CrossFit Games

“Deep In the Heart of Texas,” Rogue Announces Details for 2021 Invitational

December 28, 2020 by
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A Rogue Invitational Instagram post on Monday, announced that the competition will move to the Lone Star State sometime in October within the greater Austin area. Further details, including specific dates and venues will be announced at a later time.

One big thing: The announcement by Rogue puts to rest any speculations as to whether or not the event would become one of the ten semifinals that will act as qualifiers for the 2021 CrossFit Games. It also answers the question of how some of the past Sanctional events would operate within the new season format released by CrossFit Director of Sport Dave Castro and HQ two weeks ago.

The details: With the Games set for the final week of July and the Rogue Invitational occurring in October, the event will almost certainly act independently from the Games. 

  • However, as stated by Castro in his recent interview on the Talking Elite Fitness Podcast, affiliated and partnered CrossFit events will still be held.
  • After dropping their Sanctional affiliation, coincidentally losing their automatic invitation spots for the Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rogue Invitational then dropped their partnership with CrossFit altogether after the comments and actions of then CEO, founder Greg Glassman in the wake of the George Floyd murder.
  • In the Monday Instagram post, Rogue announced that the Invitational would be a CrossFit event, renewing their partnership with HQ.
  • Also announced was the inclusion of more Rogue Record Breaker competitions. These competitions showcase accomplishments across multiple strength disciplines which include strongman, Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting.

Remind me: The 2020 Rogue Invitational was still held albeit virtually with Patrick Vellner winning the men’s competition and Tia-Clair Toomey winning the women’s.

  • The Rogue Invitational kept their $375,000 prize purse for the online competition which helped keep the top CrossFit athletes committed to the online event.
  • The 2019 Rogue Invitational was held at Rogue Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and was to return there for the 2020 competition prior to the pandemic forcing the cancellation of a live, in-person event.
  • Rogue has a history in the city of Austin as they kicked off the 2020 Games season by hosting Open workout 20.1 in the Texas state capitol.

The bottom line: As first reported by Justin LoFranco and the Morning Chalk Up in November, the Rogue Invitational could be the first competition of a rumored “Triple Crown”, a separate season after the Games that includes the Dubai CrossFit Championship and Wodapalooza Fitness Festival. Combined with the Rogue Invitational, all three provide the biggest prize purses outside of the Games. With the date and location change by the Rogue Invitational, Dubai holding their annual competition in December and WZA historically holding their event during the early months of the new year (for 2021, the WZA dates were moved May 13-16 due to the pandemic) the “Triple Crown” appears to be a possibility for the 2020 offseason.

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