INAUGURAL IRB JUNIOR WORLD RUGBY UNDERWAY

[no.8]

With every team now in Santiago, the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy was officially launched on Friday by new FERUCHI Chairman, Alastair MacGregor. The eight participating teams are now fully focused on their first round matches scheduled for Tuesday, April 15.

“It is a real honour to be welcoming seven nations to our country. We are looking forward to two weeks of wonderful rugby action,” said MacGregor at the launch staged at the Stade Français Club, in the heart of the Chilean capital.

Eight nations will compete over two rounds for the new trophy and the chance to play in the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship; 16 matches that will see the talents of players from different corners of the world - Uruguay and Chile from South America, Jamaica from NAWIRA, Korea from Asia, the Cook Islands from Oceania, Romania and Georgia from Europe and Namibia from Africa.

Attending the gathering was Jaime Pizarro, Chilean National Sports Minister. “Our government is keen to support sports in our country and this Junior World Rugby Trophy is very important for us and has all of our support,” he said.

Philippe Bourdarias, IRB Tournament Director, added that “this tournament meets the objectives of offering the participating nations the opportunity of playing at the highest level. It also offers an incredible, outstanding, development platform for the region.”

As much as this will be an ideal opportunity for aspiring young players, there are a number of initiatives that will complement the tournament, such as a Judicial Workshop and a Train the Trainers Course for regional unions.

Every player involved in the tournament attended an anti-doping seminar, hosted by the IRB’s Anti-doping Coordinator Ilaria Baudo, in which they were educated about a global view on the anti-doping procedures and the IRB zero-tolerance with regards to this matter. As part of the programme, later in the tournament, there will be a Keep Rugby Clean Day in which every team will wear specific t-shirts to show their commitment to keeping rugby clean.

Source: www.irb.com

[no.8]

Chile, Georgia, Uruguay and Romania all enjoyed victories on the second day of pool matches at the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy played across two venues in Santiago, Chile, on Saturday.

The host nation delighted the 5,000 strong crowd with a 20-6 defeat of Namibia, but it is Romania who top Pool A after their 46-7 victory over the Cook Islands at the Estadio San Carlos.

Uruguay overcame a Jamaican side that never stopped battling until the final whistle 82-0 at the Stade Français Club to sit above Georgia, who defeated Korea 50-31, on points difference at the top of Pool B.

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The remaining pool matches take place on Wednesday 23 April when Romania face Chile and Georgia tackle Uruguay at the Stade Français Club with places in the final at stake.

A first win in the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy will be the target when Korea and Jamaica meet in Pool B and Namibia tackle the Cook Islands in Pool A on the same day at the Estadio San Carlos.

[Burgs]

The spirit of rugby shines through

(IRB.COM) Tuesday 29 April 2008
By Frankie Deges
From Santiago

Overlooking the majestic Andes from the windows of their respective airplanes – Korea being the last team to leave Santiago as hosts Chile remain – few will disagree that the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy was a success.

The final was played out before one of the biggest ever crowds for a rugby match in Chile.

As with every sporting contest, there is always a winner and the spoils went to Uruguay, a team which showed that hard work, cohesion, friendship, attitude, education, team work and leadership on and off the field, together with passion, unity and heart on the field reaps rewards.

Their pick up was at 4am the morning after their 20-8 win against host nation Chile, yet when crossing through the arrivals gates at Carrasco Airport, Matías Fonseca’s team did not look tired. The adrenalin of returning home victors being a sufficient tonic to ensure they all wore the biggest of smiles.

Martín Mendaro and Bruno Grunwaldt managed to convince these players that rugby is more than the 80 minutes on the field, making sure the baton of the spirit of the game has been passed to the new generation of Teritos who one day will be playing for the Teros.

The memories of this inaugural tournament will live in the minds of each and every one of those 208 players that represented their countries; winners and losers. Chile was a superbly warm host and in that respect they can’t be thanked enough. Santiago is a marvellous city, modern and beautiful, with the Andes always in the background.

Building for the future

Evolution was the key for this tournament and everyone involved in it – hats off to the very kind local staff and the liaison officers – got better and better. It is not an every day affair that a developing country organises an international tournament. Chile did and they should be proud of the efforts of Miguel Ángel Mujica and his friendly team.

To add to that, that the final was played in front of one of the biggest crowds ever for a rugby game in Chile ensured the legacy was also there for the growing rugby base in a country that is still debating its future.

The success of the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy aided by the work ethic and commitment of their Under 20 side superbly coached by Rodrigo Boyé and Dalivor Franulic should be enough for them to understand that the future is in their own hands.

They may have failed, again, against their old foes from Uruguay, but they ensured that their participation in this first Junior World Rugby Trophy was one to bring hope.

Rugby is about the players and the final party was exactly what everybody expected it to be, a warm affair for youngsters on the verge of becoming adults enjoying themselves. As the night wore on, it was difficult to identify players – a Chilean wearing a Georgian shirt, a Cook Islander dressed in Jamaican colours, a Romanian chatting to a Uruguayan.

Eight Under 20 national teams from eight different cultures, speaking seven different languages but with one common denominator – rugby.

[TOCC]

sounds fantastic, there are plenty of sports around the world that would be envious of this sort of growth and potential