2020 Global Rapid Rugby season
Sports season
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The 2020 season of Global Rapid Rugby ended after only one round of competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was not continued. The season was launched in February 2020 as the first full home and away Rapid Rugby tournament,[1] following the shorter showcase series held the previous year.[2]
| 2020 Rapid Rugby Season | |
|---|---|
| League | Global Rapid Rugby |
| Sport | Rugby |
| Duration | Season cancelled after one round |
| Teams | 6 |
It featured six teams from across the Asia-Pacific region competing for A$1 million in prize money. On 15 March 2020 the competition was suspended due to travel, quarantine and public health restrictions,[3] before being cancelled on 7 April 2020.[4]
Teams
The following six teams were announced for the Rapid Rugby season in 2020: [1]
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 China Lions [a] |
Rotorua Taupo Adelaide |
Rotorua International Stadium Owen Delany Park Coopers Stadium |
34,000 20,000 16,500 |
Mike Rogers [7] |
 Fijian Latui |
Suva | ANZ Stadium Albert Park |
15,000 3,000 |
Senirusi Seruvakula |
| Lautoka Nausori |
Churchill Park Ratu Cakobau Park |
9,500 8,000 | ||
 Manuma Samoa |
Apia | Apia Park | 12,000 | Brian Lima [8] |
 Malaysia Valke |
Kuala Lumpur Subang |
Bukit Jalil National Stadium Stadium TUDM |
87,411 6,000 |
Rudy Joubert |
 South China Tigers |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong Stadium Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground Aberdeen Sports Ground |
40,000 11,981 9,000 |
Craig Hammond |
 Western Force |
Perth | HBF Park | 20,500 | Tim Sampson |
- Notes
- The China Lions, backed by the China Rugby Football Association and New Zealand's Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, were originally scheduled to host three of their home games in Shanghai. One of those fixtures was moved to Taupo in New Zealand and the other two to Adelaide in Australia due to health concerns relating to the coronavirus pandemic.[1][5][6]
Standings
The top two teams in the standings after the completion of the regular season were scheduled to meet in a grand final match on 6 June to decide the championship title.[9] A modified version of the rugby bonus points system was used.
One bonus point was awarded for each of the following in a game:[10]
- a team scoring 4 or more tries;
- a winning team scoring at least 3 tries more than their opponent;
- a team defeated by a margin of five points or under.
Four points were awarded for a win and none for a loss. Two points were awarded to each team for a draw.
| Global Rapid Rugby | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Western Force |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +37 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | South China Tigers |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +25 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 | China Lions |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Fijian Latui |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | −7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Manuma Samoa |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | −25 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Malaysia Valke |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | −37 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Updated: 15 March 2020 Source: rapidrugby.com (archived) |
Regular season
The schedule was announced in February 2020.[1]
Round 1
| 14 March | Fijian Latui | 22–29 | China Lions | ANZ Stadium, Suva | ||
| 6.15 pm FJT (UTC+12) | Try: Radroro Raiyala Vota Con: Tela (2/3) Pen: Tela (1/1) |
Report[11] | Try: Fuatai Penalty try Tatafu, Little Con: Hollinshead (3/3) Pen: Hollinshead (1/1) |
Referee: Cam Stone (New Zealand) [12] |
| 14 March | Manuma Samoa | 27–52 | South China Tigers | HBF Park, Perth | ||
| 4.10 pm AWST (UTC+8) | Try: Soisoi (2, one pwt) Sao Con: Leuila (1/2) Pen: Leuila (2/2) |
Report[13] | Try: Dowsing (2) Watkins, De Thierry (2) Prior, Van de Smit McFeat Smith Con: Hughes (6/8) |
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand) [12] |
| 14 March | Western Force | 51–14 | Malaysia Valke | HBF Park, Perth | ||
| 6.15 pm AWST (UTC+8) | Try: Lacey (2) Brache, Taefu (pwt) Bardoul, McGregor Alcock Con: Prior (6/6) |
Report[14] | Try: Jaggers Wellman Con: Nel (2/2) |
Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong) [12] |
The remaining nine rounds of competition matches and the final were cancelled.