3-18 SEPTEMBER 2005
After a highly enjoyable,
yet frustrating, first season of rugby last year,
2 things became abundantly clear to me:
1. There is ample opportunity
to play high quality and enjoyable rugby in Thailand.
2. The TRU is a joke and can't be relied on to provide
for the above.
Therefore the only solution
lay in arranging our own games, with our own officials
and at venues and times to suit. There has always
been a healthy rivalry between the Southerners and
the British Club, and it seemed obvious that we arrange
a fixture or series of fixtures together.
Very
quickly the enthusiasm for the concept took hold someone
suggested that we approach the Ambassadors of New
Zealand, Australia, South Africa and UK with a view
to "legitimising" the series. The New Zealand
Ambassador, HE Mr Peter Rider, was a fervent supporter
from the start, and with his help the Ambos of the
other 3 countries all agreed to dig deep into their
tax payer's pockets and club together to purchase
the very first Ambassadors Cup!
The Bangkok Post and
Nation newspapers as well as the Big Chilli magazine
all promoted the series, and ESPN covered the final
game as part of a 'Celebration of Rugby in Bangkok.
The games themselves
where all extremely hard fought affairs 
and
lived up to the hype of the tournament and the traditional
rivalry of the 2 clubs. Game 1 on the 10th
Sept saw Southerners overcome a 15-0 deficit at half
time to win the game 20-15. What a display of guts
and heart it was! MVP was Chris Doherty.
Game 2 was disappointing
from a Southerners point of view and we went down
13-0. Jason Findlay was MVP and the series was delicately
poised at 1-1 going into the final match on the 24th
Sept!
The final games was
an absolute cracker. The Southerners took an early
lead which they held until the final 5 minutes, when
a spirited BC came back to score 2 quick tries and
snatch the cup from out of our grasp.
Every single Southerners player on the field that
day gave every ounce of energy they had, 
and
although losing was terribly disappointing, we know
we did everything we could, so we could hold our heads
high. It would be unfair to pick out individual performers
from such a team effort, other than to say the hard
man of the club, Usa was voted MVP by the BC. For
the record Southerners went down 20-18.
Finally and very importantly
indeed, the true spirit of rugby came through in this
series with BC and Southerners all giving their bestoff
the field at the 3 after match functions at Robin
Hood, Londoner and the BC. Without being biased, for
the record Southerners did win the off the field series
3-0! Our supporters led by Andrew Minnitt did their
bit in the department too!
On a charitable note,
the Southerners players all dug deep into their pockets
to contribute to the 
Kedmanee
Fund, and it was indeed very touching to see her receive
her gift from the Bangkok Rugby Community and Guinness
at the final awards dinner. It really puts everything
else into perspective.
The inaugural Ambassadors
Cup was generously supported by Guinness, a valued
Southerners sponsor, and Raja's Fashions, Big Chilli
Magazine, CoreTalk SMS Solutions, Gatorade, and also
the British Club themselves who hosted the end of
series awards function at their club house in Silom.
Ronnie Rutland
more photos here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ajrasia/al
bum?.dir=/4a85&.src=ph&.tok=ph_ej1DBY1sDc3Zt
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