Bertempat di Lapangan ABC, Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club (JBRC) menyelenggarakan acara “Banteng Internal Sevens – Rugby Sevens di Jakarta” pada hari Sabtu 17 Juli 2010.

Empat tim yang terdiri dari gabungan senior dan junior JBRC bertarung dengan keras untuk menunjukkan kepada Jakarta olahraga Rugby Sevens yang pada awal tahun ini terpilih untuk dipertandingkan sebagai cabang pada Olimpiade musim Panas di Rio de Janeiro 2016 nanti. Event yang disponsori oleh Laing-O’Rourke, Britmindo dan AEL ini sekaligus untuk memperebutkan “Craig Senger Cup” yang dicanangkan untuk mengenang salah satu anggota JBRC, Craig Senger, yang tewas dalam tragedi bom JW Marriott II setahun yang lalu.

“Craig Senger lebih dari sekedar pemain rugby.” jelas Bobby Orlando yang dijuluki ‘Babeh’ oleh teman-teman satu klubnya, “Ia seorang yang sangat mencintai Indonesia, terbukti dari ia memilih untuk bermain bersama tim yang mayoritasnya adalah orang Indonesia dan bukan ekspatriat, sementara ia sendiri orang Australia. Dia orangnya sangat sportif dan juga senang bercanda… apalagi kalau dia suka salah mengucapkan kata-kata dalam bahasa Indonesia… lucu banget! Tapi itulah… dia memang berusaha keras untuk bergabung dengan orang kita…” kenangnya.

“Rugby itu olahraga yang sisi sosialnya sangat positif dan penuh keakraban,” kata Denny selaku Ketua JBRC, “Sekarang dengan banyaknya anggota dari tingkat sekolah hingga tingkat senior, kita serasa punya ‘keluarga’ besar sekali dan kita menginginkan lebih banyak orang lagi yang dapat merasakan suasana ini.”

Pada akhir turnamen, Tim Debeejeez keluar sebagai juara setelah mengalahkan Tim Revo pada final sementara Tim Manis Manja mengalahkan Tim Flying Lily untuk mendapatkan peringkat ketiga. Para anggota JBRC wanita juga sempat melakukan pertandingan eksebisi di antara kedua pertandingan final.

“Kami dari Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia sangat bangga terhadap JBRC atas terselenggaranya acara ini,” kata Stephen Barber selaku Ketua PRUI, “Besar harapan kami bahwa Rugby Sevens semakin terkenal dan banyak dimainkan di Indonesia sehingga cita-cita kami untuk turut dalam Olimpiade 2016 dapat menjadi kenyataan.”

Dengan penuh semangat, walaupun terdapat luka dan lecet akibat tackling yang menjadi ciri khas olahraga keras ini, para pemain dan ofisial JBRC terlihat sangat gembira. Dalam caranya sendiri, mereka telah memperkenalkan olahraga yang mereka cintai pada masyarakat Jakarta.

–English version–
JAKARTA SAMPLES TASTE OF OLYMPIC RUGBY

Although many may have forgotten the name of Australian, Craig Senger, to a growing group of Jakarta rugby union players that make up the predominantly Indonesian Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club, the name will always be remembered.

Craig was an avid rugby player and fan who after coming to work in Jakarta for Austrade, opted to play with Jakarta Banteng whose members are mainly Indonesian and have very little experience of the game. Craig Senger played with the Banteng for almost two seasons before tragically losing his life on the morning of the 17th of July 2009, in a suicide bomb attack inside the J. W. Marriott hotel restaurant where he was attending a breakfast meeting….

One year to the day of this tragic event, Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club held an internal Rugby Sevens tournament in which four teams made up of the club’s increasing number of senior and junior players vied for the first ever Craig Senger Cup to honour their departed brother. The event was also showcased as a Jakarta exposè for the fast-paced version of Rugby Union, which will be an Olympic event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The tournament was held at Lapangan ABC on Saturday and whilst the competition was thrilling and hard-fought, for the club players and supporters along with the many soccer players who sat wide-eyed and watched their first ever games of rugby, the event was an example of a thoroughly enjoyable day; a day of rugby camaraderie.

“Craig wasn’t just a player” said Bobby Orlando, the recognized father-figure of the club who is nick-named ‘Babeh’ by his clubmates. “Craig was an all-round good man who loved the spirit of the game, the club, his friends and especially the people of Indonesia. We remember our brother with love today by playing the game that we loved to play together.”

Seniors and juniors of the club were divided to form four mini-teams that allowed for pool games as well as two finals to be played. An exhibition game by the club’s girls & women’s players was held in between the two finals.

“Rugby is definitely growing in Indonesia and you can see that by the number of players that now belong to the club” says Denny, the club Chairman. “When we first started, there were times that only five or six players turned up to training but now we get sessions where up to 50 people turn up, both male and female” he continues.

The club attempts to be self-funded and raises money through sponsorship from companies such as Laing-O’Rourke, Britmindo and AEL as well as carrying out raffles, selling club apparel, souvenirs and also donations from the players. Several players have been capped in both the national XV’s Rhinos squad as well as the national Sevens team, dubbed the Harimau.

“We love rugby!” says Jounah Christy and Akmal Nasser almost in unison. “We don’t just love the sport but also the social aspects of the rugby culture.” continues Jounah.

“Yes, rugby is a great sport but it also brings people together as friends and family”, Akmal chips in, “I’m a student in Jakarta and my parents and family live in Sumatra but I’ve got my ‘brothers and sisters’ here in Banteng,” he concludes.

“That’s right!” agrees SMA Al-Chasanah student and girl rugby player Saima. “Jakarta Banteng has introduced us to rugby and rugby has introduced us to new friends who have become our brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. We really are like a big family and more than just the sport, I think that’s what’s so great about rugby.”

Team Debeejeez eventually took the inaugural Craig Senger Cup after beating Team Revos 5-0 in a very tight and fast-paced final, whilst Team Manis-Manja took out the Bowl after beating Team Flying Lilys in the game beforehand.

Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia (PRUI – the Indonesian Rugby Football Union) Chairman Stephen Barber who was also in attendance pledged support from the union for continued and sustainable rugby development. “The sport has grown in significance over the past few years here in Indonesia and PRUI now has in place sponsorship from companies such as Asiarep, Offshore Services International, Coca-Cola and Maxidrill to make sure that rugby continues to be developed at ‘grass-roots’ level, through all age groups. Two thumbs up to Banteng for the tournament which commemorates a fallen comrade… that truly embodies the rugby spirit.”

When asked about the prospect for Indonesian Rugby making the Olympic Games, Mr. Barber responds with enthusiasm. “Nothing is impossible and Rugby Sevens in the Olympics gives Asian countries such as Indonesia a chance to go for Olympic glory despite being a little smaller than their western counterparts. In rugby, what really matters is heart and Indonesian rugby players have plenty of that. But we also believe in growing XV’s rugby in line with the Asian Rugby Football Union and International Rugby Board’s long-term vision. It would be a dream come true to have an Indonesian team in the Rugby World Cup one day!”

For now however, Indonesian rugby must continue to work hard and play hard for rugby to take root in the Indonesian sporting community but rest assured that clubs such as Jakarta Banteng scattered across the archipelago are keeping the dream alive.

Iran will now be promoted to Division II where they will face relegated Division I team Chinese Taipei, India and Thailand in 2011. The win is Iran’s first tournament championship in the HSBC A5N after they took second place in the Kyrgyzstan regional (2008) and finished in third place in last year’s Division III competition in Manila, Philippines.

Iran held the upper hand throughout in a tight match that was disrupted midway through the first half by heavy rain and severe lightning (causing a 30-minute stoppage of play).
Iran started quickly again, picking up where they left off after beating Guam 44-11 in Wednesday’s (June 9) semifinal when they scored their first try after just 4 minutes. This afternoon it would again be the impressive Iranian forwards that made the difference as hooker Iraz Abdi plunged over from ruck ball in just the second minute. The conversion from fullback Farjam Atshan put Iran ahead 7-nil.

Pakistan struck back through a penalty by fullback Manan Naseem to claw back to 7-3 before heavy rain and lightning halted play at the 20-minute marker of the second half.
After a stoppage of play of 30 minutes the game was rejoined and the Iranians proved they were still hot - scoring within the first two minutes of the restart through a try to number 8 Yousef Jalali to bring Iran to 12-3. That score remained as the Pakistan defence righted itself and the conditions returned to near normal allowing Pakistan to bring its backline into more play.

After the half, Iran resumed normal service with its first try coming to centre Sajad Izadi in the 43rd minute, with Atshan again converting to push the challengers to 19-3 ahead.
Despite a fierce commitment from the Pakistan XV, in particular flanker Mansoor Rehan who was tireless in defence delivering some huge tackles and pestering the Iranian ball carriers throughout, Pakistan could not break the Iranian defence. The top seeds could account for only one more score in the second half through a penalty which was converted by Naseem. The hooter sounded with the final score 19-3 as a strong contingent of Iranian fans who had braved the weather rejoiced with their new national heroes as they were presented the Division III cup by HSBC A5N coach Frank Hadden.

Fortunately for the fans, the 3rd/4th place match was played under excellent conditions with light showers cooling the hot, humid conditions to facilitate some entertaining running rugby.
Unfortunately for the backers of the Indonesian Rhinos, however, the running rugby was in the wrong direction as Guam posted eight tries to lock in their position in Division III in 2011.
Only the strong boot of Indonesian captain Kirk Arundale kept the hosts in the match. Arundale turned in a true captain’s performance particularly as he was a positional change to halfback to shore up some unsteady service that hurt the Rhinos in Wednesday’s semi final. Arundale slotted four penalties all in the first half to account for all of Indonesia’s points this afternoon. Arundale’s first penalty came in the 5th minute giving the Rhinos their only lead of the match at 3-0.

Guam’s four first half tries came from flanker Sakiusa Naivana, prop Matt Toves, and fullback Paul Estaquio. Centre Randy Mendiola scored the try of the day as he collected an errant kick from flyhalf Chris Sgro at the halfway marker before stepping his way through six defenders to cross over the line and state the visitors’ intentions to keep ball in hand for the remainder of the afternoon.

Guam’s second half tries came from winger Jesse Manglona and No. 8 John Arceo while Eustaquio and Mendiola each added second tries in the final stages. Reserve winger Stephen Santos, (who scored Guam’s only try in the opener against Iran), again looked sharp and took his opportunities with the boot well with three conversions and a penalty to round out the scoring.

Guam’s performance will see them retain their Division III space for 2011 and will provide a new impetus for rugby on “the Rock” as they prepare for next year’s Division III competition which will feature relegated Division II side China, Pakistan and Thailand.

For more information please visit www.asian5nations.com

SCORING:
HSBC A5N Division III Final
Pakistan (6): Manan Naseem (2P)
Iran (19): Iraz Abdi (1T), Yusef Jalali (1T), Sayad Izadi (1T), Farjam Atshan (2C)
Half-time score: Pakistan 3 – 12 Iran
Referees: Mohammad Azhar (Singapore), AR1 – Liu Hao (China), AR2 – Steve Mitchell (Indonesia)
3rd/4th Place Playoff:
Guam (49): Randy Mendiola (2T), Paul Estaquio (2T), John Arceo (1T), Matt Toves (1T), Sakiusa Naivana (1T), Jesse Manglona (1T), Stephen Santos (3C, 1P)
Indonesia (11): Kirk Arundale (4P)
Half-time score: Guam 22 – 12 Indonesia
Referees: Liu Hao (China), AR1: Steve Mitchell (Indonesia), AR2: Mark Manderson (Indonesia)
For more information on the HSBC Asian 5 Nations please visit www.asian5nations.com.

ENDS

Released on behalf of the HSBC A5N by Elite Step Asia Limited. For more information about the HSBC A5N Series and the HSBC A5N rugby development programme throughout Asia please contact Sean Moore: sean.moore@elitestep.com For more information about Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia (PRUI) and other national tournaments please contact Harmony Le Riche: harmony@obgolfandlifestyle.com

The results set up an enticing Pakistan v Iran final on Saturday (15.00), with the winners set for promotion to Division II. Guam will face Indonesia in the 3rd/4th place play-off (13.00) with both teams desperate to avoid relegation.

Although entering the tournament as the higher seeded team (2nd seed) Guam conceded significant advantages in size to their opposition. The Iranians made the size tell with a basic but effective power game today at the UPH Stadium in Jakarta.

Guam entered the match hoping to use their speed out wide but the Iranians succeeded in keeping the game tight with a forward dominated performance and some straightforward rugby. Iran took its opportunities around the fringes well throughout the match and enjoyed the upper hand at lineout and scrum time. Although never shirking from the physicality, Guam was starved for possession and could not show its style of attacking rugby, falling behind 26 – 5 at the half.

Iran stated their intentions early on through a pushover try in the 4th minute to lock Shahab Balali from ruck ball on Guam’s five metre line. As usual, Guam refused to relent and was not shy of the physicality of the game, running in their opening try of the match through winger Stephen Santos in the 23rd minute.

Iran replied in the 29th minute through a well worked move that featured some key interplay from captain and scrumhalf Pedram Bani Amerja and no. 7 Iraj Rostami before being finished by winger Ramin Aajaij. Fullback Farjam Atshan slotted the touch conversion on his way to 11 points on the day. Rostami put in a flawless performance that was well rewarded with two tries on the day, the first of which came in the 39th minute of the opening half to push Iran further out to 26 – 5 after Atshan’s second of four conversions on the day.

The second half saw more of the same as Iran opened the scoring in the 47th minute with a penalty to Atshan to edge the Iranians out to 29-5. Guam successfully battened down the hatches and met every physical challenge in the second half but two yellow cards to winger Jesse Manglona and no. 8 John Arceo further sapped the Guam defence in hot and humid conditions.

Although holding off any scoring while down two and then one man, Rostami popped up again in the 69th minute for his second try of the day to push Iran ahead 36-5 after the conversion.

Guam replied through a penalty from sub Gerard Aguon in the 72nd minute to make it 36-8 but Iranian reserve Ali Reza Bostani scored Iran’s sixth try of the afternoon in the 76th minute to make it 41-8 Iran.

Presented with a penalty opportunity in the 79th minute, Guam opted for the kick at posts, which was indicative of the trouble it had had in breaking down Iran’s defence the entire afternoon. Aguon slotted the penalty to bring Guam’s final score to 11 points, but Iranian flyhalf Amin Hossein Zadeh slotted over a drop goal (just the second of the Asian 5 Nations in 2010) to call time on the first semifinal with Iran winning 44-11.

Today’s second semi final featured top seeds Pakistan, relegated as the bottom finishers in last year’s Division II competition, and the hometown heroes Indonesia. The match was a true nail-biter with both teams only managing a penalty each in a very physical first half.
The Indonesia Rhinos under new coach Duncan Hall put up a tremendous fight throughout the afternoon despite conceding considerable size to a big Pakistan team who were visibly frustrated to not have opened a larger lead in the first half.

Indonesia’s rush defence was solid throughout the half with captain and vice captain Kirk Arundale and Grant Olsen omnipresent in defence. Pakistan were unlucky at times as key dropped balls plagued both teams in the first half.

In the second half, the game began to open up as both teams found their footing and came to grips with a slick ball in humid conditions. Still both sides fought each other to a standstill for the first quarter. Steadily increasing Pakistan pressure led to the first scoring chance of the second stanza as captain Kirk Arundale slotted through a penalty to give Indonesia its first lead since the 6th minute at 6-3 Indonesia.

With the match in the balance it was up to towering Pakistan captain No. 8 Sahir Alsam to make his, and the Pakistan forward pack’s, presence felt with a nifty pick up from the base of a ruck to give Pakistan its first lead 8-6 at the 59th minute. Pakistan fullback Manan Naseem slotted a pretty conversion to edge Pakistan out to 10-6 and added a penalty nine minutes later to push ahead to 13-6 with 11 minutes remaining.

The final ten minutes were riveting as both teams exemplified their true promise and battling spirit. The home town heroes were rewarded for an afternoon of truly exceptional effort as Indonesia prop Niko Joku drove over for a try in the corner in the 78th minute. With time ticking away it was left to captain Arundale to attempt a tricky conversion with Indonesia trailing 13-11. Unfortunately for the Rhinos and their strong local support Arundale’s conversion was wide, giving Pakistan the final victory.

Although it was a losing effort today, Indonesia showed vast improvement battling the tournament number one seeds to a standstill with a side that included 11 first caps in the side of 22. Indonesia will be able to take something from today’s effort as they face Guam on Saturday in a winner-takes-all battle to avoid relegation.

Pakistan and Iran will face off in a battle of the giants to see who is promoted to Division II in 2011 to join Chinese Taipei, India and Thailand on the next rung of the Asian rugby ladder.

SCORING:
SF1
Guam (11): Stephen Santos (1T), Gerard Aguon (2P)
Iran (44): Shahab Balali (1T), Ramin Aajaij (1T), Farjam Atshan (4C, 1P), Hassan Faradjolla (1T), Iraj Rostami (2T), Ali Reza Bostani (1T), Amin Hossein Zadeh (1DG)
Half-time score: Guam 5 – 26 Iran

SF2
Pakistan (13): Manan Naseem (2P, 1C), Sahir Aslam (1T)
Indonesia (11): Kirk Arundale (2P), Niko Joku (1T)
Half-time score: Pakistan 3 – 3 Indonesia

For more information on the HSBC Asian 5 Nations please visit www.asian5nations.com.

ENDS
Released on behalf of the HSBC A5N by Elite Step Asia Limited.
For more information about the HSBC A5N Series and the HSBC A5N rugby development programme throughout Asia please contact Sean Moore: sean.moore@elitestep.com.

Jakarta, May 5, 2010:
Indonesia has selected a national squad of 40 players for the HSBC Asian 5 Nations (A5N) Division 3 Rugby Tournament scheduled to be played at University of Pelita Harapan (UPH) Stadium, Karawaci on June 9 and 12, 2010. This squad will be trimmed to 24 players prior to the commencement of the tournament.

The Indonesian Rhinos Rugby Team sponsored by Offshore Services Indonesia (OSI) will battle it out against visiting teams from Guam, Pakistan and Iran in IRB-sanctioned Test matches. Tournament Semi-Finals are scheduled for June 9, with a 1pm match between Guam and Iran followed by a 3pm match between Indonesia and Pakistan. The losers of each Semi-Final on June 9 will face each other in a 3rd/4th Playoff at 1pm on Saturday June 12, whilst the winners of each Semi-Final will play in the 2010 HSBC A5N Division 3 Cup Final at 3pm on the same day. ..

Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia (PRUI) Chairman, Stephen Barber commented, “Indonesian Rugby is very excited to be hosting the 2010 HSBC A5N Division 3 Rugby Tournament ,, following on from the successful HSBC A5N Regional Tournament that the Union hosted and won in July 2008. The UPH Stadium is a first class facility and the playing surface has been rated by the IRB as one of the best in Asia.”

“We have strong hopes for Indonesia to perform well in 2010. Indonesians are in fact great for rugby since they are fast and furious when playing and we are looking forward to an exciting match against Pakistan on June 9. We plan to make our National Team Sponsor, OSI and the Indonesian people very proud of the Rhinos”, adds National Coach Duncan Hall.
Rugby in Indonesia has grown in popularity since the Indonesian Rugby was established in May 2004 and the strength of this growth can be seen by the number of schools now playing Rugby and the foundation of 16 Rugby clubs located across the archipelago.

Air Vice Marshall (retired) Pieter Wattimena, PRUI President explains, “Given that Rugby was recently accepted into the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, we are striving to prepare an Indonesian Rugby Team that can qualify for major Rugby tournaments and with the sport rapidly growing in Indonesia, we are confident we can achieve our goals. The HSBC A5N Tournament is a huge international sporting event and we are looking forward to large crowds coming out and supporting the Rhinos at the UPH Stadium.”

Indonesian:

Jakarta, 5 Mei 2010: Indonesia telah memilih 40 pemain tim Rugby nasional untuk bertanding di HSBC Asian 5 Nation (A5N) Division 3 Rugby Tournament yang akan diselenggarakan di Stadium Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), Karawaci pada tanggal 9 Juni dan 12 Juni 2010. Dari squad ini, 24 pemain akan dipilih sebelum awal turnamen.

Tim Rhinos Rugby Indonesia yang disponsori oleh Offshore Services Indonesia (OSI) akan bertanding melawan tim nasional dari Guam, Pakistan, dan Iran di pertandingan uji coba yang di naungi oleh IRB. Turnamen Semi-Final dijadwalkan pada tanggal 9 Juni pukul 13.00wib antara Guam melawan Iran diikuti dengan pertandingan pada pukul 15.00wib antara Indonesia melawan Pakistan. Tim yang kalah pada Semi-Final tanggal 9 Juni akan bertanding pada tanggal 12 Juni untuk memperebutkan Posisi ke 3 dan 4 pada pukul 13.00wib. Sedangkan tim yang menang pada Semi-Final akan bertanding di final HSBC A5N Division 3 Cup Final pada pukul 15.00wib di hari yang sama.

Ketua umum Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia (PRUI), Stephen Barber berkomentar, “Rugby Indonesia sangat senang sekali menjadi tuan rumah 2010 HSBC A5N Division 3 Rugby Tournament, mengingat keberhasilan acara HSBC A5N Regional yang diselenggarakan oleh Union dan dimenangkan pada tahun 2008. Stadium UPH merupakan fasilitas kelas satu dan merupakan lapangan terbaik yang telah dinilai oleh IRB sebagai salah satu yang terbaik di Asia.“

“Kami memiliki harapan yang kuat bahwa Indonesia akan bermain dengan baik tahun 2010 ini. Pemain Indonesia sebenarnya merupakan pemain rugby yg hebat mengingat mereka cepat dan dahsyat disaat mereka sedang bermain Rugby. Kami mengharapkan permainan yang menyenangkan saat melawan Pakistan nanti pada tanggal 9 Juni. Kami berencana untuk membuat sponsor tim nasional kami, OSI dan masyarakat Indonesia bangga kepada kami, the Rhinos”, tambah Duncan Hall, Pelatih Tim Nasional.

Popularitas Rugby di Indonesia terus meningkat semenjak Rugby didirikan di Indonesia pada bulan Mei 2004. Dan perkembangannya dapat dilihat dengan meningkatnya sekolah - sekolah yang memiliki tim Rugby dan 16 yayasan Rugby yang tersebar diseluruh Indonesia.

Marsda (purn) Pieter Wattimena, Presiden PRUI menjelaskan, “Mengingat Rugby baru saja diterima sebagai salah satu cabang olahraga yang ada di Olimpiade 2016 dan 2020. Kami berencana untuk mempersiapkan Tim Rugby Indonesia yang siap bertanding di turnamen – turnamen besar di dunia. Dan dengan berkembang pesatnya Rugby di Indonesia, kami yakin bisa mencapai tujuan kami. HSBC A5N Tournament adalah salah satu turnamen bertaraf internasional dan kami berharap antusias yang baik dari masyarakat untuk ikut mendukung the Rhinos di stadium UPH.

The tournament adopted the Rugby 7’s format of the sport, which is now a focus for Indonesian Rugby since the sport was recently included in the 2016-20 Olympic Games.

A total of 14 teams were split into 2 pools of 7, which allowed the competition to be run continuously on 2 adjoining fields from 9am to 4pm, with the heat on and off the field rising throughout the day. With over 200 kids from 11 Schools across the Jakarta-Bogor region it was the first chance for many of them to experience what Rugby and playing in a competition is all about.

Indonesian players from National Schools shared the field with expatriate players from International Schools, meaning that the combined on-field effort of all the players, coaches and match officials was a huge step forwards for the Indonesian Schools Rugby community. IRFU President, Air Vice Marshall (retired) Pieter Wattimena was very impressed by the quality of the tournament and commented, “I became involved in Rugby so that I could help a new sport be developed for Indonesian school students.”

The Pool games played throughout the morning evened out the competition, with the Finals Playoffs kicking off after a short lunch break. All teams had a chance to win a trophy at a different level of achievement in the Finals.

Sekolah Bogor Raya (the youngest team in the competition) ended up taking the ‘Wooden Spoon’ as they were defeated in the last place play off. Although they were not able to score a point all day, Head Coach, Robert McKinnon was happy with the performance of his boys, “Some of my players are 5 years younger than their competitors, for them to be included in this competition is a great honor, the boys will gain enormous experience from this day. They’ll definitely be coming back bigger, better, stronger and fitter next year.”

Unfortunately Cita Buana were forced to forfeit their finals game against Lab School Kebayoran due to injuries sustained throughout their 4 grueling pool matches, thus handing Lab School the opportunity to walk away with the Saucer Trophy.

The Jug Final saw the Indonesian locals from Global Jaya come up against the might of Jakarta International School’s 3rd team, and after JIS scored the 1st try early on in the match, Global Jaya managed to assert their dominance to run away with a convincing 39–5 win.

If there was a most improved award for the day it would have been awarded to the BPK Penabur team from Gading Serpong. BPK decided they wanted to enter a team only 2 weeks before the tournament, so the team Coached by Andy Stephens (an Indonesian Rugby stalwart) and Gino Arseneault had a lot of work to do in a very short time period. After a tough first game BPK won their next 3 Pool matches and secured a place in the Shield Final against Darunnajah Pesantren. Unfortunately BPK’s glory run came to an end, with Darunnajah running out 17-0 winners. It should be noted that earlier in the day the Darunnajah lads had pushed the JIS 1st team all the way after leading against them early in the 2nd half of their Pool match.

The next final saw the JIS 2nd’s taking on the SPH 2nd’s in what was the most closely fought match of the day. This match was a see-sawing affair with the lead changing on several occasions and just as JIS had the match won, the SPH lads ran the ball from their own tryline following a JIS mistake, to score a try on the siren to win the match and the Bowl Trophy 15-12. Both teams could be commended on the spirit in which this match was played.

The Plate Final was a replay of last year’s Cup Final, with the JIS 1st’s taking on the SPH 1st’s. After the painful defeat on the siren last year the SPH lads were not about the lay down at the final hurdle, by asserting their dominance early in this match. In what was a tough match the SPH team proved that they are a serious Rugby playing school by winning the Plate Trophy 14-10.

Although the British International School managed to rack up a massive 230 points for and none against in their 4 Pool matches, BIS were unfortunately under strength for the Cup Final and had to borrow a few players from other teams as most of their team had to leave for another sporting commitment. BIS were up against another team that was also unbeaten in their earlier Pool matches in the French International School. The French team is known as ‘Ayam Legend’ and in the Cup Final they were too strong taking out the match and the 2010 Indonesian Schools Rugby 7’s Cup by a margin of 22-0.

Special mention must be given to Jean Layhaud from ‘Ayam Legend’ who won the ‘Top Try Scorer’ award with 11 tries for the tournament and Mitchel Choo from the JIS 1st’s who was awarded the ‘Best and Fairest Player of the Tournament’.

Apart from these two boys there many more standout players, especially a number of Indonesian youths who suitably impressed all of those present including IRFU Chairman, Stephen Barber who said, “I am very proud of the progress Sam has made with Schools Rugby development and I hope to see some of these players representing the Indonesia in the very near future.”

The success of this tournament and the IRFU’s Schools Rugby program has encouraged a number of people in the Jakarta Business Community to back Jakarta- Bogor Schools Rugby, including Graham Lawrence from Maxidrill Indonesia, who has agreed to the sponsor 2010-11 Schools Rugby Season. This idea is for all the schools to play in a series of tournaments at the various schools to decide the ultimate winner of the inaugural Maxidrill Schools Rugby 7’s Cup.

The IRFU has set a firm goal of selecting a National U20’s Team to represent Indonesia in 2011.

The IRFU would like to thank all players, coaches and schools involved in the 2010 Indonesian Schools Rugby 7’s Tournament for making it such a great success. Indonesian Rugby is also very grateful to SPH and its Staff for providing a first class venue and helping with preparing the immaculate pitches for the tournament. The Union is also very thankful to Coca-Cola for their supply of refreshing drinks and the tournament balls, plus International SOS for providing medical assistance and support throughout the day. A final big thank you must go to all the Referees and Tournament Officials who volunteered their time and worked tirelessly from start to finish.

It was a great day for Schools Rugby development and a fantastic day in the history of Indonesian Rugby!

The IRFU (Indonesian Rugby Football Union) will hold their annual Schools Rugby 7’s tournament on Saturday 23rd January at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Lippo Karawaci, 9am – 4pm. (FINALS WILL COMMENCE AT 2PM). This is the second time that the IRFU has held the tournament, with Jakarta International School (JIS) narrowly defeating Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) in last years final.

Rugby 7’s is an internationally recognised sport and has recently been chosen to be included in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The IRFU is also hoping that with the growth of the game in Indonesia it will also be included in the 2011 SEA Games to be held on our home soil.

With over 180 players from 11 schools, this tournament has grown from just a 5 team tournament in 2009 to a 14 team tournament in 2010. JIS, SPH, British International School (BIS) and Darunnajah will return to the tournament in 2010 and will meet newcomers from SMA 3 Setiabudi, LabSchool Kebayoran, Cita Buana, Bogor Raya, French International School, Global Jaya, and BPK Penabur.

The IRFU are hoping that this tournament will give the up-and-coming stars of Indonesian Rugby a chance to perform against the best players in the region. “With nearly 3 times the amount of teams competing this year the action is guaranteed to be 3 times as exciting” Says Fikri Muhammad Al Azhar (IRFU Board Member).

Although JIS are defending the title in 2010, SPH are going to do everything they can to make up for last years defeat in the final. “The boys are willing to put it all on the line to show up their international school competitors” Says Bruce Comrie (SPH Head Coach)

This is the one chance that these budding rugby superstars get to prove themselves on a national level so make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to see the action!

With a focus on Rugby development Indonesian schools teams from Darunnajah, Cita Buana, SMA 3 and Labschool Kebayoran were also invited to participate.

A great day of rugby was had by all, as well as a great post-tournament function.

A special thanks needs to be given to Denis Clarke and Matt Deegan from BIS for organising the tournament and the referees from the Indonesian Rugby Referees Association for officiating the games.

Time Game Score Referee
8.00 UWCSEA v ISKL (Pool 1) 0-24 Steve M
8.30 Tanglin Trust School v BISJ (Pool 2) 30-0 John S
9.00 JIS v Darunnajah (Pool 1) 30-0 Chris R
9.30 KLASS v Bantengs Development (Pool 2) 30-0 Seb S
10.00 UWCSEA v JIS (Pool 1) 0-30 Geoff
10.30 Tanglin Trust School v KLASS (Pool 2) 7-17 Steve
11.00 ISKL v Darunnajah (Pool 1) 17-0 John
11.30 BISJ v Bantengs Development (Pool 2) 30-0 Chris
12.00 UWCSEA v Darunnajah (Pool 1) 30-0 Geoff
12.30 Tanglin Trust School v Bantengs Development (Pool 2) 30-0 Seb
1.00 ISKL v JIS (Pool 1) 5-18 Chris
1.30 BISJ v KLASS (Pool 2) 0-30 Steve
2.00 1st Pool 1 v 2nd Pool 2 JIS v TTS 12-14 Mark
2.30 2nd Pool 1 v 1st Pool 2 KLASS v ISKL 28-0 Seb
3.00 Consolation Game (3rdv 3rd) BIS v UWC 12-0 Geoff
3.30 Consolation Game (4th v 4th) Dar v Bentengs 24-0 Chris
4.00 3rd Place final JIS v ISKL 24-7 Seb
4.30 Final TTS v KLASS 34-7 Steve
Schedule and Results

Pool 1 Pool 2
UWCSEA KLASS
ISKL Tanglin Trust School
JIS BISJ
Darunnajah Bantengs Rugby Development

SMA3 (the 1st government school to adopt rugby into it’s curriculum) learnt greatly from the chance to share the field with some very skilled, well drilled and enthusiastic players from JIS 2nd and 3rd teams.

Pak Sim Cook (Athletic Director at JIS) is working hard to develop some local competition for his varsity team, and this is a small step towards his goal. JIS even arranged a bus to transport the SMA3 team from there school in Setiabudi (Central Jakarta) to JIS.

Pak Iswayudi (SMA3 coach) was very happy to see his girls running around the field against some healthy competition, and for some of them this was their 1st chance to play a game. “The girls are learning by doing” Said a proud coach Yudi.

Yudi hopes to bring his other team from Labschool Kebayoran to JIS next week for the next round of Jakarta schools girls touch rugby..

Being pooled against the World Champions (South Africa Vipers), Asian Champions (Japan Samurai) as a well drilled team from the Northern Territory of Australia, was never going to be easy, even for the best of teams.

Coming up against the Vipers in their first game, the Harimau showed in patches that they are developing as a Rugby 7’s team in the 53-0 loss.

The 2nd game was against the Japanese Samurai and although the score line was 48-0 it was better than last weeks performance in Borneo against the same team.

The last game of Day 1 was no easier than the first two, up against the NT Mosquitoes the Harimau dropped their heads early and ended up going down 59-0 after a very tough day of rugby.

In a tournament full of world class teams, the competition was never going to be easy but the finals series on Day 2 is supposed to even out the competition… Or so they say.

Game 1 of Day 2 saw the Harimau matched up against East Arnhem Rugby club. Daniel Nugroho (Indonesia’s most capped International Rugby player) took over the captaincy duties, due to an injured Andrew White, and led from example from the kick-off making a string of bone-crunching tackles, resulting in Indonesia’s oldest representative player, Warren Wilcox (41yrs), falling over the line for the Harimau’s first points of the tournament and managed to convert his own try to take the lead 7-0 after 2 minutes of play. Unfortunately it was a one-sided affair after that with East Arnhem Rugby winning the game 42-7.

The 2nd game and the semi-final of the ‘Jug’ competition, was a bit more of a competitive performance by the Harimau as they faced the might of the British Army from the Flying Kukri’s. 2 more tries; A barnstorming run through the centre of the field by Indonesia’s youngest player Derek Eggerman (18yrs) and a graceful dash down the sideline by Papuan Septian Bunai, helped the boys post a respectable scoreline of 38-14.

It’s sad to say that the Indonesian Harimau are yet to record a win, but have faced some of the best rugby playing teams in world, so it’s only going to get easier from here.

Ranked 12th out of twelve national sides that took part in the event, Indonesia were pooled with first-ranked and eventual winners Japan along with Asian rugby heavies Malaysia (6) and Thailand (7).

With only two weeks of training and problems with getting players from across the archipelago to come together, the Harimau led by captain Andrew White were realistic about their goals.

“It is an honour just to be able to attend and get the chance to play some world class squads” says national coach Sam Refshauge. “The experience will be monumental and as the first ever national sevens side, historic. What we may lack in skill and ability we make up for in passion and heart.”

Indonesia faced Japan in their first pool match, losing 57-0. Their scoreless performance continued throughout the day but was highlighted by some brilliant rugby such as holding Malaysia to 10-0 at halftime of their second game. Thailand defeated the Harimau 41-0.

The second day saw the Harimau conceding to 4th-ranked Chinese Taipei 40-0 before scoring their first ever international rugby sevens points against Brunei by way of fly-half Moses Kalo who also converted for maximum points. The game ended 7-26 to Brunei.

A crowd-pleasing feature of the Harimau is their war dance known as ‘Kabasaran Harimau’ which incorporates the many cultures and languages of Indonesia. This ‘haka’-like challenge drew applause and cheers from the stadium as it was performed in front of Japan for the first and Brunei for the last game.

“This is our tribute to the people and to our country” says Team Manager Tito Vau. “We want to show the world that we are a united, strong and proud nation and that we stand to face up to the challenges in rugby as we do outside of rugby. The results are secondary for now. It’s the learning and development of the sport that we are more concerned about.”

Indonesian rugby was given a morale boost with the inclusion of Rugby Sevens as an Olympic sport to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and also has plans to form a national women’s side next year.

By Tito Vau, IRFU Acting-Chairman