TRF Anything but the Oval Ball Blog

As I was standing on the check in counter queue, waiting to check in for my Qatar Airways flight to Jakarta, someone grabbed my attention with her hand waving calling me to her empty counter. To my pleasant surprise, I knew her from a few days ago, at an Indonesian expat gathering. “You’re flying back to Jakarta?” She said, as she browses through my passport and the printed e-ticket. “Yea, going back for the Rugby” I replied, and as quickly as I said that she gave me a look, filled with questions and she burst out “Oh right, you play Rugby for our country right!? Let me upgrade you to Business Class then.”

That flight was excellent; I opted to stay with my grandma for a few days before reporting in for the Rhinos Rugby camp. I haven’t been in Indonesia for about a year, and for that whole year I’ve been thinking about this moment, the moment when I will, once again don the Rhinos jersey, playing for my beloved country.
Unlike the big rugby nations, Indonesian Rugby is not even fully recognized by the government, privately funded and runs on volunteer force and purely by the love of the game by people who are new to the game as well as veterans of the beautiful game.

Indonesian Rugby first burst out on the International scene in the summer of 2005 when the “Indonesian Development Rugby” fielded the first representative side at an Asian Games 7s tournament in Manila, Philippines. I was fortunate to be called up for the first ever Indonesian XVs in 2006, earning my first 3 caps for Indonesia that year.

The Indonesian XVs, or the Rhinos as we call it, has players travelling from all over the world, from the shores of USA, UK, Middle East to Australia and New Zealand, all either full Indonesian like myself or Indonesian heritage players, meeting with our Indonesian brothers who plays their rugby in Indonesia and all just as hungry for the Rhinos spot as us “imports” as we are so aptly named.

Being financially inclined, it is impossible for the Rhinos to fund all of their player’s transportation costs, “imports” are never paid, and travel at their own expenses to every camp, and with no guarantee that they will make the squad. Yet we still travel back, and in my case this year, skipping three weeks of college work in the process.

Then why do we really play for our country? For me, the answer is simple, the feeling I experience every second I wear that jersey on the field, and when I stood in line, side by side by my brothers singing the anthem, is so satisfying, so platonic, so addictive – all this added to the feelings most of us reading this know well enough as we play Rugby on the field. This combination makes it a feeling, an experience that is impossible to describe, no matter what the result is.

I must say I cannot relate to what O’Gara of Ireland was talking about when he said this: "I was happy to go and give it all but I didn't play well against the All Blacks, and Ireland didn't play well, so you're watching for the rest of the tour and you feel like it's a bit of a waste of time. But you have to take your medicine when it comes to you."

I think quite sadly, for some just the pride and that indescribable experience is not enough anymore.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010! 

 The New Year promises 1 thing and 1 thing only: More TRF Awesomeness.  

We've had an amazing year here at The Rugby Forum!  Our membership has skyrocketed, and we've welcomed some new great wonderful members.  Thanks to everyone for making this the absolute best forum on the internet since ever.  There is still a lot of Rugby happening right now.  We're stuck right in the middle of the Heineken Cup, Magners League, the Top 14 and the Guinness Premiership!  The Super 14 kicks off on 12 February the same weekend that the USA 7's Tournament begines at it's new home in Las Vegas! We'll also feature more and more of the best of Northern and Southern Hemisphere Rugby League in 2010!

Thanks to all the TRF Staff: The Moderaters, The Administraters and yes, Those Crazy Forum Owners! ...and a massive, massive thanks to all the Members: The Old Ones, The New Ones, The Occasionally Warned Ones!

Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas one and all!  We are officially only a few days from what Andy Williams dubbed, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"  I couldn't agree more with the old crooner.  We'll all be rushing a bit to buy last minute gifts, or heading out to get in our cars, on a train, a plane, maybe a boat to go to our family and loved ones.  I hope you all don't let the spirit of over-commercialization ruin for you, as it does many, what is a magical time.  This is the time of year when we can resolve our diferences.  We can truly be an agent of Peace and Goodwill.  Christmas inspired the 1914 temporary truce between the British and the Germans in The Great War.  I think, for me, aside from the religious meaning, this is what Christmas is really about.

Here at TRF we have a lot to be joyous about. St Helens RLFC stated that "2009 has been the year where we have smashed through the 10,000 barrier mark (we did this in October) and we have continued to grow in size at a remarkable rate."  Can you believe it?  10,000 members on TRF!  I know that's a lovely treat in our precious forum owners wee stocking!  We're a growing family here on The Rugby Forum.  

My wish is that you all have a great holiday, that you enjoy sharing presents (and that you each get that rugby jersey you've been wanting), that you're able to reconnect with family and friends, and that you end 2009 on a high note.  Whether your waiting on Father Christmas, Santa Claus, St. Nick, Perre Noel, Christmaskind, Julemanden, Vader Kersfees, Babbo Natale, or even サンタクロース, I hope your Christmas is full of magic, and lots and lots and lots of Merry Making!

TRF Regular Teh Mite recently had an article published in the Northampton Saints match day programme. We are now please to present this on TRF.

With the exception of the Ashes victory sport has been put through the wringer as far as the headlines are concerned over the past few weeks. The art of timing is certainly interesting because as I’m writing this Sky News are showing reports of the violence between Millwall and West Ham fans at their Carling Cup tie. The previous night the news bulletins were dominated by the latest twist in the ‘Bloodgate’ saga. It’s got me to thinking.

The running battles between the two sets of hooligans, and with the police, recalled similar scenes from the 1970s and 1980s, when football was far from being the sanitised, Sky Sports hyped mega-business that it is today.

But at least the old school hooligans only fight with other thugs, away from built up areas and homes. While that's still not acceptable, at least they understand what they're doing and keep it to themselves. It seems that the new generation really don't give a monkeys and think giving anyone ‘who ain't one of them’ a smack is their way to gain 'respect'.

Read more: Published Article 6/9/2009