The Phuket Vagabonds / Viagrabonds

After years of touch rugby in Phuket, the Sri Lankan Champions arrived with 12 Internationals to mark the birth of contact. Despite combining 9 Nations of talent we suffered an auspicious defeat - but the legend was born.

The club leapt (crawled) from strength to strength, began hosting games and even hosted an International 15's. After a year we were awarded with our first victory over some crap Bangkok side (Corsairs).

Transient by nature, but ferocious in the tackle, the squad participated in awesome victories and auspicious defeats and with early tours to Hat Yai, Bangkok and Manila the club emerged as an entity (rather than force) within the Thai Rugby Union.

The arrival of Dulwich International College provided us with a regular pitch, as well as supplying us new players. Then came sponsorship from the Phuket Gazette which provided a name change to the Phuket Gazettes. Thankfully they saw the error of their ways and withdrew sponsorship, allowing us to ditch the world's silliest name and revert to being the Phuket Vagabonds (the newspaper only ever reports games we lose........)

The introduction of the Phuket tens the brainchild of long time hooker Pat Cotter really put the club on the World Map. The tournament now in its eleventh year attracts players from all over the world for a fun filled weekend of rugby and sunbathing. This year’s tournament will feature 24 teams competing for the Clive Williamson trophy.

As such club legends as Pat himself, Ben ‘Snakehips’ Hennessey, Steve ‘Hot Dog’ Hatchett and Steve Wainwright became positively long in the tooth a veterans tournament was introduced and the Old Codgers team, The Phuket Viagrabonds were dreamt up in a drunken moment. These days they are the main touring side of the club, Victory in the 2006 Angkor Tens was followed up with yet more silverware this year winning the prestigious Veterans shield at the Bangkok Tens.

Another feature of our calendar is the Weasel Cup played for by the Viagrabonds and our great friends from the capital, The Old Bangkok Bangers. Long may the fun continue.

The Phuket Viagrabonds – Harder than Chinese Maths

Text and Images courtesy: Robert Brewer