from the Islands and South Africa for UK clubs. The EU trade arrangement which currently allows players from Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and South Africa to play as Europeans, rather than be classified as foreign imports, would cease immediately.

To give one example, the current Gloucester first team squad includes seven South Africans, two New Zealanders and one Australian. Right now, all seven South Africans can play in European competitions without counting against a cap which only applies to the three Australasians. If the UK leaves the European Union with no deal in place, all ten players would count against the cap.

[Bakkies]

Kolpak for the UK will cease immediately in any case as it is a EU regulation.

From what I have read Fijians that have served for the UK armed services are granted citizenship.

[FingerTips]

Nice bit on Green and Gold about GRR.
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/201...-up-from-here/

GLOBAL RAPID RUGBY – THE REBEL COMPETITION WE HAD TO HAVE

Let’s pause for a moment: the fact this competition has made it this far is unbelievable, in all honesty. It’s a testament to the fans out in the West who would not let their team fade into memory. It’s also a testament to Twiggy for putting his energy into keeping the competition going. But it is also a statement. It is a statement of how insane the game has got in this country: that Rugby Australia, as a governing body, does not control every part of the game in the land. It is honestly unbelievable, even more so considering the Force attracted more fans to their games than any of the Super Rugby clubs last year.

Was at the Boxing Day test with a few lads from Lindfield.
Not surprisingly, the conversation kept returning to rugby union in Australia, as we watched our country get comprehensively humiliated on the cricket pitch.

The lads were impressed that there are rugby supporters in WA who are willing to hand over $420 per seat for a proposed competition in 2019, without knowing for sure (a) how many games will be played, (b) when they will be played and (c) who will play. They noted that the Rebels (and the Tahs, for that matter) would give their right arms to have supporters such as these.

The lads agreed that Rugby Australia was never smart enough to understand what it could lose when it alienated those supporters.

[Sheikh]

Was at the Boxing Day test with a few lads from Lindfield.
Not surprisingly, the conversation kept returning to rugby union in Australia, as we watched our country get comprehensively humiliated on the cricket pitch.

The lads were impressed that there are rugby supporters in WA who are willing to hand over $420 per seat for a proposed competition in 2019, without knowing for sure (a) how many games will be played, (b) when they will be played and (c) who will play. They noted that the Rebels (and the Tahs, for that matter) would give their right arms to have supporters such as these.

The lads agreed that Rugby Australia was never smart enough to understand what it could lose when it alienated those supporters.

On the other hand, while doing so I was reminded of the old adage: "More money than sense"

[shasta]

There have been plenty of questions asked in GAGR and elsewhere about how much money the Rebels received and why. Nearly all have been answered in true passive/aggressive style by TWAT. But the biggest elephant in the board room concerning Rats Arse's refusal of AF's money guarantees is that nobody over the Nullabor except Alan Jones seem to have made the connection between that refusal, Nick Taylor's discovered e mails and the financial skulduggery around the put option and it's financial conditions.

[valzc]

I still think it’s a bit weird how one day Wessels is doing a job interview overseas for another club snd then the next day he’s marching out the usual company claptrap about how happy he is in current job. Common sense dictates that if you’re so bloody happy where you are, why are you looking at other positions? Did Rebels management panic and fork out a better counter offer from the dodgy finance wheelbarrow to make him stay? It’s gotta be the dodgiest setup of a franchise and not many are kicking up about the manure odour floating about the Rebels rooms!

[.X.]

I still think it’s a bit weird how one day Wessels is doing a job interview overseas for another club snd then the next day he’s marching out the usual company claptrap about how happy he is in current job. Common sense dictates that if you’re so bloody happy where you are, why are you looking at other positions? Did Rebels management panic and fork out a better counter offer from the dodgy finance wheelbarrow to make him stay? It’s gotta be the dodgiest setup of a franchise and not many are kicking up about the manure odour floating about the Rebels rooms!

Whats that got to do with GRR?

[maelkann]

We're certainly in the 'keep Facebook engagement ticking along until something major happens' stage...

[Bakkies]

X I get you but I see Val's point. Wessels interviewed for the Scarlets job than stated he had no intention to leave. That indicates that the coach is unsure about the team's financial position given that it is so secretive and there have been doubts about the financial viability of at least two sponsors. If I was Wessels I would do the same thing.

This is to go with the RA's financial woes. Can they continue to afford to fund the agreed incremental payments and pay an advance to the Reds to deal with their cash flow issues in a year where they have a reduced domestic test schedule. They have already asked for the Perth Bledisloe money off the WA Government in advance.

The IRB compensation doesn't cover the shortfall from the lack of domestic schedule. The 6 Nations teams are at least smart enough to schedule RWC warm up tests to cover the loss of AIs. Wales (the WRU is still in debt due to the stadium rebuild) have schedule two warm ups in Cardiff to boost their revenue as they have only two Six Nations home matches this year. Even though they are seen as warm ups they do sell out.

If Super Rugby went under and the remaining four teams applied for entry in to GRR I have serious doubts about whether the Rebels would meet the requirements under their current management model. Twiggy would put a lot of conditions on them which may end up being the best thing to happen to them.