2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy: Kenya

[Burgs]

In the build up to the 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Kenya I will continue to put up feature articles in the one thread as they appear on the IRB site or media.
As we get closer, or if the thread gets hijacked, then I'll start to divide up the articles into seperate threads.

Competing Nations:

Cayman Islands
Chile
Kenya
Korea
Namibia
PNG
Romania
USA

Match schedule set for 2009 Junior trophy

(IRB.COM) Wednesday 10 December 2008

The International Rugby Board has announced the match schedule for the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2009, which is taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from 21 April to 3 May.

The key international tournament, featuring teams at Under 20 level from eight Unions, will comprise two pools of four teams with matches played across two venues in the city.

The USA, relegated from this year’s IRB Junior World Championship in Wales, top Pool A and are joined by hosts Kenya and regional qualifiers Namibia (CAR) and the Cayman Islands (NAWIRA). It is the first time that the Cayman Islands, winners of the NAWIRA regional qualification tournament in Barbados, have qualified for an IRB 15-a-side tournament.

Chile, who were runners-up at the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy on home soil in April 2008, top Pool B where they are joined by Romania (FIRA-AER), Korea (ARFU) and Papua New Guinea (FORU).

The action kicks off on 21 April with four mouthwatering matches. Oceania champions Papua New Guinea take on Romania at 12:00 local time in the first of a double-header of fixtures at the Impala ground, before Cayman Islands face the USA at 14:00.

At the nearby Rugby Football Union of East Africa Ground, Chile kick off their Pool B campaign against Korea at 14:00, while hosts Kenya will entertain Africa rivals Namibia at 16:00.

Two further rounds of pool matches will be played to determine the rankings for the final and positional play-offs on 3 May.

“The IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2009 in Kenya looks set to be a wonderful tournament. In addition to delivering a blend of superb playing and training facilities, the Kenya Rugby Football Union are committed to the activation of a dedicated legacy programme that will not only be of benefit to the Rugby Community in Kenya, but across the whole of Africa,” explained IRB Tournaments Manager Philippe Bourdarias.

“The IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy is now firmly established as a key player and coach development tool. The IRB looks forward to welcoming the teams and travelling fans to Nairobi in April for what promises to be an exciting tournament.”

Pools:

Pool A
USA
Namibia
Kenya
Cayman Islands

Pool B
Chile
Romania
PNG
Korea

Match Schedule:

MATCH DAY 1
TUESDAY APRIL 21, 2009

Match No./Kickoff/Group/Match/Venue
1. 12.00 B PNG vs. Romania Impala
2. 14.00 A Cayman Islands vs. USA Impala
3. 14.00 B Chile vs. Korea RFU of East Africa Ground
4. 16.00 A Kenya vs. Namibia RFU of East Africa Ground

MATCH DAY 2
SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2009

Match No./Kickoff/Group/Match/Venue
5. 12.00 A Cayman Islands vs. Namibia Impala
7. 14.00 B Chile vs. PNG Impala
6. 14.00 B Korea vs. Romania RFU of East Africa Ground
8. 16.00 A Kenya vs. USA RFU of East Africa Ground

MATCH DAY 3
WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2009

Match No./Kickoff/Group/Match/Venue
9. 12.00 A Kenya vs. Cayman Islands Impala
11. 14.00 B PNG vs. Korea Impala
10. 14.00 A Namibia vs USA RFU of East Africa Ground
12. 16.00 B Chile vs Romania RFU of East Africa Ground

FINAL DAY
SUNDAY MAY 3, 2009

Match No./Kickoff/Group/Match/Venue
13. 12.00 4th Group A v 4th Group B Impala
14. 12.00 3rd Group A v 3rd Group B (or Kenya match) RFU of East Africa Ground
15. 14.00 2nd Group A v 2nd Group B (or Kenya match) RFU of East Africa Ground
16. 16.00 FINAL 1st Group A v 1st Group B RFU of East Africa Ground

[Burgs]

Korea and PNG select squads for JWRT

(IRB.COM) Thursday 26 March 2009

Korea and Papua New Guinea have unveiled their 26-man squads for the second edition of the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy, which takes place in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi from 21 April to 5 May.

The two sides will meet on the final day of pool matches on 29 April, having been drawn together in Pool B with Romania and 2008 Trophy hosts and runners up Chile for the eight-team tournament which feeds into the IRB Junior World Championship.

Korea finished sixth in the inaugural Junior World Rugby Trophy after losing the play-off 36-29 to Namibia and will once again by coached by Moon Young Chan in 2009, although only second row Lee Jong Min has been selected for another shot at the silverware.

The Koreans were the final nation to qualify for the Junior World Rugby Trophy 2009 after beating Hong Kong 19-11 in the final of the Asian Under 20 Championship, which they hosted in Buan last November.

PNG keep faith with try scorers

Papua New Guinea had enjoyed a more comfortable route – an impressive display of running rugby and crunching defence seeing them to an 84-0 defeat of Vanuatu in the Pool B final at the FORU [Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions] Under 19 Championship in Fiji.

A number of players in the squad named by coach Robin Tarere scored tries in that victory over Vanuatu in Fairi Fairi, Boe Vaike, Desmond Kropok, Hanley Mesea, Raphael Saea, Edgar Mogoru and Eugine Tovue, while Chris Kaka captained the PNG squad.

Papua New Guinea, who lost out to Cook Islands in qualification for last year’s Junior World Rugby Trophy, will open their campaign against Romania on 21 April, the same day that Korea tackle Chile.

The other pool comprises hosts Kenya, fellow Africans Namibia, Cayman Islands – making debut in an IRB 15-a-side tournament – and USA, who were relegated after finishing 16th in the IRB Junior World Championship 2008.

Only the two pool winners will progress to the final with the winner promoted to the IRB Junior World Championship 2010, swapping places with the bottom side in this year’s tournament in Japan.

Korea Under 20 squad:

Forwards: Kim Jeep, Kim Myeong Hwan, Kim Chan Ho, Kim Hoe Cheol, Park Moo Hyun, Son Young Ki, Oh Dong Gyun, Yun Seung Mo, Lee Ki Hwan, Lee Jong Min, Lee Hak Seop, Cha Sung Kun, Choi Muk Hwan, Hwang Seung Eop.

Backs: Ko Young Ho, Kim Kun Hui, Jim Myoung Jin, Park Jeon, Park Hong Sik, Yang Soo Woong, Yang Jung Pil, Yoo Hee Bum, Lee Sung Bae, Lee Han Sol, Jung Hyun, Choi Nicholas.

Papua New Guinea Under 20 squad:

Fairi Fairi, Boe Vaike, Petrie Birney, Shaun Carbym Chris Namani, Desmond Kropok, Henley Mesea, Roman Camilus, Jnr Kautu, Kirarock Ngafkin, Raphael Saea, Steven Jacobs, Chris Kaka, Hendry Mobia, Edgar Mogoru, Danny Jui, Cameron Wai, Ojay Moka, Rex Kurup, Eugine Tovue, Yahu Possy, David Moses, Bobby Pau.

[Burgs]

Cayman U20s ready to rise to the occasion

(IRB.COM) Wednesday 1 April 2009

Twenty days from now the Cayman Islands Under 20 side will create their own piece of history when they run out against USA on the opening day of the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2009 in Kenya.

The first Cayman Islands team to qualify for an IRB 15-a-side tournament, they may not be among the favourites to succeed Uruguay as champions and earn promotion to next year’s IRB Junior World Championship, but they are nonetheless seeing the benefits of qualification.

This is because their qualification – which came by virtue of beating Mexico 22-3 in the Caribbean Under 19 Championship final last July – has brought rugby to the attention of the wider population and encouraged more people to give the sport a try.

“This opportunity has helped encourage many more Caymanians to turn their heads to the sport of rugby and many more to try their hand at the sport itself,” explained Richard Adams, Technical Director of Cayman Rugby and Under 20 coach alongside Steve Clark.

“In a population that produces athletes well above its size who compete in individual sports on world terms, the Under 20 rugby team is the first to reach such dizzy heights in the team sports forum.”

The Cayman Islands are comprised of three islands – Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac – and has a total population of under 50,000 people, around 2,000 of whom play rugby in some form between the age range of four and 60.

Pride and determination

Adams and Clark have now unveiled their 26-man squad for the 21 April to 3 May tournament in Nairobi, a selection which was made all the easier by the fact that three of the 29 players eligible under the age criteria were unavailable.

Among the players selected are prop Taron Forbes, hooker Daniel McGrath and scrum half Wilson Michael who all scored tries in that final against Mexico in Barbados, while full back Guillaume Hammersley kicked the Cayman’s other points and fly half Joel Clark’s tactical kicking kept Mexico pinned in their own 22.

The squad also bodes well for the future with just over half of them eligible to grace the Under 20 stage in 2010, when Cayman Islands will hope to contest the Junior World Rugby Trophy again – a goal which will require them to successfully defend the Caribbean title on home soil in July.

“The squad has trained very hard for this tournament in order to represent the tiny islands well in world terms,” continued Adams. “There is a lot of pride and determination in the squad.

“The players realise they are up against massive odds but are willing to put themselves to the test and come out with pride and respect.”

Cayman Islands will follow up their Pool A opener against USA – who were relegated from the Junior World Championship in 2008 – with matches against Namibia and host nation Kenya at the Impala Ground in Nairobi before the positional playoffs on 3 May.

Cayman Islands Under 20 squad:

Forwards: Arley Chisholm, Taron Forbes, Christopher Rankine, Hylton Richard, Alexander Roberts, Daniel McGrath, Garrett Conolly, Taylor Forest, Shemaiah Grant, Jeffrey Robinson, David Terry, Kramer Bell, James Geary, Edward Westin, Erick Chirino-Arch.

Backs: Wilson Michael, Joel Clark, Michael Manderson, Robie Cribb, Bryan Martins, Justin Vasquez, Jacob Kelly, Darien Montague, Cueme Parker, Richard Tyson, Guillaume Hammersley.

[Burgs]

Kenyan article: http://twf.com.au/showthread.php?t=21156

Kenya Under 20 squad:

Forwards: Lilako Curtis, Dennis Karani, Eric Kitheka, Mathew Musalia, Jeremy Wandui, Oscar Achieng, Ryan Awori, Mugambi Kithamba, Steve Muniafu, Kevin Gacheru, Collins Omae, Ken Kangaya, Jeff Ojwach, Joel Ouko, Cedric Okich.

Backs: George Mutuku, Robert Ouko, Kenny Andola, Anthony Nyandigisi, Patrice Agunda, Graham Dinda, Joseph Osore, Felix Otiende, Michael Matayo, Owen Ocholla, Oscar Otindo.