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New Zealand provincial side teams up with China as final Global Rapid Rugby team announced

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

The China Lions have been confirmed as the sixth and final team for Andrew Forrest’s inaugural Global Rapid Rugby competition.

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The China Rugby Football Association and New Zealand outfit Bay of Plenty joined forces to create the China Lions.

The Lions will join the Western Force, the Malaysia Valke, Fijian Latui, Manuma Samoa, and the Hong Kong-based South China Tigers for the inaugural season.

Continue reading below…

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Teams will fight it out for a $1 million prize pool, with the season comprising 30 games over 10 rounds and a one-off grand final.

The inaugural season of Global Rapid Rugby will kick off on March 13, with the grand final in Perth on June 6.

Global Rapid Rugby say they will monitor and follow the advice of relevant health authorities about the coronavirus and immediately communicate any relevant information to stakeholders.

“Our expansion into China is an important development for the competition,” Global Rapid Rugby chief executive Mark Evans said.

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“We believe that rugby has the potential to become an extremely popular and successful sport throughout the country.

“Rugby is a game with broad appeal. Add the on-going energy, entertainment and family fun created by Rapid Rugby and I am confident crowds in Shanghai will love supporting their home team, the Lions.”

Global Rapid Rugby was created by billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest following the controversial axing of the Western Force from Super Rugby.

It began as a Perth-based Exhibition Series in 2018 before developing into a 2019 Showcase Series across seven Asia Pacific territories.

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This year is the first season that it is a fully fledged competition.

Rule tweaks have been included to encourage a more attractive brand of rugby and a higher emphasis on scoring tries.

Global Rapid Rugby at a glance:

– Six teams, 30 games

– March 13-June 5

– 35 minute halves

– Tries started from within a team’s 22m are worth nine points with no conversion needed

– Any kick that goes over the sideline on the full will be turned over to the opposition at the point of where the kick was taken from, including in the 22m

– The 10/22 rule; A kick from between your own 10m and try line that bounces out of play inside the opponent’s 22m gives you possession

– Rolling substitutions

– Win by three or more tries: One bonus point, Score four or more tries in a game: One bonus point, Lose by five points or less: One bonus point

AAP

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

14 Go to comments
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