Hosted on the weekend of May 15-16 in the northern province, the Phuket collective competed in the Mixed Division of the tournament, which was hosted by Hedgehogs Touch Rugby and Lanna Rugby Club.
The touring squad consisted of six adults and six youth players aged between 13-16 who had never trained or competed as a team before, including Marie Melot, Josh Stanton, Chris Hallewell, Mark Leech, Arjan Kang, Guillaume Haas-Ryffel, Toby Williams, Yuna Coffey, Isabella Charmette, Sukhjit Kang, Biba Kang, and Saacha Kang. The squad carried a very eclectic feel as, despite all players being based in Phuket, there was a wide variety of nationalities represented, including Thailand, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Australia and Japan.
The tournament brought together strong teams from around Asia, including Bro Town from Singapore, Columbo Touch Rugby from Sri Lanka, the South East Asia Barbarians, and the Firebacks (Thai National Women) and the host team, the Hedgehogs. With experienced opposition and a full-sized touch pitch waiting for them, the Piranhas knew they were in for a challenging weekend.
Eye-opener
The Phuket Piranha’s opening game was against the experienced Singapore team Bro Town – and it was an eye-opening defeat for the team. However, despite the speed of the game and the size of the pitch testing the Piranhas early on, they continued to battle hard and showed great determination throughout the match.
This was followed by another difficult fixture against the Firebacks, the Thai National Women’s team. It was an encounter where the Piranhas truly held their own and pushed the national squad all the way despite registering another narrow defeat.
As the day continued the Phuket Piranhas grew more confident with every game. Their teamwork improved, communication became stronger and players began adapting to the fast-paced style of international touch rugby.
Their final game of day one came against the host team, the Hedgehogs, who put up an excellent defensive performance and made the Piranhas fight for every point. After a tense and exciting match the Piranhas managed to secure a 4-3 victory, an amazing way to finish the opening day of the tournament.
Determintaion
Day two brought tougher competition, tired legs and an early morning start, but determination remained strong throughout the squad. Carrying on from the excitement of the previous day’s action, the Piranhas faced Columbo Touch Rugby, who had travelled all the way from Sri Lanka, in their first match of the day.
It was an impressive performance that saw a 5-1 victory secured for the Piranhas – the perfect way to start the day which put the team in high spirits for the rest of the tournament to come.
The Piranhas continued to improve throughout the day and fought hard in every match against more experienced opposition from around the region. Quick touches, strong support play and determined defence helped keep them competitive as they battled through the final stages of the tournament.
Ultimately, after a hard fought weekend of touch rugby, the Phuket Piranhas reached the Plate Finals where they once again faced the Hedgehogs. Both teams gave everything they had left, producing one of the most exciting games of the weekend and. although the Piranhas narrowly missed out on the win, they finished 4th overall in a highly competitive international tournament.
By the end of the weekend all 12 members of the touring group had represented the Phuket Piranhas with pride. The tournament gave the youth players valuable experience against strong international teams while also creating unforgettable memories and friendships both on and off the pitch in Chiang Mai.
A special thank you to Laana Rugby Club for hosting and to all of the other teams for helping produce a memorable tournament.
Anyone interested in touch rugby and getting involved with the Phuket Piranhas can come along and join in the regular training sessions held at Blue Tree in Cherng Talay every Wednesday and Saturday.
Alternatively, for more information please visit: Family Touch Rugby Phuket on Facebook or @family_touch_rugby_phuket on Instagram.