By Stephen Barber, IRFU Chairman
Willy Ellison spent his life mustering cattle and playing rugby but all this was cut short by a tragic light plane crash 3 years ago south of Jakarta that took his life and that of his partner Priscilla Hall and three Indonesians. Willy loved his country upbringing and soon after his unexpected death a group of his close rugby mates founded the “Willy Ellison Memorial Cup” or “Willy Cup” as it has become known to be played annually in East Kalimantan.
Whereas the previous three “Willy Cup” matches were played at the Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) Mine near Sangatta, this year’s match was played on Saturday November 17th in the big country town of Balikpapan, which is home to many of Indonesia’s mining houses and contractors, as well as several oil & gas firms including Total Indonesia who hosted this year’s “Willy Cup”. The 2008 match-up featured a Kaltim XV predominantly made up of Indonesian-born players from KPC versus a Jakarta XV made up of Indonesian lads from the Jakarta Bantengs. Both teams were supported by expatriate players from Balikpapan, Sangatta, Jakarta and from other regions around Indonesia including Sumbawa and Riau.
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By Stephen Barber, IRFU Chairman
They say that, “rugby is the game played in heaven” and last weekend at the THIESS Indonesia International Rugby 10’s Bali 2007, on the famous ‘Island of gods’ this was no truer than ever!
Following on from a tragic accident on Friday afternoon when two players from the INSEAD Baa-Baa’s were lost in an unfortunate drowning accident on a Bali beach, the teams, their players & coaches, match referees and tournament officials decided to continue with the tournament knowing that the fallen players would be watching from above as the rugby was played at the magnificent Canggu Club facilities.
Day 1 action saw all 16 teams playing three matches against each of the other sides in their respective pools as shown below.
This year for the first time a team had traveled up to Bali from the ‘shakey isles’ of NZ, as well as last year’s champs the Mosman Whales from Sydney who had returned as the Balmoral Hellfish to hopefully defend their title. Other international teams were the Uni Chooks from the University of WA in Australia plus Para Todu from Guam and the MAS Cougars from Malaysia.
Indonesia was well represented at the tournament with teams from Halmahera, East Kalimantan, West Papua, Sumbawa, Jakarta and locals from Bali. Four of the Indonesian teams enter were comprised entirely of National players and the top two of these teams, the Jakarta Bantengs and the Kotekas from West Papua battled out the IRFU Indonesia Cup in the final match of Day 1. The Bantengs controlled the entire match and ran out 19-0 winners to take out the 2007 Indonesian Cup title to go alongside the same title they had won 2 years earlier in Bali.
At the end of play on Day 1 all the teams were ranked 1-16 to decide the Finals playoffs on Day 2 (as shown below).
Day 2’s Finals competition saw some very evenly matched contests as teams attempted to secure a Finals’ berth in each of the four trophies on offer.
Results in the four finals were as follows:
Canggu Club Shield – Kotekas 14 d Gosowong 0
International SOS Bowl – Sangatta 21 d Bantengs 0
Coca-Cola Plate – ISCI Dragons 22 d MAS Cougars 5
THIESS Indonesia Cup – Uni Chooks 40 d Nagas 5
The Indonesian Player of the Tournament was Putu from the Sangatta Saracens and Lloyd Johnson, from the Uni Chooks was the Player of the Tournament.
The IRFU is especially grateful to all the tournament sponsors including –
THIESS Indonesia
Canggu Club
Coca-Cola
International SOS
Stiff Chilli
Allied Pickfords
Crown Relocations
Britmindo
Indomultimedia
Contiki Resort
Fez by Aphrodite
OB Golf & Lifestyle Magazine
The 2008 tournament promises to be bigger and better with al lot of the 2007 teams vowing to return for another crack at the title. A date is still to be set for the 2008 tournament, although at this stage it will be held on either Oct 11-12 or Oct 18-19; the IRFU will advise before year’s end.
JANE IGOE
31Oct07
MEMBERS of Balmoral Hellfish Rugby Club will leave for Bali this week to
take part in the Bali 10’s championship. The Bali 10’s is the biggest event on the Indonesian Rugby calendar. The trip follows other local players visiting the island in 2005 and 2006.
Organiser Mick O’Sullivan said the team would be supplying jerseys to
another club in West Papua called the Kotekas.
“Being from a very poor area of Indonesia, these guys have little in the way of equipment - but to see their love of the game you would not know,'’ Mr O’Sullivan said.
He said the local players were only new to the game and could improve by playing more experienced teams. He said the Balmoral Hellfish Club was formed to give its players the opportunity to play rugby, travel the world as well as experience different cultures.
It would also give something back to the game of rugby and help out these emerging and fledgling rugby nations. The jerseys and trip were being supported by The Hotel Mosman and Sullivan Real Estate.
