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Thread: Global Rapid Rugby

  1. #886
    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Bloody cheerleader.

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    Champion SPaRTAN's Avatar
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    Has No one noticed the front page has shrunk? I know you lot arent very observant as taking in more than a few threads at a time can be met with some brain fizz moments. But surely someone else noticed.

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    I only use the mobile site.

    But I hope you well

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    Legend Contributor brokendown gunfighter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SPaRTAN View Post
    Has No one noticed the front page has shrunk? I know you lot arent very observant as taking in more than a few threads at a time can be met with some brain fizz moments. But surely someone else noticed.
    I did notice,presumed it was due to very little posting going on at the time

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  5. #890
    (Previously WFDS) WFDom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SPaRTAN View Post
    What the hell has happened to this site? Its so small? Whatthe!
    You happened!!!!...... you dickhead

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    Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!

  6. #891
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    Can't get past the bloody paywall on this one but at least Nick is getting some stories in the paper.
    Can anyone access it?

    Force captain Ian Prior aims to end injury run ahead of Global Rapid Rugby season
    Nick Taylor
    The West Australian

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  7. #892
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    Quote Originally Posted by wholetruth View Post
    Can't get past the bloody paywall on this one but at least Nick is getting some stories in the paper.
    Can anyone access it?

    Force captain Ian Prior aims to end injury run ahead of Global Rapid Rugby season
    Nick Taylor
    The West Australian
    Western Force captain Ian Prior hopes the injury jinx that plagued him last year is well and truly lifted ahead of the inaugural ground-breaking Global Rapid Rugby season.

    Scrum-half Prior was sidelined for 12 weeks with a pectoral injury during the GRR Showcase Series.

    He was then forced to watch from the sidelines with a broken wrist as his side demolished a Super Rugby-laden Canberra Vikings 41-3 in the National

    Rugby Championship grand final. But he has already set the bar high, leading the fitness tests in the first week of New Year training.

    “I haven’t had many serious injuries in my career so I was probably due a couple,” Prior said.

    “Hopefully they are all out the way now and I’m looking forward to getting back out on the pitch and staying out there a bit longer.

    “I’ve set some pretty lofty goals for myself this year, put in a good amount of work in the offseason and now I want to make a big impression and get the minutes back up on the field.

    “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of smiles around the building. I’m looking forward to what is ahead and in building the club for the future.

    “The games will be a lot tougher this year, the margins will be smaller. From our perspective we want to keep evolving and improving.”

    Prior, 29, spent four seasons at the Force and made his 50th Super appearance in their last Super game in July 2017 ahead of the axing by Rugby Australia. He had four months with UK heavyweights Harlequins before returning to lead the re-born side in World Series Rugby that morphed into GRR, backed by mining magnate Andrew Forrest.

    Forrest vowed to take on RA after the governing body rejected his $70 million offer to keep the Force alive.

    Prior said it had been a huge effort to rebuild the Force and set up the fledgling competition.

    “It’s quite remarkable when you consider where we started to where we are now ... the squad we have, the programme that has been put together, getting all the teams involved,” he said.

    “From Andrew Forrest and everyone involved it has been quite remarkable.”

    GRR kicks off in mid-March and the Force will play a homeand-away series against Manuma Samoa, Fijian Latui, a Malaysian side supported by South African Currie Cup club Valke, Hong Kong’s South China Tigers and a Shanghai team backed by New Zealand NPC outfit Bay of Plenty.
    https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...ng-b881430307z

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  8. #893
    Veteran valzc's Avatar
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    Found this article quite interesting in terms of how Rapid Rugby marketing seem to have embraced these branding concepts and working towards nailing it in providing the game as a whole ‘experience package’ than just a rugby game. Especially like the comments about looking after your existing fan base, and not forgetting to look after those fans who have bought memberships in advance as opposed to the ‘rocker-ups.
    Answers to dwindling Super crowds in NZ may offer clues for Australia

    By Aaron Goile
    January 12, 2020 — 11.43am
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    Super Rugby is about to celebrate its 25th birthday, but just how many will bother to show for the party?

    It's one of the world's premier domestic rugby competitions, yet pulling crowds seems to be getting harder and harder.

    Not even in New Zealand, where the game is the national sport and the local teams have accounted for 17 of the 24 titles, are punters now guaranteed through the gates in decent numbers.

    There were plenty of empty seats for the Brumbies' quarter-final against the Sharks last year.
    There were plenty of empty seats for the Brumbies' quarter-final against the Sharks last year.CREDITION GEORGOPOULOS
    Super Rugby's average attendance as a whole is in sharp decline.
    Advertisement

    In 2015, the average crowd size across the competition was 19,163, making it easily the world's biggest rugby competition by average attendance.



    In 2019, regular-season attendances for games on Kiwi soil were down another 6 per cent on the previous year, as big pockets of empty seats at stadiums make for a big eyesore and a lack of atmosphere, not to mention a loss in gate takings.

    In its debut year in 1996, Super Rugby had its latest start on the calendar (March 1). A quarter of a century on, the traditional winter sport is set for its earliest kickoff (January 31), clashing with a Black Caps v India Twenty20 cricket match.

    New Zealand Rugby have admitted concern over the dwindling crowds, and have moved early to battle the issue for 2020, with fan feedback leading them to compromise by half an hour on kick-off times – earlier slots of 7.05pm and 4.45pm – with free kids membership options having also been introduced through the five Super franchises.

    But there are wider issues which also need combating, according to experts in the marketing field.

    Many options
    Rugby, and sport in general, is now up against stiff opposition in a competitive market.

    Dr Sandra Smith – a senior lecturer in marketing at The University of Auckland Business School's Graduate School of Management – sums it up well.

    "People are just so bombarded with choices, just generally, with what to do with their spare time," she says of the modern-day fight for the punter's attention.

    "We're not just competing with other things in New Zealand, but now we're competing globally with what's on offer.

    Winning, of course, attracts more fans, but it's not the only factor.
    Winning, of course, attracts more fans, but it's not the only factor.CREDIT:AAP
    "So the traditional kind of Kiwi sporting events that would draw lots of consumers are probably struggling a little bit to draw Millennials and even Gen X's, because they are very much more digitally inclined, and therefore are a lot more savvy in terms of working out what they want to watch, how they want to watch it."

    That, she says, now sees the likes of highlights packages and social media clips of proving a very popular option.

    "They're not trending away from watching sport, but they're just wanting to watch it in their own way," Smith says.

    "What is changing is that we have so many different ways of consuming sport, that it's easier for people to not turn up and still enjoy and consume the event in some way."

    'It's no longer just about where you sit in the stadium, it's more about what are the experiences that that ticket enables you to enjoy.'
    Brand strategist Korey Rubenstein
    Crowds at the game are still an important part, Smith says. Those who aren't turning up should be asked why they aren't, and the whole "journey" for the customer – from finding out about the event, to deciding to buy a ticket, to turning up, to how they felt afterwards, has to be looked into.

    "The event is not the same without the crowd. So the crowd becomes part of the event. There's a co-creation going on.

    "If that's not really there it's not quite the same, it doesn't create the value-add that people are going to the game for. So it's sort of a catch-22."

    Yuri Seo – another senior lecturer in marketing at The University of Auckland Business School – notes leisure time is seemingly ever-decreasing, chiefly because of a blurring of work and non-work activity, and with people becoming more entrepreneurial in their careers.

    So there now needs to be some real incentives for people to tune in, let alone consider going, to the game.

    Adding value
    Free entry was a successful one-off tactic for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup final between Auckland and Canterbury at Eden Park.

    The 20,156 who turned up would have been about double what was otherwise expected, and was thought to be the biggest crowd in that competition in 12 years.

    Obviously freebies are not a realistic long-term option, but the gimmick at least showed people are still interested.

    Because of the saturation and sameness, no longer will just a top-of-the-table match-up or some star players be enough to entice the masses.

    Waratahs players warm up at Brookvale Oval.
    Waratahs players warm up at Brookvale Oval.CREDIT:AAP
    As Smith alludes, there needs to be a "value-add" of turning up.

    That can be being part of a great atmosphere, but it can even be in the likes of transport and parking, where ease of access may seem largely insignificant, but could actually be big factors in the decision of whether people attend.

    "People will weigh the cost of doing something with the benefits of it, and if the cost outweighs the benefits, then they won't do it," she says.

    "And that's really for the event organisers to work out the trade off, what's most important.

    "Some need to be worried if they don't address this."

    Seo notes that the match is no longer even the absolute central point of interest for many people going along.

    "Yes, the game is important itself, but also it's the surroundings, and the facilities and entertainment that you do in between," he says.

    Technological advancements such as TV screens, different camera angles, extra social media input, audio from referees, and the likes, should be considered as crowd aides, he says.

    Making fans 'sticky'
    But getting people to take a seat in the stadium is only part of the challenge

    That is not the hard work all done. Organisations then need to make fans "sticky", says Korey Rubenstein – a brand strategist teaching fellow at The University of Waikato.

    He believes there needs to be a big focus on engagement, and interactions that are memorable, in order to keep them coming back.

    One of those pull factors comes about through brand equity, with a strongly built affinity to a club an obvious attraction. The All Blacks are the clear example.

    "That's the national team of New Zealand, and it's so much more than wins or losses for a lot of fans," Rubenstein says.

    "It's about being a part of the story of the brand, it's about being part of that history.

    "You could spot an Apple logo from a mile away and know that it's Apple. And you probably know the tagline for Nike, and adidas, and all of these big global brands.

    "Well, unless there's that type of salience in the minds of fans with the team then it's not front of mind and it's just not important, it's an afterthought.

    "If these other franchises aren't trying to create and foster that identity, then it's nothing more than a commodity, and it can be supplemented by any other activity, any other form of entertainment."

    Rubenstein - an American native, who moved to New Zealand about four years ago – notes how fans are now also being called 'guests' in some parts of the world – a take on the "hospitality mentality".

    Punters may require a little more imagination from organisers in terms of pre-match and half-time entertainment.
    Punters may require a little more imagination from organisers in terms of pre-match and half-time entertainment.CREDITTUART WALMSEY
    Everything about their experience needs to be quality, he says. That means from their travel to and from the venue, and everything in between, particularly the food, which has long been a major criticism due to the over-priced, low-quality items on offer.

    ​"It's actually an all-day affair," he says. "So fans get up, this is what's on their mind.

    "It's not just about the game anymore. The game is the catalyst that makes it all come to fruition, but while you're there you want this complete and holistic experience.

    "Food is a big deal. Entertainment and food go hand in hand, and it's something you remember. It's one of your primary needs. That doesn't mean that we want simple food, we want food that we're going to remember and we think is good value."

    Rewarding loyalty
    It's not necessarily new fans that have to be attracted, either. Just stop your semi-regular ones having an average time, to ensure they attend more than they don't.

    Rubenstein says a major problem he sees is that entities aren't "segmenting the market" appropriately – a common approach applied by the likes of hotels and airlines, in rewarding those more dedicated or higher-spending folk.

    He points out that major US sports franchises have adopted the model, but that it's still catching on in New Zealand.

    "The moment that the fan, or guest, gets into the venue, they are treated with a certain class of service," Rubenstein says. And that is usually determined by the class of ticket they have.

    "So you're seeing this segmentation in the live sport world, where it's no longer just about where you sit in the stadium, now it's more about 'what are the experiences that that ticket enables you to enjoy'.

    "That could be a tour of the changing room or gym, or going behind the scenes to see them warm up or meet part of the team, or lounge access with cocktails and recliners etc.​"

    Season memberships for Super Rugby are starting to involve more of this, and Rubenstein says organisations should no longer be looking to cater to the "everyman", because that "everyman" would much rather watch in the comfort of their lounge on their big TV.

    Instead, consumers should start to be ranked in terms of who's most loyal and who's going to provide most value, in order to retain customers, he says. And that you can't treat die-hard year-in-advance ticket buyers the same as late rocker-ups, with entities needing to know their guests.

    ​"Are they doing the research?," Rubenstein wonders.

    "It's brand strategy 101, it's understanding consumers – who they are and what their needs are – and being very very innovative in what is a very competitive market."

    When MLB baseball teams each play a whopping 81 regular season games a year, and NBA basketball sides even have 41, the eight for Super Rugby really looks simple in comparison.

    "Make it worth the fans' time and effort to come to those games, and really pull out all the stops to reward them and encourage them to be there," Rubenstein says.

    "They have to start putting the fans, or the customers, front and centre.

    "That's customer-centricity. It doesn't mean the customer's always right. What it means is ensuring that you know the customer, that you understand their motives and that you put your best foot forward for the customer at all times.

    "I think they realise that the writing is on the wall for them unless they adapt."

    Stuff.co.nz

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    Last edited by valzc; 13-01-20 at 08:11.

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    This coronavirus could shut down the GRR games in Shanghai and even possibly Hong Kong.

    Australians are also being told to reconsider any plans to travel to China, due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-...china/11909090

    After advising people not to visit Hubei province, where the outbreak started, the Federal Government's Smart Traveller website has now upgraded its warning for the rest of China from normal advice to 'reconsider your need to travel'.

    The travel advisory does not apply to Hong Kong

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    CHINA AND NEW ZEALAND JOIN RUGBY REVOLUTION
    January 31, 2020
    Global Rapid Rugby has unveiled the China Lions as the final team in its inaugural home-and-away competition this year. China Rugby Football Association and New Zealand’s domestic championship winning Bay of Plenty have formed an exciting joint venture.

    The Lions are the sixth team to be announced as part of Global Rapid Rugby Season One in 2020, joining Australia’s Western Force, the Malaysia Valke representing both Malaysia and South Africa, Fijian Latui, Manuma Samoa and the Hong Kong based South China Tigers.

    Fast paced and explosive by name and nature, Season One includes a AU$1 million total prize pool, 30 games over 10 rounds and a one-off Grand Final.

    Global Rapid Rugby CEO, Mark Evans, described the inclusion of China as ‘crucial’ to the long-term development of rugby throughout Asia.

    “Our expansion into China is an important development for the competition. We believe that rugby has the potential to become an extremely popular and successful sport throughout the country,” Evans said.

    “Rugby is a game with broad appeal. Add the on-going energy, entertainment and family fun created by Rapid Rugby and I am confident crowds in Shanghai will love supporting their home team, the Lions.

    “We thank the China Rugby Football Association for its assistance and belief in what we are trying to achieve. The ongoing support of New Zealand Rugby has always been greatly appreciated. It is tremendously exciting to be involved with a progressive operation like Bay of Plenty Rugby Union,” Evans said.

    This year is the perfect time to expand the rugby footprint in China. The national women’s team will make China’s Olympic Rugby debut in Tokyo and the men’s team will continue its attempt to qualify for the 2020 Games.

    Mr Chen, President of China Rugby Football Association, says Rapid Rugby is an appealing concept with an exciting future.

    “China Rugby Football Association partnering with Bay of Plenty Rugby to compete in Rapid Rugby supports the strategy for the growth of rugby in China. We are very excited about our Chinese women’s team competing this year in the Olympics in Tokyo and see this new partnership as part of our strategy of providing opportunities to develop our Chinese players and coaches and raise the profile of rugby in China.”

    Bay of Plenty Rugby Union CEO, Mike Rogers, described the partnership with Chinese Rugby and Rapid Rugby as a bold step forward.

    “Bay of Plenty Rugby is excited about partnering with the China Rugby Football Association to participate in Rapid Rugby 2020 and over time grow the game of rugby in China. The vision of Rapid Rugby is one that we share and we are committed to growing the fantastic Rapid Rugby brand in the Asian region.”

    The creation of Australian businessman and internationally renowned philanthropist Andrew Forrest AO, Global Rapid Rugby began as a Perth based Exhibition Series in 2018 and developed into a 2019 Showcase Series across seven Asia Pacific territories, featuring 70-minute matches, revolutionary new rules and an emphasis on off-field entertainment for fans.

    Global Rapid Rugby Season One will kick off on March 13 with the Grand Final in Perth on June 6. The full match schedule will be released soon.

    Global Rapid Rugby will monitor and follow the advice of relevant health authorities around the Coronavirus and immediately communicate any relevant information to stakeholders.

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  11. #896
    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    Relocate any games as necessary and quarantine the teams, tigers might be tougher, but lions will be essentially a bop team, so run it out of there until the epidemic has run its course

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    C'mon the

  12. #897
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    Venues of the Latui home games announced. Mostly playing in Lautoka, 1 game in Suva and 1 in Nausori


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    Seruvakula sets Latui course, 40 players join camp

    THE Global Rapid Rugby season is about to commence and Fijian Latui head coach Senirusi Seruvakula has high expectations as he finalises his 40-member squad this weekend.

    Seruvakula said he was looking for quality players who could deliver on and off the field.

    “We are looking to select 40 players, with 33 players who will be contracted during the season and seven who will be on standby.

    “We are looking at the skill level of these players, fitness, players who know what’s going on in the field and off the field,” said Seruvakula.

    The Fijian Latui team is expected to have a busy season.

    “It is going to be tougher and it is bigger than the Drua because this is like an international competition and not like the Drua which only includes Australian teams.

    We will be travelling week in and week out which will be good for the exposure for our players in playing at this level of fast-paced rugby.”

    The Fijian Latui extended training squad includes familiar faces such as Nadroga skipper Sakiusa Nakalevu, Joeli Lutumailagi, Eremasi Radrodro, Kini Douglas, Enele Malele, Eroni Mawi and John Stewart.

    “We got a good set of players even in the extended squad. It is good to see players who have come in from the West and some who have been part of the Fiji Barbarians side.

    “It is also good to see Nakalevu. We included him in the Drua extended squad and called him in for Latui.

    “There is also a lot of competitions in the team which is great to see.”

    The first round of games will be held from March 13 to 15 with the Fijian Latui team hosting its first game against Team Asia at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.
    https://www.fijitimes.com/seruvakula...ers-join-camp/

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    So are Latui and Drua going to be essentially the same team for GRR and NRC?

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    Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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    Champion SPaRTAN's Avatar
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    Sounds like he is just saying this comp has more significance than the NRC because its international, not just Australian teams like the NRC.

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