Other News

• Olympic return is within touching distance

  Rugby seems set to return to the Olympic Games in 2016.  The International Olympic Committee’s executive board voted to include rugby sevens and golf at its Berlin executive board meeting yesterday.

  14 Aug 2009

• New I.R.B. Laws Website

  If you are a player or a coach at any level of the game it is mandatory that you have a grasp of the Laws of the game.

  31 Jul 2009

• Bledisloe is off to the Land of the Rising Sun

    Last year’s 4th Bledisloe Cup match, played in Hong Kong, between the Wallabies and the All Blacks netted both unions millions of dollars in much needed additional income and for that reason above any of the other more philanthropic suggestions, Asian rugby fans will have the opportunity to see two of the three highest ranked teams in the world battle it out in Tokyo’s National Stadium on 31st October 2009.

  22 Jul 2009

• Asian 5 Nations 2009; the final story

  All the matches in the 2009 Asian 5 Nations have now been completed and the final results are detailed below. Japan again dominated the Top Five, but Kazakhstan surprised everyone, not least Korea by finishing in second place. Next year the tournament will double as the qualifiers for the World Cup 2011. In the highly unlikely circumstances that the Arabian Gulf were to qualify it may cause some consternation, as their union is being officially split up into its constituent countries on December 31st 2010.

  08 Jul 2009

• Lightning does strike twice

  The Philippine Volcanoes have been promoted to Division 2 of the Asian 5 Nations 2010, with a 25-0 win over perennial rivals Guam. The local team certainly had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the second time in four days, as until the fifty third minute they only led 3-0. The first half had been a fairly dire affair with the Guam pack using their huge weight advantage to dominate the scrums, only to see their three-quarters do very little with the possession secured. As in the semi-final against Iran, the Philippines were, to a man weak under the high ball; several were spilt and then there seemed to be a universal reluctance to commit to the catch at all.

  05 Jul 2009

• Hamid’s hat-trick helps Iran to convincing win

  Iran demonstrated again on Saturday that with continued access to coaching expertise and more exposure to international competition that they have every chance of becoming a regional force in the future.

  05 Jul 2009

• Cullen rings the changes

  Philippine coach Matt Cullen has made three changes, two of them forced by injury, to his starting line-up for the crucial Asian 5 Nations Division 3 final against Guam tomorrow.

  03 Jul 2009

• Zappia is the game-breaker

  Old adversaries Guam and the Philippines will play for the fourth consecutive year this coming Saturday, but this time there is promotion riding on the result. They advance after contrasting victories in their Asian 5 Nations Division 3 semi-final assignments yesterday. Guam were never troubled in recording a 23-3 win over Indonesia, whereas the Philippines were made to battle for every inch of grass on the field in overcoming Iran 15-0.,

  02 Jul 2009

• Guam heads to Asian Five Nations Rugby Division 3 tournament in the Philippines

  The HSBC Asian Five Nations rugby tournament returns for its second year and Guam will join the Philippines, Indonesia and Iran in the newly created Division 3.  The Asian 5 Nations competition now features a Top Five competition, three divisions of elite competition and three regional tournaments.   The winner of Division 3 receives automatic promotion to Division 2 in 2010 replacing Pakistan who finished 4th in Division 2 this year and will be relegated.

  30 Jun 2009

• Opportunity knocks

  The first ever Asian 5 Nations Division 3 Tournament kicks off on Wednesday afternoon with two intriguing contests. Four teams, who have until this year competed in the regional pools with no chance of advancement to the higher leagues, will be vying not only for the Division 3 title, but for that all important opportunity move up and take on  more established rugby nations such as China and Thailand next year.

  29 Jun 2009

• Surely rugby sevens will get the nod

  Rugby sevens and golf have emerged as the favourites for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games. Seven sports; baseball, golf, softball, rugby sevens, roller sports, squash and karate recently put their case to the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board in Lausanne, Switzerland.

  25 Jun 2009

• Guam plate runners-up (Sixth) in Asian Women’s Sevens

  The Guam Women’s Rugby Sevens team  can hold their heads high after stunning a number of more established Asian rugby nations to finish runners up in the plate competition (sixth place) at the  I.R.B. Asian Women’s Sevens tournament held last weekend in Pattaya Thailand.

  02 Jun 2009

• Seven magnificent finals

  First of all, hats off to China. They travelled to Thailand with the tag of heavy favourites and they proved without doubt, to all present that they were worthy of that pre-tournament billing. Not only that, they did it with style, playing fast open rugby and running in some classic seven’s scores. They are blessed throughout their entire twelve woman squad with raw speed, sure handling and bags of confidence and there’s very little answer to that combination in seven a-side rugby.

  01 Jun 2009