Jakarta to hosts 10-a-side rugby

Jakarta to hosts 10-a-side rugby

JAKARTA (JP): Rugby teams from all over Asia will converge on
the International Sports Complex Indonesia (ISCI) in Ciputat,
South Jakarta, to battle it out in the Carlsberg-British Airways
10-A-Side Rugby Tournament tomorrow.

The game of 10-a-side rugby combines the fast pace of 7s, made
famous in Hong Kong, with the hard-hitting action of the
traditional 15-a-side game, the world championships of which are
currently being contested in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is
the only rugby tournament in the country, and since rugby will be
featured in the next Southeast Asian Games, it is seen as an
excellent opportunity to introduce the dynamic game to
Indonesians.

Now in its fifth year, the tournament has become a fixture on
the Asian rugby calender. This year's competition has attracted
12 teams from place as diverse as Hong Kong and Irian Jaya.

The action gets under way at 9:00 a.m. with Valley, from
Hong Kong, taking on a group of seasoned players assembled into
the Jakarta RFC, one of five teams from Indonesia in the
tournament. Jakarta RFC will then play the Bucks from Singapore.
Bandung will make the trip north and will see their first action
against the Singapore Cricket Club, the rivals of host ISCI and
always a strong team. ISCI, last year's runner-up in the Cup
final, will start the day against a select team from the Freeport
mines in Irian Jaya.

"I think ISCI will be in there with a good chance because it
is our home ground so there is a wide selection of local players
to field," Louis Young, the captain of ISCI, commented. He added
that the team recently proved itself by winning the Plate at the
Manila 10s on March 18 and making it into the Bowl finals at the
hotly contested Hong Kong 10s a week later.

Two other select teams, last year's Cup winners Cathay and
Delany's, both from Hong Kong, are the tournament favorites.
Cathay will test the resolve of Borneo, a team comprised of
oilmen from Balikpapan and Sangatta in Kalimantan, early in the
tournament. ISCI will be watching how Irian Jaya handles
Delany's, reportedly buoyed by seven international players,
before its own noon showdown with the strong team.

Brunei Yacht Club and Panaga, both from Brunei Darussalam,
will have their work cut out for them when they enter the
competition against the already tested Borneo and Bandung,
respectively.

Each of the 18 scheduled games will be divided into two halves
of eight minutes. The Plate and Cup finals, however, will run 10
minutes each way.

The teams have been divided into four pools. The winners of
individual pools will play the runner-up of a different pool in
the quarter finals to gain a berth in either the consolation
Plate semi-finals or the Cup semi-finals. The Plate final will
begin at 4:20 p.m. with the Cup final following at 5:00 p.m.

About 350 to 400 players and spectators are expected to attend
the one day event. A reception at the club on Saturday night will
feature live telecasts of World Cup rugby matches. (jmw)