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.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
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.
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.
5 tackle kick yawn
Guest
And how is looguie travelling up north?
Gerallt Hughes
Guest
Yes he was at 10. Glad to hear he did okay, was struggling to follow on an iPhone. Was relieved to see him come through it safely to be honest as he went part time a few years back now and some of the Force boys are big and quick!
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
Sir, if your son is Glyn Hughes, then may I say he was a real highlight for the SCT last Friday. Glyn played excellently and really helped make this a competitive match. Good luck for the season, and I look forward to watching him play again.
Gerallt Hughes
Guest
My son played for the SCT in this game. He said the fitness requirements were greater than he had ever known. Think he just about survived the full 70, 80 may have been too much.
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
It was terrific. So entertaining to watch. Lets see a few more game and keeping tweaking the rules to make it even better. Then lets change the rules to match in the rest of the competitions
ScottD
Roar Guru
And yet it is……….. It must be magic!
ScottD
Roar Guru
Yes, the crowd interaction after the game is brilliant! The kids have a ball and it is something that makes it a special night for them.
Bobwire
Guest
Yes, getting kids to the game is very important, talk about grassroots, this is part of it.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
And I still can't see it working.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
There are a number of reasons why it didn't go ahead as planned for 2019, and not securing sufficient backers in the time is one of them. Not getting the green light until November also meant that there was little time to sign players - the sort of player who would lift the standard of GRR would have already had a contract by November, running through to the World Cup. Of course, trying to start a competition in the run-up to a World Cup was also going to be hard. It'll be interesting to see whether the contracts for coaches and players post World Cup will be easier to negotiate.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
Okay, let me put more clearly. There are positive tax implications for owners of these clubs who provide funds. Making money would be great but the ability to offset you taxable income has its benefits.
piru
Roar Rookie
It's meant to be entertaining, and it is. I didn't get to this game, but caught it on SBS Commentated by Gordon Bray and Force hero Cam Shepherd, the Tigers hung in there but just seemed to run out of gas. Not surprising as every player they interviewed on the sideline was blowing hard, the pace is frenetic. I'm not fully sold on the shorter halves, but the ball definitely seems to be in play more - I only wonder if this will continue to be the case once there are points on the line. Ie how much of this is laws and how much is teams playing in the spirit of GRR? The biggest draw here though is the kids and the absolute ball they have at the game, before being allowed on to the pitch to mingle with the stars.
piru
Roar Rookie
Lot's of "can't"s in there.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
And by the buy. What exactly is happening. Tons of verbal activity, and then… Geez it won’t and cannot work. South African or English schoolboy rugby is a better TV option.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
What? It’s all about revenue… Geez
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
It's more a mechanism to hurry along the stalling tactics employed.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
I'm more than aware of the profit and loss of the NH clubs. But that still doesn't stop individuals investing in these ventures. It's not all about making money.
WCR, Sorry to bust your bubble, can you tell which NH club is making a profit? Probably Non. Some English Clubs have “ Sugar Daddies”, but in Wales a lot of the clubs are really struggling to make ends meet? Ireland has the best balance, their clubs are bank rolled by the IRU. In Scotland there is only two fully professional clubs, and their biggest threat will always be Football’s ambition up there?
Tom English
Roar Guru
"...importantly have been getting around to the local clubs and schools running clinics and introducing kids the game." This is more than important, this is crucial! But that's good they're doing that. I'm not sold on the No kicking from inside the 22 – I'd change it to maybe a 15 metre line, which would cull a lot of the kicking. The idea of it is to obviously let teams clear when they're near their own line, but 22 metres out is a lot. You could make it 15, or 10, and still retain that. Shot clock for scrum is incredibly hard to police, especially given how players are often getting bandaged for something in the lead up.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Yes, I agree. I can’t help making comparisons to WA rugby in the late 80’s and 90’s where the very best WA rugby players were forced to leave the state if they wanted to make a career out of rugby or even if they just wanted to take the next step. This meant that before SR came along WA was unable to grow rugby because its standard was artificially capped. This is the same situation as the various Asian national rugby associations mentioned above (and the Pacific nations). Getting competitions like GRR going is necessary for the international growth of rugby. On that basis alone everyone that loves rugby should be behind GRR.