There’s nothing quite like a bit of face spinach to get the competitive juices flowing, hence the rumoured use by some competitors of steroidal facial cream.

This year we’ve seen some cracking entries:

Paul “The Keith Lemon” Bleasdale
Scott “The Charles De Gaulle” Watters
Mikey “The Drowned Rat” Ferraris
Siam “The Carlton Banks” Sattayaphan
Adam “The Lt. Nick Bradshaw, Callsign: Goose” Stafford
Chris “The Tom Selleck” Doherty
Steve “The President Taft” Theoharides
Andy “The Ron Jeremy” Steel
Dean “The Kurtley Beale” Tyacke
Tim “The Guy from the Village People” Evans
Jim “The Paul Senior” Erikson

Admittedly some of their fundraising efforts have been pretty piss-poor, so they need your support!

As far as this writer knows, none of the netball girls are getting in on the act this year.

We would like to invite you to join us in a fab night in Bangkok ~ one which has become one of the best ‘cocktail nights’ and ‘End of Year’ celebrations in Bangkok within the expat community ~ so lock the date in now!

This is the sixth year the Southerners have held their annual Club Ball – this year offers a chance to celebrate 17 years of Southerners sporting and social success with Club members and friends!

Date: SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER
Where: Grand Millennium Hotel Asoke
Time: 7.30pm onwards ~ starting with drinks in the reception area before moving into the Grand Ballroom ~ where the party begins!
Tickets: 2500 THB Southerners members / 2700 THB Non-members

Inclusive of:

• International buffet meal ~ including Australian Angus Roast & all the trimmings!
• 8 bottles of wine per table
• Free flow beer
• Entertainment provided by DJ Russell Jay
• Door prize draw – BBQ up for grabs courtesy of Brad & the team at Barbeque Store on Sukhumvit Soi 39
• Raffle Draw Prizes to be won on the night!

**To reserve your tickets or book a table (10 pax) – please contact Dana Piggott or Mark Anderson.

(Download the full tournament information pack here)

The tournament has developed a solid reputation for high standard netball, with teams traveling in from Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Borneo year after year.

Singapore NZCC Wahines will be on a mission to retain the trophy so there should be some good competition and hustling on those courts!

Come watch some decent netball at the NIST courts and support our two Southerners netball teams in action!

Where: NIST International School
When: Saturday, 21 May, 9.30am – 3.00pm
Spectator entry: FREE
Who: Bangkok Southerners White, Bangkok Southerners Black, Singapore NZCC Wahines, Singapore NZCC Atuas, Hong Kong Football Club, Singapore Bedok, Vietnam Saigon Shooters, Borneo Crocs
After-party: Australian Pub, Sukhumvit Soi 11, 7.30pm

Thailand rarely gets to host any international-standard rugby, so this really is a unique experience.  Get down and support our adopted homeland!

Dress – Southerners singlet/shirt. Bring a mate!

Make sure you check the Facebook event for up-to-date information.

Wednesday, 4 May

Semi-final – Chinese Taipei vs. Iran (kickoff 1500hrs)

Semi-final – Thailand vs. India (kickoff – 1730hrs)

Saturday, 7 May

Division II finals will be determined by Wednesday semi-final results.

Division II 3rd/4th place playoff – (kickoff – 1400hrs)

Division II Final – (kickoff – 1600hrs)

Asian 5-Nations – Japan vs Kazakhstan (kickoff – 1900hrs)

At the most recent club AGM, Vaughan McClear stepped down as President of the Southerners Sports Club after several years of sterling service.  During his time as President, Vaughan led the club to financial and sporting success, ensuring each section was supported on and off the field.  Vaughan typifies the true spirit of being a Southerner, and thankfully, he is only reeling back his responsibilities, still being involved as Club Treasurer and Cricket Representative.  Big Daddy Vaughan will no doubt now have more time to work on his young fella’s cover drive!!  Thanks to Vaughan for all he has done for the club as President.

Dana Piggott was subsequently elected as the Southerners’ first ever female President, following in the high-heeled footsteps of Lithuania’s Dalia Grybauskaite, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff.  As a matter of immediate importance, Dee announced a number of key social events this year, including the Southerners Race Day, Khao San Road Tour and Southerners Ball (19 Nov), as well as club-wide drinks on the first Friday of every month.

Elected – 2011 Southerners Sports Club Committee:

Dana Piggott – President
Mark Anderson – Vice President/Secretary
Vaughan McClear – Treasurer & Cricket Representative
Jenny Hall – Netball Representative
Darrel Lintott – Rugby Representative
Linda Belonje – Touch Rugby Representative
Siam Sattayaphan – Social Coordinator
Steve Bell – Website/Communications
Kara Dowson – General Committee Member
Patricio Alban – General Committee Member

Click here to find a contact email for the President and section heads.

Londoner Brew Pub Batcave (Cnr Sukhumvit Soi 33)
Friday, 4 March (7pm)

Don’t know where the Londoner is?  Click here.

The Super 15 Fantasy Team comp works like this:

Entrants use an allocated ‘salary cap’ to pick 22 players from all those listed in 2011 Super Rugby squads. Players picked earn points depending on their performances each round. If they perform poorly, they can be drafted out each week. Values allocated to Super 15 players are certainly on par with their playing ability (Richie McCaw $350K / David Pocock $475K).

You can win AUD1,000 each week if you top the competition points.

Here’s how to get involved, or for more information:
1. Go to the Super Rugby home page
2. Sign up
3. Create a team (choose your colours, name etc!)
4. Join the Southerners league – type in this code: 5335-2876

Players who were involved in the league last year simply need to input their 2010 username and password, then reactivate access when prompted.

Members living or working around Silom and looking for a gym that doesn’t treat them just as a number should check out the Clark Hatch Fitness Centre on the roof of Thaniya Plaza. Southerners stalwart Reed Passmore is a director of the gym, so members should get in contact if they’re looking for a good deal on membership, personal training, classes or simply somewhere they can take the kids to learn to swim.

What a venue.

What a club.

What a hangover…

It was all happening last weekend at the Millennium Grande for the 2010 Southerners Ball.

The night kicked off in grand fashion, with many a thirsty Southerner whetting their whistle with a glass of the hotel’s finest – photos were popping off everywhere, with the lobby resembling a disco ball of flash.

And the fashions certainly didn’t disappoint. The Southerners’ ladies yet again led the way – one could be forgiven if they thought they had mistakenly stepped into a Fashion-TV Christmas party. It was also wonderful to see so many young men from the rugby section transform themselves from ogre to ‘oresome’, thankfully grasping the complex triumvirate of shower-shave-suit.

Linda Belonje took out Club Person of the Year, cited for her excellence as section leader (Touch rugby), organizing several international tournaments, promoting touch rugby in Thailand, and generally kicking ass all round with anything thrown her way.

Each section also recognized their Player of the Year – congratulations to:

• Jenny Hall – Netball
• Shane Thompson – Cricket
• Brad Coulter – Touch
• Steve Bell – Rugby

New dad Brad Coulter not only took out the top gong for Touch Rugby, but he also won the grand raffle prize of a four-burner BBQ, courtesy of our good friends at The BBQ Store (10% off for Southerners…get down there!).   Hopefully Brad’s young’n Tilly is on the steaks sooner rather than later as that thing is an absolute beast.

Thanks must certainly go to Dana Piggott, who pretty much organized the whole bloody thing – from the ticketing to the tables to the tunes and terrine. Her expertise in choosing a suite of wines that not only tasted good on the night, but also the next day, was similarly impeccable.

Good times!

The Southerners have received terrific raffle prize support from sponsors and other businesses across Bangkok – the following prizes will be on offer at this year’s Southerners Ball…keep an eye out for any dashing young rugby players selling tickets!!

LUCKY DOOR PRIZE – KEEP YOUR TICKET TO CLAIM!

A terrific little two-Burner Billabong BBQ courtesy of The Barbeque Store
+ a Weatherford Cooler bag full of beer!

FIRST PRIZE

Four-burner Down-under BBQ courtesy of The Barbeque Store
+ A large Weatherford Cooler Bag full of beer!

Valued at 25,000 THB

2nd Prize

One-year gym membership at Clark Hatch Thaniya Gym in Silom
Courtesy of Reed Passmore & Clark Hatch Thaniya Gym

Valued at 22,000 THB

3rd Prize

A 20,000 THB Domestic Travel Voucher courtesy of Prime Travel Ltd

4th Prize

Phachara Suites Sukhumvit Package
Two nights accommodation, breakfast for two, refreshment pack, free internet and 30% off spa voucher.

Valued at 10,000 THB

Special promotion for Southerners members and friends:
2,300Bt net – Studio Deluxe room   OR   2,800 Bt net – One-bedroom Delux room.
Offer includes a complimentary upgrade to executive level if guests stay a minimum of three nights, includes breakfast for two, free wifi internet and 30% off at the Sanook Cafe.

5th Prize

One nights accommodation + breakfast for two at the
Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Hotel

Valued at 6,000THB

6th Prize

Bumrungrad Hospital Health Check-up voucher
+ a large Weatherford cooler bag full of beer!

Valued at 6,500 THB

7th Prize

BNH Hospital Health Check-up voucher
+ a large Weatherford Cooler bag full of beer!

Valued at 6,900 THB

8th Prize

2 x Vinarco International Fight Night tickets (Friday 26 November @ British Club Bangkok)
Courtesy of Reed Passmore

Valued at 5,200 THB

9th Prize

One nights accommodation + breakfast for 2 at the
Iudia Boutique Hotel, Ayutthaya

Valued at 3,600 THB

Extra prizes up for grabs!

One night stay Furama Hotel (Soi 21)

Win one of TWO fitness and health evaluation vouchers – Clark Hatch Thaniya Gym

Bistro 33 Sunday Brunch voucher to the value of 1000 THB + Food By Phone Voucher + bottle of Jack Daniels (Club Insomnia BKK)

One night stay Citidines Hotel (Soi 16)

V8 Diner dinner voucher, valued at 1000 THB + Food By Phone voucher + bottle Finlandia vodka (Club Insomnia BKK)

KIS Sports bag & water bottle

Win one of many Raja Fashion tailor vouchers