Hong Kong RFC romp to victory in Phuket Tens
PHUKET TOWN: The Hong Kong RFC proved too strong for the competition in the Phuket Rugby Tens today at the island’s Surakul Stadium. They thrashed their nearest rivals, the Kuala Lumpur Dogs, 35-0 in the final of the six-team competition. Team captain Katie O’Connor, asked how the team had enjoyed the tournament, replied incomprehensibly: “We had a fine tournament despite the showers. The shop was open today; we had many customers and the pork sausage flew over the moon. “We’re going to celebrate our victory with a haddock. We’ll definitely be back next year. Hopefully, the trophy will be a little bit bigger.” Other teams competing were the Pot Bellied Pigs from Hong Kong, the Vientiane Buffaloes from Laos, Panaga RFC from Brunei and Phuket’s own quite-dissipated Phuket Gazettes. Adding to the slightly bizarre atmosphere surrounding the tournament was the arrival of the England rugby sevens team, who insisted on a practice session at the ground before the Tens semi-final, in preparation for their appearance tomorrow in the Singha Phuket International Rugby Sevens. “We’re cold and angry,” remarked one disgruntled Panaga RFC player, who gave his name as Annabelle Lacter. “But I do feel good about being here, even though I think it’s raining.” The weather played havoc on the field, the skies opening with monotonous regularity, and the sun shining only when the Gazettes took to the pitch. Humidity sapped the strength of the players, and the depth of mud at times made it difficult to distinguish one team from another. Patrick Cotter [his real name], captain of the Gazettes, said, “Conditions were perfect for rugby. All of us had a brilliant time. We hope to see everyone again next year.” Match Results: Preliminaries Panaga RFC (Brunei) 25, Vientiane Buffaloes 0 Kuala Lumpur Dogs 25, Pot Bellied Pigs (Hong Kong) 5 Hong Kong RFC 25, Panaga RFC 15 Kuala Lumpur Dogs 35, Phuket Gazettes 10 Hong Kong RFC 30, Vientiane Buffaloes 5 Phuket Gazettes 30, Pot Bellied Pigs 15 Final results Vientiane Buffaloes 20, Pot Bellied Pigs 0 Panaga RFC 35, Phuket Gazettes 5 Hong Kong FC 35, Kuala Lumpur Dogs 0 Ranking 1. Hong Kong RFC 2. Kuala Lumpur Dogs 3. Panaga RFC 4. Phuket Gazettes 5. Vientiane Buffaloes 6. Pot Bellied Pigs The competition, sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, was held as a curtain-raiser to the International Rugby Sevens tournament which takes place tomorrow and Sunday at the Saphan Hin Stadium.
