Rugby union superstar Israel Folau has returned to his home city with footy, family and fun on his mind as Brisbane plays host to the inaugural Brisbane Global Rugby Tens tournament next month.
Folau headlines the two-day, round-robin competition that franchises will use as their final preparation before the 2017 Super Rugby season kicks off on February 23. The Wallabies playmaker, who grew up in Brisbane’s south, said he and his New South Wales Waratahs teammates were eager to experience the modified rules of the new tournament.
“We are very excited about the tournament and looking forward to going against some of the world’s best players,” he said. “And I think personally I’m just excited about seeing so much space out there on the field, which is going to be great for the fans who can expect a lot of line breaks and tries over those two days.
“Most teams will field a decent side so there will be plenty of great skill displayed over the weekend and I think it will be a lot of fun for the players to experience this format for the first time.”
The Tens concept, created by Duco Events who devised Rugby League’s popular Auckland Nines tournament, bridges the traditional rules of the 15-man game with the fast, open-style running game of sevens rugby.
Ten Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby teams have entered and will go up against four invitational teams that include French hitters Toulon, South Africa’s Blue Bulls, the Panasonic Wild Knights from Japan and a Samoan team.
Folau, 27, said the attacking opportunities will provide great viewing and will encourage new fans to the game.
“I certainly think it will bring a lot of energy to the game and being held before the Super Rugby season starts it will attract a lot of fans, maybe some new fans too, and get them excited for the season,” he said.
“Also just looking at the concept of Rugby League’s Nines, a lot of people get excited about that, it gets them ready for the NRL season so I think it could have the same effect in terms of the Super Rugby season.”
“Especially in Brisbane, most people enjoy their sport and that’s what I love about the fans here.”
For Folau, who has been based in Sydney with the Waratahs since switching codes from firstly Rugby League in 2011 and then from AFL in 2013, the homecoming will also be a chance to reconnect with family.
“My brothers are still in Brisbane so I’m very much still connected to Queensland,” he said.
“It’s always a special place for me to come back to, I’ve got great memories of growing up as a young kid, and also my time and experience I’ve had here playing at Suncorp Stadium have given me memories that I’ll take forever.”
And should Folau manage some downtime during the tournament, he plans to show his NSW teammates just what makes Brisbane such a special place to live.
“The boys love a good coffee so I’d take them to a nice café, just to relax and enjoy the sun and soak everything in,” he said.
“It’s been a while now since I’ve been living up here so things may have changed a bit but I always enjoyed anywhere in Paddington or even around Southbank.
“And I love the beaches so I could certainly take them down to the Gold Coast.”
