Global Rapid Rugby

[SPaRTAN]

This is awesome news!!! Let’s celebrate by packing out NIB stadium this coming Friday!!!!

Hopefully. Its our last game for 6 weeks..

Oh and Happy Birthday Alison!

[Alison]

Hopefully. Its our last game for 6 weeks..

Oh and Happy Birthday Alison!

Thanks Mr!

[JSJ]

So its official, Forrest is not the only rich person backing GRR with Fale backing the Samoa side and hopefully a Hawaii side next year as well. Also the first partnership of a GRR team with an ITM cup side as there was hinting at GRR sides forming partnerships with ITM cup sides last year.

I went looking for background on this Richard Fale. Other than him being a USA politician who is a Morman and is anti same-sex marriage and seems to have a desire to own sports teams, I cannot find out much about him. Does he really have big money? How did he make it?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league...-but-who-is-he

Anybody know anymore?

[shasta]

Anybody know anymore?

Not really. Stuff.co was accurate - information is pretty sketchy - they have him as Tongan born. Wiki says Utah. Experience is........

* US Army combat engineer (14 weeks training course)
* US Army paralegal.
* Legislative Aide, Representative Lynn Finnegan.
* 6 years - member of the Hawaiian State Legislature.
* Farmer.

No mention anywhere of being a businessman. Given his age it looks likely he left the Army in his late 20's, parlayed his JAG administrative experience into a job on a pollie's staff then went into Hawaiian Politics. He might be also good at trying to get ex-NFL players to stump-up money to buy Rugby League and/or Union franchises. Let's see how that goes.

https://votesmart.org/candidate/biog...e#.XKw7w5gzbIU

[shasta]

Happy Birthday Ali.

[JSJ]

Not really. Stuff.co was accurate - information is pretty sketchy - they have him as Tongan born. Wiki says Utah. Experience is........

* US Army combat engineer (14 weeks training course)
* US Army paralegal.
* Legislative Aide, Representative Lynn Finnegan.
* 6 years - member of the Hawaiian State Legislature.
* Farmer.

No mention anywhere of being a businessman. Given his age it looks likely he left the Army in his late 20's, parlayed his JAG administrative experience into a job on a pollie's staff then went into Hawaiian Politics. He might be also good at trying to get ex-NFL players to stump-up money to buy Rugby League and/or Union franchises. Let's see how that goes.

https://votesmart.org/candidate/biog...e#.XKw7w5gzbIU

He is starting to make me a bit nervous. Type of guy who would go well with the Rebels and RA maybe. I hope GRR have done their due diligence on him.

[lou]

Happy Birthday Alison. I'll have a cheeky toast to you

[BLR]

He is starting to make me a bit nervous. Type of guy who would go well with the Rebels and RA maybe. I hope GRR have done their due diligence on him.

The difference is RA decided to give loads of money to the Rebels under a private owner to prop them up. Basically bringing down the rest of the competition.

Look at the way big businesses often run, they have many many different entities under their overall control, however if one messes up they can cut them adrift or sell them off without causing too much trouble to the other entities in the business.

I would think this is how a good professional league run by business men would be run. So it's a sink or swim scenario and if a team can't survive well too bad.

[SPaRTAN]

There are rumours that the game in August on the eve of the Bledisloe will be against Malaysia Valke... interesting.

[andrewg]

Thanks to Jodi Hodgson on Facebook for providing the following on behalf of Matt.

Hodgo had someone ask him about the timing of the games (with reference to them being late for kids); I know many have asked about this so thought I’d post his response here for your reference:

“In the month we had to book in the games for 2019 (after RR was delayed) we booked in game times taking into account:

- We were strongly encouraged by RA to not conflict with any Super Rugby games that were played in OZ, NZ & Japan.

- The Island nations requested not to play Sundays, this was respected.

- In support of Club Rugby we wanted to make sure that no games clashed with senior grade rugby games on Saturday afternoon. We want to encourage participation & create an elite pathway in WA

- We has to work around the previous bookings of the Perth Glory, as we share the same ground.

- Friday games had to start after people finished work.

- As a father of young kids (4 & 6) I’d love to make all the games as family friendly as possible.

The times of games reflect these factors We’ve done our best to put on some great game day experiences for all members of the family. We’ve put on a heap of family friendly entertainment for all games - some nights were before junior club rugby began playing. Late nights but not too many of them this year.

It’s not ideal & for that I apologise. I hope you can come to some games. We appreciate your investment & support into RR & the Western Force.”

I hope to see many of you at the game tonight.

The reason why RA has involvement:

To be a legitimate competition RA must sign off on every professional rugby game played in Australia. Including RR games. We don’t want to be a rebel league, we want to be a true pathway to the top for WA.

[chibi]

- We were strongly encouraged by RA to not conflict with any Super Rugby games that were played in OZ, NZ & Japan.

FFS

[.X.]

- We were strongly encouraged by RA to not conflict with any Super Rugby games that were played in OZ, NZ & Japan.

FFS

why is that a bad thing?

It makes good sense not to have a game that clashes with Super Rugby - It then allows Foxsports/KAYO to be one of the Broadcast partners.

[SPaRTAN]

why is that a bad thing?

It makes good sense not to have a game that clashes with Super Rugby - It then allows Foxsports/KAYO to be one of the Broadcast partners.

Tonights game isnt broadcast so what is it conflicting with exactly?

[AndyS]

To be a legitimate competition RA must sign off on every professional rugby game played in Australia. Including RR games. We don’t want to be a rebel league, we want to be a true pathway to the top for WA.

Going to be interesting next year then, when it isn't an Australian managed competition. Sounds like it could be grounds to refuse to allow an Australian involvement...

[shasta]

Even when our esteemed ex-captain goes out of his way to give a perfectly clear explanation of why the match schedule is as it is, the usual suspect is still squealing like a stuck pig. FFS!!

PS. He's still definitely on "ignore" but I couldn't resist seeing if he would accept that. Needn't have wasted my time.

Thanks to Jody and Hodgo for taking the time. Unfortunately you've been trolled too.

Off to HBF now. Have to drive tonite. Fortunately the game is on late enough to miss the worst of the freeway gridlock.