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The future of the Brisbane Global Tens hangs in the balance following reports that the event won’t be staged next year.
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The New Zealand Herald have reported that after a lacklustre turnout across the tournament’s first two years Duco Events are set to cancel the event’s 2019 iteration.
A trans-Tasman shift to Auckland could be the remedy the tournament needs as organisers are reportedly considering swapping the host city of the Tens with the NRL Auckland Nines.
The Nines are currently on hiatus with dwindling crowds also proving an issue.
Next year’s World Cup has emerged as a primary reason for Duco’s Tens hiatus, similar to the Nines being skipped due to the presence of the Rugby League World Cup.
The Tens are hampered by an inability to attract Test players due to contractually obligated off-season rest, and teams would also want to remove any risk of injury leading in to the Rugby World Cup.
Duco Australia CEO Rachael Carroll said that premier Wallabies and All Blacks players wouldn’t feature moving forward.
Carroll said a combined crowd of about 30,000 across two days at each of the first two tournaments was disappointing.
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Brisbane is contracted as host of the event until 2020, but other Australian cities, the UK and the Pacific Islands have shown interest in taking over.
