Tanglin Rugby Club is hosting what is to be the first ever combined Minis & Youth, All-Girls Contact Rugby tournament in South East Asia with 30 all-girls teams across 4 age groups. The event includes teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta and Australia taking part over the whole weekend in Singapore.
The tournament is hosted by Tanglin Rugby Club who are set up to promote the game of rugby to children of all ages from 4 upwards, boys and girls, in a safe and fun environment in Singapore
Kim Boreham – HKRU Director of Women’s Rugby who will be traveling to attend the tournament said
“From small beginnings come great things. It has been exciting to see what started as a small idea to send a few girls teams on tour quickly develop into a full fledged international tournament “
The teams taking part are:
Hong Kong
HK Youth – 8 teams (6 x U14G & 2 x U16G) HK Minis – 12 teams (5 x U10G & 7 x U12G)
South Lantau Buffaloes, Hong Kong Football Club, Flying Kukris, Discovery Bay Pirates, HKU Sandy Bay, Sai Kung Stingrays, USRC Tigers & Valley Fort:
Singapore
7 home teams
Tanglin, Centaurs, Dragons, Singapore Cricket Club & Titans
Indonesia
2 x U16
Komodo Dragons
Australia
1 x U12
Cavaliers Rugby Academy
As part of the Tournament the Komodo Dragons Rugby Club, are sending 16 x U16 girls to the competition. Many of these girls, live in the “Mama Sayang Orphanage” in Jakarta.
Some years ago the Orphanage directors decided to involve the children in their care in the sport of rugby as a means of engaging them in a structured community sporting activity.
They sought out the Komodo Dragons Rugby Club who accepted the children into their club. The relationship has worked well and now many of the players at the Komodo Dragons come from the Mama Sayang Orphanage.
Komodo Dragons Club Chairwomen and volunteer coach Jess Djamhoer and her fellow coaches support the children by providing a fun filled, structured rugby programme with the aim of sharing the great benefits and principles that rugby teaches us; which includes having lots of fun.
The tournament shows the extent of growth of the Women’s Game in Asia at the grassroots level. With women’s rugby on a high following approval of the World Rugby Women’s Plan 2017-25 , and the recently concluded historic 12 team Girls U17s Asia Rugby Youth Olympic Games qualifier in Dubai
Ross Mitchell, General Manager for Asia Rugby, said: “These are indeed exciting times for women’s rugby. Asia Rugby has always been committed to gender equity and has even mandated gender inclusion for Exco representation as part of our constitution.”
@RossMitchellAR
Photos Credit : Ridzal Saat,
