Imagine a rugby match played in just 70 minutes with time limits for scrums and lineouts.
Imagine scoring tries that rake in not 5 or 7 but 9 points without even having to convert the try.
And then imagine all that in a rugby competition with a million Australian dollars as first prize.
Well, all those and more are about to hit Samoan and Fijian shores in the form of a fast developing new form of rugby union, Rapid Rugby.
Global Rapid Rugby has received World Rugby sanction to have a competition of clubs based in Asia, Western Australia, Fiji and Samoa.
Minor tweaking of lineouts and points scored in tries is expected to see a fast and exciting form of rugby.
Rapid Rugby has already shown itself to be swift, demanding and exciting rugby union.
A prerequisite of setting up a Samoan club was to gain a sanction from the host nation rugby union – in this case the Samoa Rugby Union.
Consequently, SRU has partnered with Pacific Sports International to provide guidance and help in assembling a Samoan identity club.
The club is called Kagifa-Samoa, Kagifa being a legendary massive “wild fish” which caused much havoc in ancient times.
Kagifa-Samoa is formed by Pacific Sports International of Hawaii, United States under the leadership of Richard Fale the CEO.
Currently the club is being assembled in Auckland NZ drawing on the large and deep Samoan rugby playing diaspora as well as the Manu Samoa and players from the Samoan “Super 9” competition which started last weekend.
This year, the Rapid Rugby Showcase will launch the brand in the Asia Pacific region, traveling 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.
And that is when teams including Kagifa Samoa will compete for an AUD$1 million first prize.
The first match will be 18 May hosted by the GRR Fijian Latui club and played at ANZ National Stadium in Suva.
Kagifa Samoa will play their first game in Perth against Western Force on 31 May and their return match will be in Brisbane 15 June.
Photo Facebook Kafiga-Samoa Rugby