Rugby : SOUTHERNERS SPORTS CLUB

Category : Rugby

Rugby to play Thai national team

Southerners Rugby are set to play against Thailand’s national 15’s side on Thursday, 24 May in the plush surrounds of the Kasetsart University International Rugby Stadium.

The Kingdom’s finest rugby players are currently preparing for their Asian 5 Nations (Division II) semi-final against Iran, to be played in Malaysia at the end of this month. Thailand has a team with plenty of pace and skill, and will be keen to return to Division I for the first time since 2009.

The match presents a rare opportunity for many Southerners rugby lads to play against an IRB-ranked national side (Thailand are currently ranked 65th in the world) – while due respect will be shown to the Thai national players, the Southerners will be keen to offer a stern physical and tactical challenge, to help their Thai counterparts properly prepare for their upcoming Test.

Southerners Bangkok RFC vs Thailand
Kasetsart University International Rugby Stadium
Thursday, 24 May, 7:30pm

Contact Darrel for more details.

CHAMPION HALFBACK WILL GENIA KNOCKS BACK SOUTHERNERS CONTRACT

Genia could have gotten a bigger set of guns if he'd signed up for the Southerners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Southerners Bangkok Rugby Club is disappointed to announce it has been unsuccessful in its bid to attract the services of champion halfback and current QLD Reds vice-captain Will Genia.

Genia, a 33-test Wallabies veteran, agreed to terms yesterday with the QLD Reds and will remain with the club until the end of the 2015 season.

Competition for the 24 year-old’s signature was fierce, with the Western Force and a number of French and English rugby clubs working hard to secure his services.

“We thought we provided a reasonably competitive offer to Will, however we could never match the money being through about by the Super 15 clubs and over in Europe,” said Southerners skipper Steve Bell.

“Our pitch focused on the opportunities open to Will should he join our club – like getting fit, playing rugby and getting on the tins with your mates while touring random corners of Asia; or simply the opportunity to dominate some bars on Khao San Road and pick up chicks,” continued Mr. Bell.

“While we’re disappointed, we wish Will all the best with his contract at the Reds, and hope he will still be available for us for our assault on next year’s Bangkok 10s,” said Mr. Bell.

But not all players in the club were impressed by the possibility of Genia joining the club.

“To be honest, I think he’s rubbish. He’d never have gotten a start,” said current Southerners starting halfback, and proud Englishman, Paul Bleasdale.

“His pass is weak as piss. He thinks he’s f**king Baryshnikov, the way he dances around the back of the ruck. Sure, he seems like a good bloke, but the only run he’d be getting in Bangkok is on the back of a pony at the Royal Racing Club on Saturday afternoon.”

The Southerners will continue recruiting for the 2012 season – contact Darrel to negotiate a contract.

Ends..

Rugby old boy in Amlin Cup

Before coming to Southerners rugby, Tim Evans was a scrawny Welsh farm boy in dire need of a pie and a protein shake.

Ten months later, and he’s playing in the Amlin Challenge Cup for the Spanish-based Rugby Club La Vila, against some of European rugby’s biggest names in what is a feeder into the Heineken Cup.

“When he came to the Southerners earlier this year, we knew we had a roughie on our hands. He was tall, but lacked bulk – some would say he still does. He also came to us as a Welsh P.E. teacher, which is never a great indicator of intelligence. But then there was just something about him that made me think I could mold him into a rugby superstar,” said coach Zorba.

Skipper Steve Bell thought the same. “My first impressions? I thought he had hands like a retarded arctic seal. Strange bloke. Orange from all that fake tan – I thought he may have actually been on dialysis or something. But we were able to teach him a few tricks – like catch/pass – and he did alright.”

Other boys in the club had other questions: “Is Rugby Club La Vila a gay club? His moustache makes him look like one of the village people,” said Southerners first-five Brett Clarke. “I knew that cuzzie could play, just knew it, ay bro. But still, it was strange how often he rupped his shirt off on Khao San Road.”

In Rugby Club La Vila’s pool are the UK-based Sale Sharks and French teams Brive and Agen.

In true Southerners style, Evans will get the opportunity to dominate players like Jamie Robinson, Andy Powell, Sami Tuitupo, Johnny Leota, Shane Geraghty and Jamie Noon.

Best of luck to the man the fellas affectionately call, “Tim”. Let’s hope he can manage a bit of time back in Bangkok between all those autograph signings.

HSBC Asian 5 Nations in Bangkok

With Bangkok hosting a slew of international rugby courtesy of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations, the Southerners sent its own team of drinkers and troublemakers down to watch the action at National Stadium.

With the Division II Final between Thailand and Chinese-Taipei set to kick off, Southo lads and lasses gathered in club singlets, entrance fees paid (charitable donations), eskies dispatched and filled and seats claimed.

What followed was 80 minutes of intense rugby between two highly-spirited nations, their passion evident with fists thrown, players broken and ambulances sent towards the ER.

Our spirit was shown with scores of tinnies downed to the accompaniment of an all-singing all-dancing one-man Thai cheer squad, minus his y-fronts.Chinese-Taipei ran out eventual winners, with the game decided only in the closing minutes.

A short intermission allowed for the Thai tradition of a celebrity exhibition game. What exactly they were exhibiting we could not entirely be sure, although we did learn that our occasional flyhalf, K. Mike, is not only a decent rugby player but also a Thai celebrity…go figure.

As the main event loomed the eskies were dispatched for further beers. With Pistacio accompanying the beer run, 40 pork satays were also acquired to feed the hungry masses and avoid our drinking team peaking before the day’s end. As the top-ranked Japanese took to the pitch, one thing became evidently clear, we were being very liberal in calling them Japanese. The contest was as one-sided as was to be expected, with the Japs running out easy winners against Kazakhstan, much to the delight of our friends from the Bangkok Japanese RUFC, and female spectators.

With the day drawing to an end and eskies empty, Mr. & Mrs. Bell took off to salvage what was left of their 1st wedding anniversary, while the remaining Southerners took to the pitch to see what mischief we could get up to. The Japanese players were harassed during their cool down, a game ball may or may not have been stolen from the hands of an eight year old by one of the Southerners netballers, and plans were made to congregate for a feed and rehydration.

Gathering at Cheap Charlies, the night was heading for a wind up before a cab pulled up and poured out half a dozen Iranian rugby players (Turks and Poms), who we had a few beers with then mysteriously disappeared into the night with two Southo lasses in tow…

All in all a great Southerners day out in Bangkok!

Words: Siam Sattayaphan