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Friday showed that Rapid Rugby can work

30th March, 2019
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Roar Guru
30th March, 2019
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The second game of Rapid Rugby’s Showcase Series took place on Friday, and it convinced me that this optimistic competition can work.

While I’ve been sceptical of this tournament in the past – with good reason, mostly – seeing an expansion team playing its first ever game, yet matching the Force for much of it, all while keeping up the attacking tactics we’ve been promised, makes a strong case for this league.

Before Friday, it’d been mostly talking the talk: any extra attacking intent was hampered by rusty ball-handling and a lack of cohesion.

Sure, none of the teams have the execution or flow that comes from playing week in, week out, but that’ll all change come next year.

All the attacking nous that we were told would be present finally was on Friday.

Try time happened on eight occasions, plus a Power Try, with 52 points in the first half alone, including a ten-minute period which featured four tries.

It’s the second straight week that there’s been a Power Try, which are the jewel in the crown for the promoters, and the first time the Force have scored one.

Ian Prior

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

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The South China Tigers are the first ‘original’ Rapid Rugby team that we’ve seen in action, and they looked pretty good for a team who have had played no games, and have had just five training sessions together.

Certainly, should the Sunwolves be a viable option to join, organisers should jump for it, given their run of form and suitability to the desired style of rugby.

We’re yet to see a really tight game in the Showcase Series and World Series Rugby, with the two Super Rugby teams beating the Force, while exhibition sides and the Wild Knights lost their matches.

However, playing each other will only help these clubs reach each other’s standards, forcing closer results.

There will still be issues for the comp.

The proposed teams span from Samoa to Singapore, no less than nine hours in time zones, the same as Sydney to South Africa. I’ve no idea how you get broadcasters – particularly FTA – interested in clubs from Hong Kong and Singapore playing at potentially poor times.

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TV networks are happy to show coverage right now, because it’s being given to them on a silver platter. It’s unlikely that they’d be willing to pay big bucks, plus production costs, to get a few low-key games on air.

The weekend’s match took about 90 minutes all-inclusive: something the promoters were aiming for, with the freedom it offers networks.

Another positive is that players are happy to get involved: some big names have participated so far, including former Force player Nick Cummins, English Premiership’s top try-scorer Tom Varndell, and former All Black Jeremy Thrush.

How long Andrew Forrest will be willing to invest in the competition, we don’t know. However, at this rate, it’s in promising-but-still-developing mode.

Whatever happens, I’ll still be watching.

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