What's Your Most Memorable Rugby Experience

[Burgs]

Fair suck of the sav fellas, let's keep it to real rugby hey!?

Great story and experience dungbeatles! That would have been awesome.

Yeah RF, Trinity did have a pretty decent run during the 90's, when I get home I'll dig out the article on the Brother Redmond Cup that I have in the latest newsletter, that has the full history of Cup winners.
I don't think it was quite 8 years though

[RugbyFan]

hehe 1991-1999 then 2002

[fulvio sammut]

My most memorable experience was in 1982,when I was a lot younger, fitter and slimmer.I was in Singapore for the rugby sevens tournament as a supporter, following the fortunes of Palmyra. I had brought my boots as there had been talk of a 15 man fixture after the tournament and I was going to make up the numbers.
An S.O.S.went out before the start of play on the first day. One of the teams competing from Malaysia, the Anchor Brewery. were 2 men short due to problems across the causeway.Two of us from the Pally extras put our hands up and were included in the Anchor starting line up in the first game against another local side.We were both forwards but this proved an advantage against the smaller opposition as we barrelled through them . I managed 2 tries and my team mate scored one. Instant Heroes. First win in the tournament by Anchor in several years, promise of keys to the brewery,several free teeshirts, adoring Malay supporters, could we play on for them-in short second string hooker heaven.
Reality soon arrived however in the form of a carload of Anchor Brewers,late but ready to play the rest of the tournament. Much polite Oriental apologising, but our boys must play, honourable thing to do, thank you very much, see you later.
I had the grim satisfaction a few hours later of seeing them go down to an even weaker opposition, and by the end of the day being eliminated from the tournament.
I don't know if you are familiar with 7's tournaments but they do have their own special rules. One is that each team is only allowed a maximum of 12 players for the whole comp.including reserves. Another is that at the end of the first day of competition, a team which qualifies to play on, but which through injury is reduced to less than 7 able bodied players, may include up to 2 players from a team which is eliminated, so that they can play on at full strength.In any event, that was the rule then.

Joy of joys, the International Sports Club of Indonesia qualified, but was reduced to 6 players. The word went out.Who was that scoring machine who played for Anchor Brewery in the first game? We'll have him.

So next morning, before an ever increasing crowd of spectators, I turned out in the I.S.C.A. strip and played in three gruelling qualifying games in 33 degree heat and 85% humidity. We won 2 and lost 1, thereby qualifying for the plate final.

By 5pm when the final was played the temperature had increased to 37 degrees and the humidity to 99%, or so it seemed. The crowd had increased to about 3000.
Finals (in those days) were played in two 10 minute halves. If the teams were tied at full time then three minute consecutive terms continued to be played until one side or the other scored . That team was declared the winner.

I can't say I remember much of the game. I know that at full time the scores were level and I was dead on my feet.We went on to play two more 3 minute terms, with there being no futher score. When the game started again it was like trying to run with a cement bag on your shoulders and a conveyor belt being pulled tight around your chest.

With about 15 seconds to go I recall an opposition player marking a feeble kick from our fullback and meandering in slow motion towards our line . I tried to turn and chase him but my legs turned to jelly. It was all I could do to stay upright. He made it slowly to our line and collapsed exhausted to score a try.

Blessed relief. The I.S.C.I. boys appreciated that try as much as if we had scored it ourselves.

The crowd, whether in appreciation or out of compassion, gave a mighty roar and thunderous applause.

And that was my one and only glorious rugby moment in the sun.

[blindsid3]

my fondest memory still remains of a game in Suva in 1986...Someone forgot to tell us in those days of amateur rugby that the islanders hid their players in the defence force for paid training so we ended up playing Fiji B.

Nothing had changed when I visited Luatoka with the Navy in 1996...the "combined Fiji Defence Force Team" we played had at least 5 internationals and an S Rabuka* in the team.



(*Anyone who knows their fiji History should know of him...)

[luke_the_pom]

Fair suck of the sav fellas, let's keep it to real rugby hey!?

you saying playstation aint real??? coz i aint imagining that it happened so it has to be real