Israel Folau Unveiled as a Brisbane Global Tens Ambassador

Sep 2 • General News, International • 1986 Views • Comments Off on Israel Folau Unveiled as a Brisbane Global Tens Ambassador

Israel Folau, one of rugby’s biggest superstars, believes the Brisbane Global Tens will be the ideal start to the 2017 rugby season.

The former Broncos, Kangaroos and AFL star was back at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium today as the latest big name to endorse the Tens concept and said there was no better stadium for the sports’ best players to showcase their talent.

“I’ve been lucky to play a lot of footy in front of big crowds at Suncorp Stadium throughout my sporting career and there is no doubt it is right up there as one of the best in the world. The Brisbane Global Tens is the perfect way for rugby to kick-off the 2017 season,” the Wallabies and NSW Waratahs fullback said.

“I’m really looking forward to playing against some of the biggest names in rugby from all over the world in a form of the game that is really going to allow us to express ourselves as athletes.

“The atmosphere will be fantastic over the two days of the tournament. Brisbane in February is going to be a great place for fans to come and enjoy their sport and have fun in town afterwards.”

Three hundred of the world’s finest rugby players representing 14 clubs from six countries – and an army of fans – will descend upon Suncorp Stadium for two days of rugby heaven in February for the Brisbane Global Tens, where ten-a-side teams will battle it out on the field, with unlimited interchanges.

The inaugural event on February 11 and 12, 2017 will feature ten professional franchises from Australia and New Zealand as well as French powerhouse club Toulon, Japan’s Panasonic Wild Knights, South Africa’s Blue Bulls and the Samoan international team.

Folau was joined in Brisbane today by All Blacks and Crusaders fullback Israel Dagg today to film a TVC for the Brisbane Global Tens as well as taking part in the ‘Brisbane Global Tens – Ten Minute Challenge’, where the two rugby stars were pitted against each other in five different sporting disciplines at Suncorp Stadium.

“We’ve had lots of laughs this morning, testing ourselves across different sports but as professional athletes there’s always a little competitive edge there. The Brisbane Global Tens will be no different – when the whistle blows, we’ll both want to win that trophy for our club and start the 2017 season off on the front foot,” Folau said.

Founded by major events company Duco Events – the creator of the spectacularly successful Downer NRL Auckland Nines tournament – in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Marketing, the Brisbane Global Tens kicks off next year and will be a fixture on the rugby calendar for the next four seasons.

BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS – AT A GLANCE
• Ten Australian and New Zealand professional clubs and four elite invitational teams will compete (in 2017 the event will feature Toulon, the Bulls, Samoa and the Panasonic Wild Knights)
• Ten-players-per-side, ten-minutes-per-half, knockout tournament
• Culmination of a week-long festival of rugby
• 16 hours of compelling live rugby, featuring 28 matches played over two days
• Broadcast live across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Japan, Africa, France and other major international markets
• Held annually on the second weekend of February, two weeks prior to the start of the Super Rugby season, at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
• Launches the rugby season in Australia and New Zealand
• Sanctioned by the Australian Rugby Union and New Zealand Rugby

BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS RULES
• The rules of the Brisbane Global Tens are based on World Rugby’s official rugby tens rules
• Essentially a hybrid of the traditional 15-a-side game and rugby sevens, the objective is to promote free-flowing and fast paced rugby, while still retaining the physical intensity and enthralling forward and backline play that rugby fans love
• Ten players per team on field, with unlimited interchanges
• Ten minute halves, five minute half-time
• Knockout matches drawn after regulation are continued into extra time, in multiple five-minute periods
• All conversion attempts must be drop-kicked
• Conversions must be taken within 40 seconds of scoring a try
• Five player scrums
• Scoring team kicks off
• Yellow cards net a three-minute suspension
• Referees rule on advantage quickly (where one play usually ends advantage)

KEY DATES
• Monday 6 February, 2017 – Tournament week in Brisbane kicks off
• Saturday 11 February, 2017 – Day One – Brisbane Global Tens
• Sunday 12 February, 2017 – Day Two – Brisbane Global Tens

TICKET INFORMATION
• For ticketing information visit the official Brisbane Global Tens website www.brisbaneglobaltens.com orhttp://www.ticketek.com.au/BrisbaneTens
• For official travel packages from outside of Brisbane to the Brisbane Global Tens visit https://sportsnetholidays.com/events/rugby/brisbane-global-tens-2017/