Barnes keen to head home for Brisbane Tens

The Brisbane Global Rugby Tens is set to take off next year in February, and there’s none more excited to be included in the mix than Japanese team the Panasonic Wild Knights.

At the Japanese Brisbane Tens media launch, Wild Knights fly-half and Brisbane local, Berrick Barnes said that the opportunity to play in the competition will be an opportunity for Japanese rugby in general.

“It’s huge for both Panasonic and Japanese Rugby to be represented on a world stage. It’s something that’s taken off since last year’s World Cup,” he said.

The competition features all 10 Australian Super Rugby clubs, as well as four elite invitational teams who will battle it out over two days of rugby heaven at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

“The greatest thing about the Tens format is that it’s not 15s, it’s not Sevens, it’s somewhere in between. I think it’s something for all rugby fans to enjoy,” Barnes said.

Panasonic Wild Knights head coach Robbie Deans said it was a privilege to be involved in the competition, and only appropriate considering that the next World Cup will be held in Japan.

“Japanese Rugby is booming at the moment, and obviously we’ve got the World Cup coming in 2019 coming, so there’s a lot of interest,” he said.

Deans said that having some of the best players in the world not only at the same place, but on the same field was superb concept, and was quick to say that his team shouldn’t be underestimated.

“If anyone writes us off, it’ll be at their peril,” he said.

The Brisbane Global Rugby Tens kicks off on the weekend of February 11 and 12 in 2017 at Suncorp Stadium.