Super Rugby 2020 - Reds Wrap-up

While we look forward to the Wallabies tests coming up, let's look back on one of the most eventful Super Rugby seasons ever.

At the start of the year, I predicted 2020 would be our year. Maybe that’s what every sports fan is supposed to think, but I had a feeling something would happen. The Reds, with Brad Thorne as coach, have been building for a while and it seemed like just a matter of time before things clicked.

The Reds played the first three games of the season away, in three different countries! Canberra in week one, then South Africa and Argentina after that! This was a tough draw, but in hindsight, maybe it’s lucky the Reds got to see the world while they could!

I was lucky to get to go to a few of the captains runs at Suncorp (pre-lockdown of course)

Week 4 was “hunting season” and we beat the Sunwolves by… a lot of points (64-5). That was a fun game.

During the Reds trip to Christchurch, the team almost beat the 2019 champions. Even with form playmaker James O’Connor injured, they came within 4 points of beating the Crusaders on their home ground. This was a team on the rise!

They came home to wallop the Bulls 41-17 and then….. then season was no more.

I did get some great interviews in before the lockdowns. I managed to catch up with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Henry Speight, Carter Gordan, Averyl Mitchell, Kiri Lingman, Saxon Campbell, Courtney Hodder, Gabby Senft and Natassja Purontakanen...

Unfortunately my interview with Henry Speight failed to record (you've got to love technology!) and a rescheduled interview never quite took place before he relocated to France after the first season ended!

However, let it be known that we had had a great chat and he's an awesome bloke. Thanks Henry for what you brought to the Reds team, you definitely left your mark on the squad while you were here! (We'll publish an interview some day...)

As everyone went into lockdown, communication went online for many of us and fortunately, the interviews kept going!

I was very lucky to catch up a number of great former-Reds (mainly using Zoom). I loved getting to catch up with Liam Gill, Toutai Kefu, Eddie Quirk, Will Genia, Curtis Browning, Andrew Slack, James Horwill, Dan Crowley and Saia Fainga'a. It was awesome to hear stories from all of these classic Reds. Lockdowns were hard for all of us, but thanks to everyone for keeping Reds Rugby Rules going!

After their second round of "pre-season" training (!) the Reds launched into Super Rugby 2020 2.0!

To say us Reds fans were excited is an understatement. Game one was a ripper and the Reds beat New South Wales at Suncorp to take home the "Bob Templeton Cup".

(A special thanks to captain Liam Wright for taking time to catch up and share what it's like inside the "bubble", during week 1 of the season reboot. Thanks also to Tuaina "T" Tualima, James O'Connor and Tate McDermitt for also sharing their stories! It was also a huge pleasure interviewing sports jock/commentator Jaybor Staunton.)

Every other home game from then on was a win and the Reds didn't loose too many games on the road either. Many times, right before my eyes, things just seemed to "click" on the field and as a life-long Reds fan, it was a joy to watch.

The season gave us many great games with great highlight reels, but I'll make special mention of our final home game win against the Brumbies.

A week later, we beat Melbourne in the semi-final at Suncorp. This was a hard-fought, well deserved win.

As Reds fans know, unfortunately, we didn't beat the Brumbies in the final and I've got to hand it to the them for playing extremely well. Even though we were all sad not to go all the way, the Reds never gave up and I couldn't be more proud!

It looks like the Wallabies are better off because of the Reds hard work and success this year. It's definitely a new day for the Reds and who knows what's possible for Australia from here!