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I'll be there supporting them for sure - after all I have already paid, I just feel like there may be some backlash over memberships though. As they were sold specifically stating it was for the GRR. I'm not sure if there was any fine print
Interested in going to watch some international games as well... if I can get some cheap flights and time off workGood opportunity to get a bit of variety in the InnForcers tours! :p
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
I don't think they would deliberately set out to short change us, but there will be people who will feel ripped off. I wouldn't go as far to say I feel ripped off. But, it was my first time buying platinum memberships (been dreaming of being able to afford it since WF started) and I thought it was going to be for GRR, so I am disappointed. In saying that I guess that means I have secured some pretty mean seats for next year when I renew my membership :p
I'm not going to let it be a chip on my shoulder. I'll still be out there supporting the boys, like I have been since 2006![]()
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
Anyone any idea how many memberships have been sold and how many renewals and how many new members?
Like others feel disappointed that we won’t be getting the full two bobs worth but Hell we still have a team and professional rugby in WA. There certainly isn’t the same intensity at trial and exhibition match’s as a proper tournament.
I don’t suppose it now matters when I book a holiday! Will just hand our tickets to the neighbors!
Sorry had to edit bold from is to isn’t!
Last edited by SNOB; 01-02-19 at 12:59.
May the FORCE be with you!
So last year we had World Series Rugby, this year we have the showcase series for Rapid Rugby.
Please Andrew Forrest give us some tournament rugby, any man and his dog at the pub could invite a bunch of teams to an exhibition series, in fact Rugby does warm up games and pre season games so frequently that what the Force are doing is nothing new or original right now. So heres hoping with the 4 teams playing we get some type of home and away series/table with a few extra teams thrown in on top to get us some extra fixtures, this 4 team home and away series could feature a finals series( final in Perth) or even a two match home and away series to determine the table winner. That would make the fans feel like we are still participating in a tournament, and at the same time give us fans some decent rugby with the profile of being an tournament/series. Surely that wouldn't be too hard to throw together, maybe the new Force members wouldn't feel so aggrieved over this. We need something substantial. Two years without even a 4 team tournament just feels hollow and doesnt feel like this new Rapid Rugby tournament is making progress. Plus this is an enormous blow to the reputation of the Tournament for broadcasters/sponsors and fans alike.
2019 Showcase Series Unveiled
January 31, 2019
A Showcase Series will launch revolutionary sporting brand Global Rapid Rugby in the Asia Pacific region in 2019, featuring a combination of innovative new rules and spectacular off-field entertainment.
Since gaining World Rugby approval to stage an elite-level competition in mid-November last year, the Rapid Rugby management team has worked to ensure the inaugural home-and-away season provides the very best on and off-field sport and entertainment.
That tight time frame and the intricacies of a World Cup year have led to a decision to commence the inaugural 8-team, 56 game home-and-away season in 2020.
In 2019, the Showcase Series will travel throughout Asia, the Pacific Islands and Australasia to give fans, viewers, players and coaches a live taste of what is to come in Season One in 2020, when teams will compete for an AUD$1 million first prize.
Rapid Rugby founder Andrew Forrest says he always knew organising 60 games of high-quality rugby in eight international territories in just 15 weeks was a tough ask, but he’s now more convinced than ever that Rapid Rugby and its innovative and entertaining game style will be a huge success with sports lovers everywhere.
“In 2019, fans are going to get a real feel for how the entertainment experience we pioneered in Australia last year will evolve throughout the Asia Pacific. It will form a runway for the launch of an even bigger investment in 2020, once strong broadcasting arrangements are in place,” Forrest explained.
“Making Rapid Rugby a reality has required a considerable amount of courage and determination. That determination, and our vision, has not changed. The strategy required to realise it requires a strong foundation.”
Rapid Rugby Head of Rugby Matt Hodgson will continue to work with marquee players around 2019 and 2020.
“Rapid Rugby is going to be huge, and the Showcase Series will prove it. We will take our brand around our region to ensure everyone can get up close to Rapid Rugby and everything it has to offer ahead of the first full series,” Hodgson said.
“Like me, the players and teams were ready to go but I am confident the 2019 series will be a great demonstration of what a full season of increased ball-in-play time, attacking, aggressive, high scoring rugby will look like.”
Brad Paatsch led the Global Rapid Rugby management team in gaining World Rugby approval last year and will now work with the many teams, unions, venues, broadcast and commercial partners engaged so far to complete the final details of the 2019 Showcase.
“Our goal remains a big one, but we have long been determined to extend the limits of what is considered possible, in line with our philosophy to shake up the sport, its appeal in Asia and the overall off-field entertainment factor,” Paatsch said.
“With the World Cup in Japan this year, now is the ideal time to capitalise on a growing interest in the sport in our region.”
The 2019 Rapid Rugby Showcase Series schedule will be finalised next month.
[/QUOTE]
Where the f@&k do you live? Denmark? I'm coming from south of warnbro and I wouldn't have an issue. Of course I won't be going to the Bledisloe anyway. I think the Friday night idea is primarily targeted at tourists, who would most likely rock a hotel in an inner suburb, so your point is pretty moot anyway.
C'mon the![]()
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Do you ever think things through before you start typing? Are you ever friggin' happy with anything to do with GRR? You constantly whine about match scheduling, the structure, participants........and now you come out with the most naive and ill-informed post of yours that I can remember.....
"any man and his dog at the pub could invite a bunch of teams to an exhibition series......That would make the fans feel like we are still participating in a tournament."
FFS.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
A neutral POV from one of the RA's tame journos - at least no "We told you so's", "rebel competition"etc, and a whiff of collaborative outlook to 2020.
Global Rapid Rugby figures have vowed the competition will go ahead in 2020 despite a dramatic 11th-hour glitch that saw it called off a month before its scheduled start.
Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's vision for a six-team Asia Pacific rugby tournament with a $1 million prize pool will have to wait another 12 months after organisers failed to finalise arrangements with two of the teams ahead of the competition's mooted March start.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...31-p50uqt.html
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Well that quote has been plucked and pulled to suit a narrative.
My point still stands , anyone can organize exhibition matches, the local rugby clubs do them all the time when we tour over to the UK or NZL or the USA etc etc ad nauseum. Not exactly 5 years in the planning, and not hard despite most of the players basically funding themselves.
International club and rugby sides organize exhibition games every year, the NZL Maori being an example and yet their governing body is trying to manage about 5 or 6 teams, RugbyWA and minderoo are one outfit really with some supercharged funding behind them now that Forrest owns the Force team yet seem to only organize a handful of games against sides they are shadow Force outfits this year, or already participants in the NRC. I think Chibi made a good point in the other thread when he suggested they should bring a bunch of Tier 2 international sides across prior to the Rugby world cup and play the Force. Even Brazil was mentioned after their game against the Maori this year. Maybe Chile want to come here? Uruguay? Let's be honest Samoa and Fiji regular participate against NPC/Mitre 10 cup sides so they would usually always be willing providing someone helps with the funding. So let's not pretend organising preseason trials/ exhibition matches is something that is hard when it's all rugby does these days, it's getting tournaments off the ground that seems to be a struggle.
Another good example of a bunch of random sides being pulled together is the Brisbane 10s tournament. Regularly that managed to pull a heap of sides together for a short window, a much harder ask when you think about the logistics of getting 10 sides to turn up on a certain weekend.
Please Andrew Forrest give us some tournament rugby, any man and his dog at the pub could invite a bunch of teams to an exhibition series, in fact Rugby does warm up games and pre season games so frequently that what the Force are doing is nothing new or original right now. So heres hoping with the 4 teams playing we get some type of home and away series/table with a few extra teams thrown in on top to get us some extra fixtures, this 4 team home and away series could feature a finals series( final in Perth) or even a two match home and away series to determine the table winner. That would make the fans feel like we are still participating in a tournament, and at the same time give us fans some decent rugby with the profile of being an tournament/series. Surely that wouldn't be too hard to throw together, maybe the new Force members wouldn't feel so aggrieved over this. We need something substantial. Two years without even a 4 team tournament just feels hollow and doesnt feel like this new Rapid Rugby tournament is making progress. Plus this is an enormous blow to the reputation of the Tournament for broadcasters/sponsors and fans alike.
Fu@k me..... maybe we should remember where we were early April 2017! On the edge of extinction!
If someone had offered us 2 seasons of exhibitions followed by entry in to a brand new tournament the following year, well, I don't think any one would have turned that down.
My membership goes towards the cause...... not just the games
Last edited by travelling_gerry; 01-02-19 at 09:02. Reason: quotes
Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!
As much as I am critical I do offer a solution to keep the rabid fans at bay..
Of the 10 games proposed play 4 teams home and away tournament against the confirmed attendees. Not hard considering The Force/Singapore/Hong Kong and ofcourse Fiji are basically confirmed. That makes 8 games and gives us something to look forward to. Maybe even make the two leaders of the table play off home and away in a final series? That's 8 games with 2 potential games
Play 3-4 games against Tier 2 RWC oposition- schedule whenever convenient to suit the opposition.
A massive Bonus would be to play 2 games against Mitre10 cup sides or even the PI sides Tonga and Samoa again to round off the showcase series. the PI sides might participate as Tier 2 touring RWC sides mentioned above though and If that's the case then make it against the Mitre10 sides/or even Currie cup/ or even Japanese sides, it doesnt matter as long as they scehules something and preferably here in Rugby starved Perth.
So that's potentially 11-16 games
But a membership is for the games and extra perks - if they wanted money for "the cause" I'd be all over that as well. When they were selling shares in the Force I threw $5k at the cause.
Simply being a member and paying your fees is not going to help the cause. Getting your mates, who don't usually follow rugby, to go to games and letting your community know about upcoming matches is going to help the cause a lot more than getting discounted seats at a game through your membership. Bums on seats is what they want. Memberships or blow ins, its all the same. As long as the Force perform, they will keep bums on seats.
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
Got to have matches to show them though, and matches they can understand the meaning behind.
I like the RWC warm-up match idea, especially with the expectation that signing season should have already started by then for players that have missed out. It better have, as the European clubs will have long been in the market for cover and the cupboard will be bare if it is left until 2020 to start looking around. So get the smaller teams together...say US, Canada, Georgia and Tonga and give them a few hit-outs against whatever teams are in GRR at that point. Wouldn't matter if a few of their stars hadn't quite arrived...