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TRF SPORT GURU

Written by Bullitt Thursday, 02 September 2010 14:50

Think you know your rugby? Then join in the competition with TRF in the SPORT GURU competition!

Covering the Aviva Premiership, Magners League, Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup, SPORT GURU is a predictions league with a real chance of winning real prizes for the overall winners.

To Enter, join up at http://www.sportguru.co.uk and sign up for The Rugby Forums Superpool (Pool name: The Rugby Forum) with the pool code of "oopslulu" to join us!

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TRI-NATIONS WRAPPED UP

Written by Bullitt Saturday, 21 August 2010 17:34

The All Blacks claimed the Tri-Nations crown today with an emphatic win over South Africa at Soccer city.

TRF is buzzing with thoughts and analysis on the match, so why not head over to join in now!

Click Here for the Match discussion thread

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ROLL AWAY GREEN!

Written by Bullitt Saturday, 21 August 2010 11:20

TRF has an exclusive interview with one of the best IRB referee's in rugby. So do you have a question about a law or do you want to know what Nigel's favourite match to referee was or even his favourite book, ask them here.

Post all your questions here, the best will be selected by TRF staff and put to one of the top IRB international refs.

Note: 1 question per post, and wait for someone else to post a question before you post another one.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A QUESTION

FACE-ACHE

Written by Bullitt Saturday, 21 August 2010 11:10

TRF is more then just a website, it's in fact an entire community. So why not join up with the rest of the TRF family across the biggest social networking site of the lot.

Yep, that's right, TRF now has the it's own Facebook page where you can catch up with the rest of the TRF community or simply keep up to date with the latest news and happenings in rugby via the Planet Rugby and BBC news feeds.

So why not say you 'like' us and join up. The TRF facebook page can be found by clicking here or by following the widget on TRFs homepage.

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CENDRAWASIH

Written by Bullitt Saturday, 21 August 2010 11:01

I took time off from writing my own International experience to introduce the "Cendrawasih" (bird of paradise), the Indonesian Women 7s team, and how the sport is growing amongst women in Indonesia.

Long gone is image of the timid, subservient woman in today’s modern world, but in some places the mental image is still very vivid and it takes a different breed of ladies to show the world what is truly possible for the so-called fairer sex.

Asia for example is not generally known as a rugby continent. Its neighbors in Europe and at the farthest southern hemisphere have traditionally dominated world rugby for many a decade past. But things are changing and they are changing rapidly!

One country where a keen interest has been shown by women in the sport of rugby is Indonesia. Even with over 200 million people inhabiting over 17 thousand islands (or because of it), rugby still takes a distant back-seat to more popular sports such as soccer, volleyball and of course, badminton particularly amongst the ladies of sport

Things are changing though, and the passion for rugby is growing amongst Indonesian women. Jakarta, which is the country’s capital, had its first schools’ girls sevens rugby competition earlier this year with four local schools taking part. This is a big step as prior to this competition; most women’s rugby had only taken place in international schools and within the foreign community.

"Yes!” agrees Dita of SMA Al-Chasanah high school, “Rugby gives me the chance to express myself more… even my aggressive side, that other sports don’t let me do.” “I love rugby because it gives me the chance to use my hands, arms and legs, my mind and heart when I play the game” says Ima, a year-12 student of Labschool Kebayoran.

As part of the recent HSBC Asian Division IV tournament held at Lippo Village, Jakarta, girls from Jakarta and the neighboring city of Bandung were given a chance to participate in coaching clinics conducted by the iRB & ARFU (Asian Rugby Fotball Union). Singaporean international Ismail Kadir who runs the coaching was a great motivator to those taking part in the event.

“They say that rugby is a tough sport and girls should just watch it and not play it” says Jenny, a university student from Bandung, “but my boyfriend plays it and he knows I am a tough girl so he likes me to play it. It actually lets us spend more time together too!”

After the exhibition match (in which the referee was also a young lady), the girls of Indonesian Rugby were very happy indeed. Their dreams of forming a national sevens team (already christened ‘Cendrawasih’ or Bird of Paradise) and of participating in more sevens and fifteens tournaments are getting closer to becoming a reality.

Their passion is abound and their love for the game is clearly visible. Indonesian women’s rugby is truly in good hands!

Cendrawasih is planning to compete at the Kota Kinabalu 7s as well as the Singapore 7s later this year, and if selected I could be coaching the first ever Indonesian National Women's team, as well as the first ever Indonesian International Coach.

Courtesy of "Jago Dulu" Rugby Football Club.

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