Its Time to Bring Back Global Rapid Rugby

[.X.]

Over the last couple of years. I have been critical of anyone spending - or suggesting how to spend Dr. Andrew Forrest's (bless him) money.

I am about to break my own rule. SO, feel free to criticize me.

With the demise of the NRC. There is an opportunity for WA Rugby to leap ahead of our East Coast counterparts.

Here is my plan.

A Perth-based team in GRR. The team to only be filled with 18-24-year-olds who are WA born/WA-developed players.

Teams from Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, China, and maybe Hawaii.

Coached by Richard Kahui, Jeremy Thrush, and Greg Holmes.

At the moment the best our upcoming Rugby Players can hope for FMG Premier Grade. With perhaps a shift to Shute Shield or Hospital Cup. Let us be honest this is not the best stepping stone to Super Rugby or International Caps.

By establishing this competition, it will give our best juniors exposure to International travel, hotels, language, and touring, along with different players, teams, and tactics. With our new coaching team, they have the opportunity of learning from some of the best players with a huge amount of experience.

This will produce a group of players that will be the core of the next generation of Western Force. And give us a huge advantage over our opposition.

[tjs10]

Over the last couple of years. I have been critical of anyone spending - or suggesting how to spend Dr. Andrew Forrest's (bless him) money.

I am about to break my own rule. SO, feel free to criticize me.

With the demise of the NRC. There is an opportunity for WA Rugby to leap ahead of our East Coast counterparts.

Here is my plan.

A Perth-based team in GRR. The team to only be filled with 18-24-year-olds who are WA born/WA-developed players.

Teams from Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, China, and maybe Hawaii.

Coached by Richard Kahui, Jeremy Thrush, and Greg Holmes.

At the moment the best our upcoming Rugby Players can hope for FMG Premier Grade. With perhaps a shift to Shute Shield or Hospital Cup. Let us be honest this is not the best stepping stone to Super Rugby or International Caps.

By establishing this competition, it will give our best juniors exposure to International travel, hotels, language, and touring, along with different players, teams, and tactics. With our new coaching team, they have the opportunity of learning from some of the best players with a huge amount of experience.

This will produce a group of players that will be the core of the next generation of Western Force. And give us a huge advantage over our opposition.

I agree.
I think this would be the perfect opportunity for the Western Force Maali side to help with the player pathway through to the full Force Super Rugby squad.

GRR always seemed to be the perfect space to help further develop the next tier of WA talent while also trying to expand the game into Asia. The hardest task will be finding a window in the calendar that works well for both Force (mainly around player release) and the Asian sides (player availability, avoiding extreme weather, broadcaster interest etc).

[palitu]

i would think that you would need two teams, you cannot leave the force players out, as they need to continue to get better. so split the force squad into two, and make up the numbers with the next stream of West Australian players.

- Further develop core Force players
- Gives starting spots to reserve / third string force players
- Gives locals access to professional S&C, nutrition and other professional players
- More game time in a professional setting

[Sheikh]

GRR always seemed to be the perfect space to help further develop the next tier of WA talent while also trying to expand the game into Asia. The hardest task will be finding a window in the calendar that works well for both Force (mainly around player release) and the Asian sides (player availability, avoiding extreme weather, broadcaster interest etc).

The timing works well for Japan, as they've moved their calendar to be January-May, and the Force's new head coach has a number of contacts with Japanese Rugby!

[GIGS20]

I've been banging on about GRR being needed to develop Aussie rugby since it fell over at the start of the pandemic.

I think there's a place for it to be greater than just a development comp for the Force, every AU Super team would benefit from having it to develop players at a level that club rugby simply cannot. Even Shute Shield is miles behind what's on offer in New Zealand.

NRC, GRR, something else it doesn't really matter what, fringe Super Rugby players in Australia seem to play about 4 minutes of rugby in a season!

[Leo86]

I agree with all but this.

A Perth-based team in GRR. The team to only be filled with 18-24-year-olds who are WA born/WA-developed players.

I think you need the older heads to show and teach leadership. If you don't include other state players then that wouldn't attract them to the Force for the main season. I'd look at it the same as NRC where it was for players who didn't get international spots and for the young locals to be given a chance. This would also then add to the attraction commercially also.

[shasta]

I'll leave the GRR discussion aside for now as I doubt it's got legs ATM. I'll just say that should the dispute with NZ over the carve-up of the SR pie become an unlikely split, I'd love to see an SR Au run right through until a few weeks before the Rugby Championship. Expansion franchises TBC - more content for Stan, more dosh for RA.

Keep it going through the June window. The teams getting the monetary leg-ups can suck it up like the Mungos do during Origin.