Hosted at the awesome Thanyapura Sports club, the Aussie Bar Men’s & Women’s Open tournaments both have quality teams and will be strongly contested going into Sunday’s Finals.
The ladies tournament will be especially interesting having been expanded to eight teams this year.
As is traditional, the weekend kicks off on Friday May 24 with the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Vets for over 35s and the One Foot in the Grave over 45s vets. Some silky skills and all manner of brilliance, trickery and treachery will no doubt be on show.
With teams from Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore & Thailand it will be worth coming down to watch rugby from a bygone era.
In the men’s Open, the defending champions Phuket Vagabonds will again make a play for top honours, but with two of last year’s Cup semi-finalists in town – East Admiralty from Hong Kong & the PAC Barbarians – fresh from their Bangkok Tens triumph, could it prove a step too far?
There will also be other contenders with the South African Scorpions out to cause an upset. US Marine side the Yomitan Beach Boys, Phnom Penh Shining Rahus & Vientiane Buffaloes, all making their debuts, will be stiff competition. Regulars the Groot Eylandt Mudchooks, Bedok Kings, The KL Tigers and the Bangkok Bangers led by ex-Vagabond legend Darren Mathee will be looking to impose their brand of running rugby on the competition. It’s great to see the local Thai lads The Old Man Mix again step into the breach in what is a big step up for them.
The Ladies tournament will be a hard one to call with Phnom Penh Shining Rahus, Chinas Shenzhen Dragons, Emirates Firebirds, Wahine RFC from Japan Vientiane Buffaloes & KL Tigers Ladies all making first appearances. Last year’s champions the Bangkok Bangers Belles could well find it tough to retain the trophy.
We raise funds over the weekend for the Asia Center Foundation scholarship program. Find out more on www.asiacenterfoundation.org or mail Roelien Muller direct on roemuthai@gmail.com.
Entrance is free so come on down for a weekend of rugby, fun and games, and catch up with friends old & new.
-Pat Cotter