ISCI team psyched for rugby 10s
JAKARTA (JP): Fresh from a convincing win against the Australian HMAS Moresby team, the International Sports Club of Indonesia (ISCI) rugby team is looking to dominate its own 10-a- side-tournament today in Ciputat, South Jakarta.
According to ISCI rugby club captain Louis Young, the young and fit 14-man squad will start the day's competition at 9 a.m. with a match against a team from Irian Jaya, mainly made up of Freeport employees. The ISCI side is not expecting much trouble against the miners, but it will have to come out strong to make up for its underweight pack.
Masahiko Ishida, the largest of the ISCI front row, is expected to balance the weight disadvantage by getting around the park faster than the opposition. Led by Iwan Williams in the backs, ISCI plans to make it into the 5:30 p.m final.
Now in its sixth year, the tournament has become a fixture on the Asian rugby calender. This year's competition has attracted 12 teams from as diverse places as Hong Kong and Christmas Island. It has also enticed another major supporter, Miller beer, which joins last year's sponsor British Airways.
The tournament is seen as an excellent opportunity to introduce the dynamic game to Indonesians. The game of 10-a-side rugby combines the fast pace of 7s, made famous in Hong Kong, and the hard hitting of the traditional 15-a-side game. Rugby will make its debut at the next Southeast Asian Games being held in Jakarta in 1997.
The two Hong Kong select teams, last year's winner Delany's, and Cathay Pacific, are expected once again to prove the biggest challenges to local sides. The Christmas Island team, looking to avenge its loss to ISCI during the first ever rugby union game played on the island last March, will also make the trip across.
The other teams from Indonesia, the Jakarta Rugby Club, the Celtic Warriors, East Kalimantan and Panaga, will do battle in harder hitting, albeit slower, matches.
Action gets underway at 9 a.m. with the final being played around 5:30 p.m. Spectators are more than welcome to attend.