Rogue Invitational Explained

Rogue Invitational
Number:3
Format:Multi-event competition
Website:Rogue Invitational
Purse:$1.4 million (2021)[1]
Current:2023 Rogue Invitational

The Rogue Invitational is an annual sporting event that includes a CrossFit competition and a strongman competition. The event, organized by Rogue, started in 2019 as a CrossFit sanctioned competition, but has since become a major competition for CrossFit athletes. A contest for strongmen that featured the largest prize purse in the history of strongman competition was added in 2021.

History

The Rogue Invitational was announced in November 2018 as a sanctioned CrossFit event for the 2019 CrossFit Games.[2] For the first Invitational, the top 10 male and top 10 female athletes from the 2018 CrossFit Games were given an invitation,[3] as well as online qualifiers and other select top athletes making a total of 20 men, 20 women and 10 teams invited.[4] The prize purse was $400,000, with the winners winning a top prize of $50,000 and a place at the CrossFit Games in their respective division, and all participants are guaranteed a cash prize.[5] [6] A Legends division was included for notable past CrossFit male and female athletes. The first Rogue Invitational also hosted the Rogue Record Breakers whereby strongmen and strongwomen can attempt to break 4 Strongman records.[7] The competition was held at the Rogue company headquarters in Columbus, Ohio over two days in May 2019.[8] The inaugural Invitational was contested by 19 men, 20 women and 8 teams, and it won by Mat Fraser for the men's competition, Tia-Clair Toomey for the women's, and CrossFit OC3 for the team's.[9] [10] The competition was live-streamed, and Rogue partnered with CBS to broadcast edited segments of the competition after the event.[11]

In 2020, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the event was postponed and held online in June, to be competed by 18 men and 18 women, including top Games athletes, qualifiers (from the qualification stage now called "The Q") and invitees.[12] No team competition was held this year or in subsequent years.[13]

The third Rogue Invitational returned to live competition in 2021, which took place over three days in October at Dell Diamond near Austin, Texas.[14] It provided a prize purse of $1.25 million at the minimum, the biggest in CrossFit outside of the CrossFit Games, and it became the only CrossFit competition that pays out to all athletes competing including airfare and accommodation.[15] [16] It also expanded to include a strongman contest this year, instituting the biggest prize purse in the history of strongman competition.[17] [18] 20 men and 20 women in CrossFit (no qualifiers this year) were invited to compete in the CrossFit competition,[19] while the field for the strongman competition had 10 athletes including 4 WSM champions.[20] Martins Licis was the first winner of the strongman competition at Rogue Invitational.[21]

In 2022, 15 top male and 15 top female athletes from the CrossFit Games were invited, and at least 5 men and 5 women from the qualifier which returned this year.[22] The competition was extended to four days this year with an extra offsite event added.[23]

It has been announced that the 2024 Rogue Invitational will be held in Aberdeen Scotland.[24] This year, invitations will be issued using a new ranking system based on the performance of athletes over a 5-year period but weighted in favor of more recent competitions including the Open, Quarterfinals, CrossFit Games and Rogue Invitational. It includes an "Exceptions Points Table" to award points for those who missed a competition for any specific reason.[25] The top 10 in this system will be invited, with five from the Q online qualifiers, and five more at the discretion of Rogue.[26] A strongwoman competition will also be added this year.[27]

Events

The first Rogue Invitational had 8 events for individuals,[28] [29] 7 for teams and 4 for Legends.[30] No team competition was held after the first year. The second featured 6 events, the third 7, the fourth 10.[31] The programming of the events at Rogue has a bias toward strength.[32]

The first strongman competition had five events. They include the "Wheel of Pain" created by Rogue,[33] which is an implement inspired by the film Conan the Barbarian and the largest implement ever created for a strongman competition and first used in the Arnold Strongman Classic.[34] Other events included the Rogue-created Elephant Bar for max deadlift and Stone Over Hitching Post.[35] Six events were scheduled over two days in the second strongman competition, with three events repeated from the first competition: Cyr Dumbbell Ladder, Yoke Carry & Overhead Log Lift Medley, Stone Over Hitching Post.[36] Specially-constructed equipment include "Rogue-a-Coaster Pull" where competitors pulled 600 lbs in a cart up a slope simulating a roller coaster ramp, and "Tower of Power" that featured an elevated 900 lbs deadlift on a platform.[37]

Winners

Champions

YearVenueCrossFitStrongman
MenWomenMenWomen
2019Rogue HQ, Columbus, Ohio Mat Fraser Tia-Clair ToomeyNot heldNot held
2020Online Patrick Vellner[38] Tia-Clair Toomey[39]
2021Dell Diamond, Austin, Texas Justin Medeiros[40] Tia-Clair Toomey[41] Martins Licis
2022Dell Diamond, Austin, Texas Justin Medeiros[42] Laura Horvath[43] Oleksii Novikov[44]
2023Dell Diamond, Austin, Texas Patrick Vellner Laura Horvath Mitchell Hooper[45]
2024P&J Live, Aberdeen, Scotland

Podiums

CrossFit - Men

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
2019 Cole Sager
2020 Björgvin Guðmundsson Noah Ohlsen
2021 Jeffrey Adler
2022 Chandler Smith Jeffrey Adler
2023 Roman Khrennikov

CrossFit - Women

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
2019 Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir
2020 Jamie Simmonds
2021 Gabriela Migała
2022 Emma Lawson
2023 Emma Lawson

Strongman

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
2021 Oleksii Novikov
2022 Mitchell Hooper
2023 Mateusz Kieliszkowski

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021 Rogue Invitational Final Payouts . November 1, 2021 . Patrick . Clark .
  2. Web site: Just Announced: The Rogue Invitational . BoxLife . November 2, 2018. Damect. Dominguez.
  3. Web site: The ROGUE Invitational Is Absolutely Stacked With Top CrossFit Athletes . Celia . Balf. April 29, 2019. BarBend .
  4. Web site: Rogue Invitational Online Qualifier Live. CrossFit Games . April 5, 2019 .
  5. Web site: ROGUE Invitational: How To Watch, Prize Money, Roster Breakdown, And More. Celia. Balf. May 17, 2019 . BarBend .
  6. Web site: The 2019 Rogue Invitational – A CrossFit Sanctioned Event . November 1, 2018 . Rogue Fitness .
  7. Web site: Strong(wo)man Records to be challenged at Rogue invitational . Starting Strongman . Kalle . Beck. May 16, 2019.
  8. News: CrossFit's 2019 Rogue Invitational: Mat Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey and Rich Froning look to reign supreme in Games warm-up. Patrick. Blennerhassett. May 17, 2019. South China Morning Post.
  9. Web site: Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey Win The Rogue Invitational . May 20, 2019 . BoxRox . Robin Wild . Hudson.
  10. Web site: OC3 Black Pull Their Way to Victory at Rogue Invitational. Brian. Pyfferoen . May 20, 2019. The Barbell Spin .
  11. Web site: CBS to Broadcast Edited Features on the 2021 Rogue Invitational . October 24, 2021 . Patrick . Clark . Morning Chalk Up .
  12. Web site: Rogue Invitational Gathers Top Athletes for Online Competition. June 11, 2020 . Patrick . Clark. Morning Chalk Up .
  13. Web site: 2020 Rogue Invitational Will Now Be Held Online On June 13-14 . Phil. Blechman. March 15, 2020 . BarBend.
  14. Web site: Rogue Invitational at Dell Diamond: October 29 - 31, 2021. MiLB.com .
  15. Web site: Rogue Invitational Announces $1,250,000 Uncapped Prize Purse, Paid Party in Bitcoin. August 5, 2021. Caro . Kyllmann . BoxRox .
  16. Web site: Rogue Increases Travel Stipend to Support Athletes’ Travel to Invitational . August 25, 2021 . John. Newby . Morning Chalk Up .
  17. Web site: 2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Roster — Kieliszkowski And Licis Return . Phil . Blechman. August 26, 2021. BarBend .
  18. Web site: How You Can Watch the 2021 Rogue Invitational . Men's Health . October 28, 2021 . Brett . Williams .
  19. Web site: Who’s Getting Invited to the 2021 Rogue Invitational . Morning Chalk Up . August 25, 2021 .
  20. Web site: Strongman Athletes To Watch At The 2021 Rogue Invitational. October 19, 2021. Phil . Blechman . BarBend .
  21. Web site: Martins Licis Wins The Inaugural Strongman Contest At 2021 Rogue Invitational. Fitness Volt. Rajneesh. Reddy . October 31, 2021.
  22. Web site: First Wave of Rogue Invites Sent Out. August 17, 2022 . Justin . LoFranco. Morning Chalk Up .
  23. Web site: 2022 Rogue Invitational Adds Fourth Day Of Events To Competition Slate. Jake . Dickson. October 22, 2022 . BarBend .
  24. Web site: 2024 Rogue Invitational Taking Place in Scotland . BoxRox . February 26, 2024 . Robert . Burn.
  25. Web site: Invitational Qualifying System . Rogue Fitness .
  26. Web site: Rogue Debuts New Qualifying System for 2024 Rogue Invitational . Brian . Spin . Barbell Spin . June 3, 2024 .
  27. Web site: The 2024 Rogue Invitational Will Feature Debut of Strongwoman Competition. Phil . Blechman. March 27, 2024 . BarBend.
  28. Web site: Rogue Invitation 2019. WodWell .
  29. Web site: Fraser vs Vellner – 2019 Rogue Invitational Analysis . May 20, 2019. Heatonminded .
  30. Web site: Rogue Invitational Schedule 2019. Ben. Garves . May 18, 2019.
  31. Web site: 7 Of 10 Individual Events For The 2022 Rogue Invitational Announced. Phil . Blechman. October 25, 2022. Barbend .
  32. Web site: Strength Bias Shines Through in Rogue Programming: Moreso For Men than Women. November 3, 2021 . Brian. Friend .
  33. Web site: Five Events For The 2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Show Have Been Announced . Phil . Blechman. October 13, 2021 . BarBend.
  34. Web site: The 'Wheel of Pain' Strongman Challenge Inspired by 'Conan the Barbarian' . Mike . Darling . January 22, 2020 . Men's Health.
  35. Web site: Five Events For The 2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Show Have Been Announced. Phil . Blechman. October 13, 2021. BarBend .
  36. Web site: 2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Events. Phil . Blechman. October 20, 2022 . BarBend.
  37. Web site: 2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Results: Day One [Live Updates] ]. Andrew . Smith . Fitness Volt . October 28, 2022 .
  38. Web site: Toomey and Vellner Win Rogue Invitational in Dominating Fashion . June 14, 2020 . Patrick . Clark. Morning Chalk Up .
  39. Web site: Patrick Vellner, Tia-Clair Toomey win Rogue Invitational . Matthew . Magnante . June 14, 2020 . Fitness Volt.
  40. Web site: CrossFit Champs and a Returning Strongman Ruled the Rogue Invitational. Men's Health . October 28, 2021 . Brett . Williams .
  41. Web site: Rogue Invitational: Tia-Clair Toomey pips Annie Thorisdottir to title as CrossFit’s female icons battle it out. Patrick . Blennerhassett . November 1, 2021 . South China Morning Post .
  42. Web site: Justin Medeiros Is Your 2022 Rogue Invitational Men’s CrossFit Champion . Andrew . Gutman. October 30, 2022. BarBend .
  43. Web site: Laura Horvath Wins 2022 Rogue Invitational Women’s CrossFit Competition . Jake . Dickson. October 30, 2022 . BarBend .
  44. Web site: 2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Event 6 — Stones Over Hitching Post Results & Recap . Roger . Lockridge. BarBend. October 29, 2022.
  45. Web site: Tabakovi . Vedad . Mitchell Hooper Wins The 2023 Rogue Invitational Strongman . Fitness Volt . 29 October 2023 . 28 October 2023.