Teams

Western Force, Western Australia

The Western Force is based in Perth with the bulk of its squad home-grown talent from Western Australia. The Force has been a catalyst for the development of the Global Rapid Rugby tournament and took part in a Showcase Series featuring teams from Fiji, Samoa and Hong Kong in 2019. They launch their campaign against the Malaysian Valke in Perth on March 14.

South China Tigers, Hong Kong

The South China Tigers are based in Hong Kong with their squad drawn from the Hong Kong Elite rugby program, National 15s & 7s teams, domestic league and the Greater Bay Area.

The Tigers have a tough start with five games on the road, starting against Manuma Samoa in Perth on March 14. They will finish the campaign with five home matches during April and May.

Malaysia Valke, Kuala Lampur

The Malaysia Valke are based in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and feature top local talent from Malaysia and South Africa. The Valke kick off their campaign against the Western Force in Perth on March 14, a clash that their coach Rudy Joubert describes as “a very tough opener”.

Manuma Samoa, Samoa

Manuma Samoa is based in Apia at the Samoa Rugby Union headquarters. Its squad predominantly includes players based in Samoa and Samoan-eligible players based in Australia and New Zealand. The team is separate from the team that participated as Kagifa Samoa in the Pacific Showcase in 2019.

The Samoa Rugby Union has taken up the reigns for this new Manuma Samoa team for its participation in the inaugural Global Rapid Rugby tournament in 2020. They open their campaign against the South China Tigers in Perth on March 14.

Fijian Latui, Fiji

The Fijian Latui is based in Suva with a squad drawn mainly from players based locally in Fiji. The Latui participated in four Pacific Showcase matches in 2019, which were a precursor to them joining Global Rapid Rugby in 2020. They open their campaign against the China Lions in Suva on March 14.

China Lions, China

The China Lions is a joint venture between the China Rugby Football Association and the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in New Zealand. They will be making their Rapid Rugby debut against a talented Fijian Latui team.