Do your bit to put Rugby in the Olympics

Interestingly, after my last post, the following article was forwarded to me by a reader. Please register yourself to the site listed below and have your say for rugby to be included in the Olympics. Don’t let the those yanks dictate what sports should the world play. (baseball and softball … volleyball and beach volleyball …duh gimme my Duff!)

Let us help IRB promote the game in the Olympics .…. YOU CAN DO IT!

The IRB is asking all Rugby players and supporters to assist in spreading the message that the sport of Rugby should be included in the Olympic Games. The successful re-introduction of Rugby into the Olympic Games is an objective of the Strategic Plan for the Game as agreed by all Member Unions.

The IRB believes the ideal form of Rugby for Olympic inclusion is Rugby Sevens which has a proven and very successful record in similar multi-sports Games such as the Commonwealth Games. The IOC will vote on which sports to include in the Olympic Games in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2009.

The key messages that we believe are important and highlight why Rugby should be in the Olympic Games are:

• Rugby reinforces the ideals of Olympism, thanks to Rugby’s long-standing ethos of fair play and friendship
• Rugby Sevens would reach a new and young audience, including Rugby’s 3 million players in 116 countries and the tens of millions of fans worldwide
• Rugby Sevens does not need a purpose built stadium and would fill the Olympic Stadium in the first week of competition, adding an additional vibrant and youthful tone for the Games
• Rugby Sevens would extend the number of potential medal-winning nations in what would be a true world championship. Countries that could aspire to Olympic success in Rugby include Fiji, Samoa, Argentina, South Africa, Kenya and New Zealand.
• Rugby would increase funds to grow the Olympic Movement, by attracting new commercial partners and spectators. At the same time Rugby would enjoy increased funding and access to facilities from National Olympic Committees as an Olympic sport.

Presently we are providing a lot of information to the IOC on why Rugby should be reintroduced to the Olympic Games and you can assist Rugby with this ambition.

How can you do this?

Respond to the IOC’s Virtual Olympic Congress at http://www.2009congress.olympic.org/. (please click here, register and follow the following instructions ….)

The International Olympic Committee is asking the general public all around the world for feedback as its progresses its plans for the future of the Olympic Games. The IRB believes that future should include Rugby. The IOC has created a specific website called the Virtual Olympic Congress to record this feedback between now and December 31 this year.

The online process for submitting information on this website is very cumbersome but we ask you to persevere with it as we believe it is important that the IOC hears from the Rugby family. To help you here is some information on the online feedback process:

1. Please register and accept the General Conditions

2. Once you have done this you will be asked to comment on two of the five core themes:

• The Athletes
• Olympic Games
• The Structure of the Olympic Movement
• Olympism and Youth
• Digital Revolution.

3. We believe the best places to place your thoughts are: the “Olympic Games” ; and “Olympism and Youth”. Before adding your online contribution you might like to read the five points above again, and read the IRB’s Olympic magazine “Drive” and “Rugby in the Olympic Games“

4. Under “Olympic Games” there are three sub topics. Please add your contribution in the forms that are provided for each topic

5. Under Olympism and Youth there are three sub topics: Please add your contribution in the forms that are provided for each topic

Another way of promoting Rugby’s inclusion in the Olympic Games is to write to or contact your National Olympic Committee. Remember to ask the NOC to forward your comments to the IOC members within that country.

Download the IRB’s Olympic brochure here:-

Drive - Rugby and the Olympic movement

BlogCatalog

20:08hrs 08.08.08 When will our day come?

It’s not well known that rugby has been on the Olympic program on four occasions — in Paris in 1900, London in 1908, Antwerp in 1920 and Paris in 1924, with the US being the reigning Olympic Champions.

In 1900 in Paris three teams — France, Germany and Britain — entered. France took the gold medal beating Germany 27-17. Germany took the silver beating Britain 27-8 in the only other game, with the Brits awarded the bronze.

In London 1908 there were only two teams, Britain and Australia. In the only match, a straight final, Australia won 32-3.

In 1920 in Antwerp there were again only two teams, the USA and France. The USA had an unexpected 8-0 win in the only match.

Paris in 1924 saw three teams, France, USA, and Romania, enter. Both France and the USA beat Romania in a type of round robin and then played each other in a final at Colombes Stadium, Paris. The USA won the gold with a 17-3 victory in front of a crowd of 30,000.

It seems the USA victory was not popular in France. The American anthem was jeered and the match is reported to have ended in an uproar when a walking-stick brandishing French fan attacked one of the American reserves.

At the Amsterdam games in 1928 the International Olympic Committee turned down a request to include rugby. The reasons thought to be behind the decision were that the IOC sought more emphasis on individual sports; that women’s events had increased the number of competitors; and that the sport didn’t receive the backing expected from the British entries.

In 1980 the Soviet Union, and in 1988 South Korea, attempted to have rugby reinstated as an Olympic sport, with the 1988 attempt nearly achieving success.

While it would be logistically difficult to hold a full fifteen-a-side rugby competition in conjunction with the Olympics, the popularity of Sevens rugby at the Commonwealth Games has been such that a Sevens competition at the Olympics would surely be a worthwhile addition to the program.

Tomorrow, the Olympic torch will set alight again in Beijing for 17 days, and again, there won’t be any Rugby event in this tournament. But, what saddened me most is when the IOC decided not to have Rugby in the 2012 Olympics in London.

Rugby World Cup is now the 3rd most watched Sporting event and the 2nd most watched single sporting event in the World, but yet, IOC still refuse to include rugby in. I wonder why? Is it because the Great US of A (they were the defending Champions, mind you!), Russia, China and the other big nation has no chance winning a medal? Or is it because England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales need to play as team Great Britain? Only they have the answer!

Until then … I’ll just have to put Synchronize Swimming as my MUST watch event …

Who said women in ‘tudung’ can’t play rugby?

An interesting article I found in Al-Jazeera online:

Rugby and women may not seem an ideal combination in Islamic Iran, but females are enthusiastically taking up the rough sport amid official encouragement for them to participate in physical activities.

Women in Iran proudly see themselves as the most liberated in the Middle East, but are still expected to combine their careers and leisure activities with traditional expectations of childbearing, cooking and cleaning. All women must cover their heads and bodily contours in Iran, with the rugby field being no exception.

Players wearing the ‘maghnaeh’, a garment that fully covers the head, shoulders and neck, along with a loose blue waistcoat, a long-sleeved dark T-shirt and loose tracksuit trousers run from rucks to mauls all over the field.

It is not the most appropriate uniform for playing rugby, but the players don’t seem to mind, especially when the game allows them to let off steam in a way that is unimaginable elsewhere in their lives.

“I am extraordinarily interested in rugby and it does not matter what I wear. It is not uncomfortable,” said 16-year-old Sahar Azizi, a high school student.

Elham Shahsavari, a 24-year-old Iranian woman, believes she has found a sport perfect for her, and is a member of the Tehran women’s rugby team.

“In early 2006, Gorgan University advised me to play rugby because of my physical power,” said the well-built Shahsavari, who overcame objections from her family who worried about her travelling to training in a Tehran suburb.

“Rugby Union was just my thing.”

A quarter of a century ago, in the early years of the 1979 Islamic revolution when competitive sports for women were strongly discouraged, it would have been unthinkable for Iranian women to play a sport as physical as rugby.

However much has changed since then, even if women playing sport in Iran still have a long way to go before they are truly competitive at an international level.

In the 1990s, encouragement from Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of then-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, helped women to take up sport again.

Initially women mainly participated in stationary sports such as archery and shooting but now compete in a wider range of physical activities including strength-based disciplines like rowing, martial arts and rugby.

Alireza Iraj, Tehran women’s rugby coach, admitted that the team’s Islamic dress would make it impossible for them to play against sides from Western nations as “the long sleeves and loose clothes gives the opponents an easy chance to grab them.”

“They have to play with Muslim countries who have similar clothes,” he said.

As a man coaching a female team, 37-year-old Iraj knows he has to stay in line with one of Iran’s Islamic rules which states that members of the opposite sex cannot touch each other unless they are married couples or immediate members of a family.

When advising the team on how to tackle, Iraj keeps a decent distance away from the women and then instructs one of the players to demonstrate how to grab an opponent rather than carrying out the move himself.

“This is not a violent sport for women at all, despite what people think. We need to discharge our energy,” said Zahra Nouri, team captain.

Pouran Taherabadi, the mother of one of the players, was happy to see the level of physical activity, saying it would make it easier for her to deal with her energetic daughter at home.

“It is good for us that she has the chance here to discharge her energy,” she said.

“I have nothing against it.”

The Tehran women’s rugby team was set up in 2003 and a year after it won the national championship.

Other women’s rugby teams in the country are from Golestan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Semnan, North Khorasan, Shiraz and Isfahan.

So Ladies …. if you are interested playing the game, we’ve already started one. Please contact the union (bruneirugby@yahoo.com) for more details.

We believe in Us

“Boy .. did you guys play cricket or rugby?”

“It must be hard on the boys ..”

“We shouldn’t be in this group, Laos Cambodia and Indonesia is where we should be …”

It’s a week to this day when we were beaten by Guam … our biggest losing margin in an International test match (so we thought) but 3 days later, we were thrashed by the Volcanoes by a bigger margin.

What went wrong?

We need to work on the 4Ms in rugby:-

1. Method,
2. Material,
3. Manpower &
4. measurement

To have all these Ms we need the most important M of all - MONEY!

The boys did the best within their capabilities. I feel for them when I saw a couple of them shed their tears after the games. It is not their fault. What they are lack of are these 5Ms.

Manpower

After the great BRFU Season, the management team has narrowed down 40 of the best players in the league. Sadly only 18 turned up during the first training session, and a lot of them has turned the offer down based on their other commitments. This is very crucial for any National Team, we need a large pool of players to choose from. We need players who are willing to forgo everything … and having the pride of representing his nation. To represent the nation is a privilege and not their rights. We need players to compete within the training camp to be the best. Only with this .. we can have a strong national team as they will be a healthy competition within the training camp, everyone will give 150% effort to be chosen.

Material

When we were in Guam, we were given training equipments that most of our players used for the very first time. Some of the boys didn’t even know how to put on the contact suit. We need these materials for us to prepare our boys physically and psychologically. We need the boys to receive big hits by their peers, and we need their peers to give them the big hits without injuring them. When they are use to receive all these hits, they body and mind will be prepared for it, hence they won’t be any more fear when you get the big hits from their opponents. Rugby is all about contact.

We also need Machines to bulk the boys up. The boys need to have more muscle in order to compete internationally. We do have the height and the weight, what we need is for them to tone up a wee bit. (or bulk up for the others … you know who you are.)

Method

Coaches need to go for trainings too, the coaches need to improve their method of coaching. For 25 years of playing (minus 10 years here and there) I’ve learned the same method over and over again, until I met Mr. Willie Hetaraka who was in Guam coaching the Guam National Side. His coaching method was based on the law of the game. It is something new to all of us, and with this knowledge we can improve our strategy of the game. We need to work on our Strength and improve our Weaknesses. We need to know where we went wrong, only with mistakes we learn to be better.

Measurement

How do you measure yourselves in this game? Through experience. The more you play the more rugby knowledge you’ll get.

We also need specialize measurement for each players in the team. For example:-

1. heavy and Mobile front row forwards
2. Tall and mobile 2nd rowers
3. Fast and aggressive back row forwards
4. agile, fast and cunning scrumhalf
5. precision, fast and agile fly half
6. fast and robust midfield backs
7. very fast wings and fullbacks

How do we measure this, let the coaches set the target!

Best the MOST important M for us to achieve all these is MONEY. The Union has spend a lot of moolahs trying to develop the game in the country. We need Cash to send our players abroad to play more international TEST matches. Only by playing more, the players can gain more experience and know where they are lack in.

To send a team for a weekend test match abroad, we will need at least BND20K. But the question is always chicken or egg first when it comes to the sponsors. Prove to us that you can win, we will give you the grant, but for us, without the grant, we can go further than where we are.

We have a very young team now. 7 of the players have not reached the age of 20 yet whilst the rest of them are below 23. Three of them are between 23-25 and 2 of them are below 30. Only Granpa Hansie and Uncle Qadir are well above their 30’s. I believe in this team. I see their camaraderie and I am proud to say, THIS is the team of the future for the next 5 years. With the right Method, more Manpower having enough materials and ready to be measured with some money … I believe the current team will make Brunei Proud of their achievements. Only Time will tell.

So for the potential sponsors out there, who believe in us, please do not hesitate to contact us at bruneirugby@yahoo.com

Let’s do this for BRUNEI!

footnote:

We would like to thank Stephan Gratham, Janice Sablan, Guam Marriott Resort and the rest of Guam RU for their hospitality, Jay Savage of Philippines RU and Sean Moore of ARFU for their assistance, Willie Hetaraka for the pointers, Jarrad of IRB, Team Guam and Team Philippines for the hard knock lesson, Brunei’s Youth and Sports Department … and last but not least … the rest of you who believe in us.

Håfa Adai Guam!

On February 21, 2008, the International Rugby Board (IRB) confirmed the introduction of this major international Tournament to the Rugby calendar in April. The IRB-supported competition, which will involve Japan, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Korea and the Arabian Gulf, will play an important role in the ongoing development of the Game across the Region.

The IRB is committed to increasing global playing standards and the Tournament, which has received funding in the form of a US$500,000 IRB grant, represents the pinnacle of a complete restructuring of competition structures in Asia by the Region’s governing body, the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU).

The Tournament is considered vital for the development and expansion of Rugby throughout Asia and will give our elite players the chance to perform in front of a significantly expanded TV audience, whilst providing a platform for development at all other levels.

The Asian Five Nations Tournament is the pinnacle of four newly formed tiers of elite competition across all 25 Asian Rugby Unions with promotion and relegation opportunities between divisions for all participating teams. The last placed team in the Asian Five Nations in 2008 will be relegated to the 2009 Division One competition and the top team in Division One will gain promotion to the Asian Five Nations. The promotion and relegation policy will also be in effect for the Division One and Division Two competitions, guaranteeing an opportunity for all Unions to advance on the world stage.

In the HSBC/ARFU 5 Nation (AFN) that was held recently, Japan was crowned Champion whilst Korea, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan was 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. It was unfortunate for Arabian Gulf, as the were demoted to division 2.

The first Division will include Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Sri Lanka. This tournament will be held hosted by Chinese Taipei. The second Division teams are Thailand, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka. This tournament will played between 11th till 16th June in Bangkok, Thailand.

4 regional divisions were set up to help the developing rugby nation to improve their standard of the game. In the Asia Pacific Regional Tournament, Guam, Philippines and Brunei will be playing in Hagåtña, Guam from 28th June till 5th July 2008.

In the South East Asia regional division; Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos were grouped together. This division will be played in Jakarta, Indonesia. Iran, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan were grouped under the Central Asian division and Macau, Mongolia and Qatar is grouped together in the other regional division. No dates have yet been announced for both these divisions.

Meanwhile, the Brunei National Team has been training together since 21st May to select the National team touring to Guam. 24 players will be selected for this squad, which will be headed by BRFU President, Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato’ Seri Paduka Haji Talib as the team manager and Zakaria Haji Hamzah as the Head Coach. They will be assisted by Ainol Razman Ghazaly as the Assistant Manager as well as the Forwards Coach.

The players will be officially named on Saturday 7th June 2008 after the friendly match against RBAF in Berakas Camp at 4.15pm.

Call to Arms : Guam

Two Open Selection session to choose players for the National team tour to Guam will be organized in Seria and Bandar this week.

Schedule is as follows:

Seria (Lorong 5 Padang) : 3pm - 6pm / 28th May 2008 (Wednesday)

Bandar (Kebajikan Field 2): 3pm - 6pm / 30th May 2008 (Friday)

All are welcome. Please bring Jogging Shoes, Boots, T shirt and Rugby Shorts.

Please contact Head Coach Zakaria Haji Hamzah for more details at +6738174765 or email us bruneirugby (at) yahoo (dot) com

More news on the final

From Brunei Times

LAST NIGHT’S Darussalam Cup Championship final between defending champions Belait Pythons and 2006 winners Bandar Blacks was touted as the Brunei Rugby Football Union Grand Final, and it certainly lived up to its name.

With the scores tied at 9-9 after the final whistle at the raucous Belapan Track & Field in Berakas, no points were to be scored in the extra time which totalled 15 minutes, and the match had to be decided with a drop-kick contest.

Five players from each team had to take a drop-kick each, and for the Bandar Blacks, Man of the Match Ahmad Faiz and Nobel Lee successfully converted two of them to grab the title from the Belait side.

The Pythons had only managed to score one drop-kick and failed to score on the last attempt to tie the game, but even if they did, the Bandar Blacks would have had the upper hand as they had another drop-kick to complete.

The last four games between the two sides had ended in wins for the Pythons, though it had never been a championship match.

Naturally, the Bandar Blacks camp was jubilant to come out tops in what was undoubtedly the closest final in Brunei rugby history.

“I feel exhilarated and relieved at the same time because it was a close game which could have gone either way,” said Bandar Blacks manager Clifford Chin.

“I think this is the best ever final and not for one second did we doubt that we could hold them off,” said Chin, adding that the team played an excellent game in defence.

The Belait Pythons captain Petrus Tuan understandably painted a less joyful picture, but felt that his team had nothing to be ashamed of.

“This is the first time a final has reached drop-kicks and though I am a bit disappointed we lost, I feel it was an achievement we were able to stretch the match this far,” said Tuan, who is also the national team’s stand off.

It was his penalty kick late in the second half which gave the Pythons a 9-6 lead, their first in the game and one which they hoped would carry them through.

However, a foul on the other end of the pitch moments later saw the Bandar Blacks hit back with a penalty kick of their own, setting up for a tense extra time and an unprecedented drop-kick contest after that.

The Bandar-based team took the lead in the first half with a penalty kick early in the match, and though the Pythons would reply with another of their own, the Bandar Blacks regained the lead to set the scores at 6-3 heading into the locker room.

The Pythons went on to equalise in the second half before Tuan’s penalty kick gave them a short-lived lead.

-Jason Thomas 0f Brunei Bulletin-

_________________________________________________

From Sunday Bulletin

Bandar Blacks prevented the Belait Pythons from achieving a double in this year’s Brunei Rugby Football Union Interclub Tournament when they beat them in a 2-1 drop kick in the final of the Darussalam Cup after both teams were tied 9-a-piece at regulation time.

The Belait Pythons who had already won the Dr Haji Kamaruddin Cup are looking to take their second silverware of the year.

The final at the Balapan field last night saw Bandar Blacks took the lead with a penalty converted by No 11 Quan. However, Belait Pythons’ Petrus levelled the score 3-3 through a penalty conversion on 23rd minutes.

Just before the interval, Bandar Blacks regained the lead through Quan again when he converted his second penalty of the night to lead 6-3.

The seesaw game continued in the second half when No 10 Petrus was again on target to convert another penalty to tie the score 6-6.

Thirty-two minutes after the interval, Quan converted his third penalty of the night for Bandar Blacks to lead 9-6 but the celebration was shortlived as No 11 Dinlee of Belait Pythons scored another penalty conversion to draw 9-9.

The score remained the same until regular time and then overtime and to sudden death.

In the drop kick, Belait Pythons managed only a kick passed the crossbar while Bandar Blacks managed to hit two kicks over to win.

of Royal Brunei Land Force, Colonel Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Rosli bin Pengiran Haji Chuchu as the guest-of-honour presented the prizes to the winners.

Player of the final award went to Izzy (Faez) of Bandar Blacks while the player of the tournament was Petrus of Belait Pythons. The award for most improved team of the tournament went to Royal Brunei Armed Forces Team.

-James Kon of Brunei Press-

Check for more photos at Anak Brunei’s Site

What a Final

How should I describe it …. amazing? Awesome? heart thumping? Stressful?

Let’s say … all of the above!

Full time Bandar Blacks 9 Pythons 9

Extra time 9 Pythons 9

Sudden death 9 Pythons 9

Drop Goal competition: Bandar Blacks 2 Pythons 1, I googled for “Drop Goal Competition Winner”, guess what .. there is none! Should I say that Bandar Blacks are the World’s first winner of a Drop Goal Competition. How is that for the record book.

Did I mention it’s an awesome final …. hell yeah it was!

The WINNER is definitely Brunei Rugby.

Man of the Tournament: Petrus Tuan of Belait Pythons

Man of the Final: Ahmad Faez Anwar (Ezy) of Bandar Blacks

Most Improved team: ABDB Rugby

League Winner for Dr Haji Kamaruddin Cup: Belait Pythons

Play off Winner for Darussalam Cup: Bandar Blacks

Thank you for your support, what an amazing season. We’ll see you again next year!

Some more photos from the Semis

Thanks Lisa for the photos! For more action photos please check miss dragon’s online album.<– click there

Mark this date ….

Semi Finals report

Bandar Blacks vs The Knights

What was expected to be a tough game turnout to be the opposite. Bandar Blacks marshaled by its captain Steven Lai proved that they were the worthy winner. The lack of experience playing in Big games was obvious yesterday for the Knights. it was obviously a game between men and boys.

Nevertheless, it was a good experience for the Knights boys for many years to come, with an average age of 21 … the Knights is the team of the future!

Final Score - Bandar Blacks 48 The Knights 12

Belait Pythons vs Yachties

With the score 72-12 in the Dr. Haji Kamaruddin Cup, everyone expected that the Pythons will run riot again in this match, however it turned out the opposite too. Yachties defended well, but unfortunately the ‘eel like’ oval ball was too slippery for the Yachties to have a decent attack through the back line. 7-0 score during the first half wasn’t what was expected for this game.

However the grandpas and uncles representing the Yachties were too old for the youthful Pythons throughout the second half, when they went down 15-38 at full time.

Next weekend Finals

Date: 17th May 2008

1615 hrs - 3rd/4th Position for Darussalam Cup play off

The Knights vs Yachties

GRAND FINAL Darussalam Cup

2015hrs

Belait Pythons vs Bandar Blacks