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Category : Yesterday’s Heroes

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.

Yesterday’s heroes: In Uganda

The Southerners don’t discriminate against gingers (much), and neither do Uganda’s Entebbe Mongers RUFC.

Toby Eveleigh, the great former Southerners backrower, recently embarked with his girlfriend Tash on a six month voluntary teaching/nursing stint at an orphanage run by the Kids of Africa program in Uganda, situated halfway between the cities of Kampala and Entebbe.

Not only did the experience give Toby the opportunity to use his skills to help kids born into a world of lesser opportunity, but to also play rugby with a bunch of massive Ugandan units.

A Southerners polo shirt to the person who first identifies Toby in the below picture.


Bangers mashed, Southerners retain Soi 33 Cup

The place: Perth, Western Australia, June 12.
The teams: England and Australia.
The scene: Wallabies get pummeled in the scrum by the English, but win the overall battle.
The result: Wallabies win 27-17, despite the sustained pressure up front.

The place: Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Bangkok, June 24.
The teams: Bangkok Bangers and the Southerners.
The scene: Southerners get pummeled in the scrum by the Bangers, but win the overall battle.
The result: Southerners win 13-7, despite the sustained pressure up front.

Click here to read on…

Yesterday’s Heroes: In Istanbul

Chris ‘Wagga’ Doherty recently traveled to Turkey to meet up with several of yesterday’s Southerners heroes and a few other blokes as part of the Asian Rhinos‘ 25th Anniversary Tour. Here’s his report…


Brendon Jones (now in Mauritius), Dick Perkins (still styling in Bangkok), Wagga (now in Perth) and Ron Rutland (now in Cape Town) sport their touring kit and some very fetching local headwear.

Click here to read Wagga’s report…

Yesterday’s heroes

They say “once you become a Southerner, you’ll forever be a Southerner”.   

Actually, it’s debatable whether anyone has ever really said that, but the sentiment is certainly alive and kicking the world over.

With countless Southerners men and women having retreated from Thailand into the geographical bosom of somewhere usually much slower and less appealing, paths are still crossing and the Southerners spirit still lives on, albeit via slightly creakier bodies.

Some have now married or had children. Some have furthered their education. Some are still freaking out about the scourge of greenhouse gases. Others are still plowing away for their local sports team, quietly chalking up goals, tries or runs with effortless abandon. Many look back with fond memories of those many frosty ales shared in the depths of the Bat Cave or on the neoned streets of Banglamphu…or of the battles waged on the sports fields of Bangkok and beyond.

Now into it’s 16th year, the Southerners Sports Club remains an enviable force known (at times notoriously) across the world.

Bookmark the website for the latest news from ‘yesterday’s heroes’…what they’re up to now…who they met up with last month…which bar they just got politely asked to leave due to an overexuberant table-top dancing technique…

And contact Steve Bell if you have any news or photos (old and new) you’d like to see up on the website.