Rugby

New 10s Tournament Unites Super Rugby, French Top 14, & Japanese Clubs

“The biggest gathering of world class rugby players in one city in the history of the game.”

Published

8 years ago

August 4, 2016

While this year’s convoluted Super Rugby competition has resulted in some core viewership dipping off from TV ratings and audience attendance, next year is said to be all about speed, excitement, and the glits and glam of rugby, as a new Brisbane 10s tournament is poised to ignite the rugby season ahead of Super Rugby 2017.

Around 300 of world rugby’s biggest names will descend upon Suncorp Stadium in February next year for the two-day, 10-a-side carnival dreamt up by the company behind the NRL’s successful Auckland Nines.

Fourteen clubs from around the world will be involved — the 10 Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, plus South Africa’s Blue Bulls, Japan’s Panasonic Wild Knights, the Samoan national team and French glamour club Toulon — and all will be contractually obligated to bring their biggest names.

The Brisbane Global Tens is locked in for the next four seasons, starting on February 11-12 next year.

The tens format is being talked up as the perfect hybrid between the fast and furious rugby sevens, and the more pure elements of the full version of the code.

“The set pieces will be genuine contests and with only ten players on the field there is a lot more space to attack,” said former Wallabies boss and current Panasonic coach Robbie Deans, who will have Berrick Barnes among his touring party.

“You could argue that this will be the biggest gathering of world class rugby players in one city in the history of the game.”

The Brisbane Global 10s structure will feature:

14 teams — Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies, Force, Rebels, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues, Crusaders, Blue Bulls, Panasonic Wild Knights, Samoa, Toulon
10 players per side, unlimited interchanges
10-minute halves, five-minute half-time
All conversion attempts must be drop-kicked within 40 seconds of try
Five-man scrums
Scoring team kicks off
Yellow card = three-minute sin-bin.