In the News

Two Jungle Crows have appeared in the news this last week – Zaffar and Tudu.  Zaffar returned from Afghanistan on 24 December where he had spent 2 weeks coaching and organising the first ever Kabul 7s.  Zaffar is now the Coach of the Afghanistan Rugby team and was this week featured in the Cardiff Metropolitan University Students Union Newspaper.

Tudu was part of the January Sports Illustrated India cover story “50 Stories of Hope That Show India Matters”, please see the attached scan of the article.

Khelo Rugby

Our Khelo Rugby programme is growing from strength to strength.  We now take rugby into 8 slum communities in Kolkata and 8 communities in Chennai with our team of community coaches.  We have Khelo programmes in 3 schools in West Bengal’s Junglemahal and we are filling the Jharkhand town of Dumka with rugby.  Next week we begin training in 8 schools in Jamshedpur and will hold the first rugby festival there in February.  We have also partnered with the Irish NGO Goal to take rugby into the communities they support in the city dumps of Kolkata.  The RAF Spitfires 7s now play with a Khelo logo on their shirts and we are working on more locations and partnerships for 2012.

Women’s Rugby

Our Girls were runners up in both the National Senior 7s in 2011 and the National U16s and we are determined to improve this in 2012.  We also want to get many more girls playing rugby and keep working to make Kolkata the leading centre for the game in India.

Crows Academy

The Crows Academy has been formalised for 2012 with the main training session to take place on a Saturday morning. We have been approached by a couple of companies wanting to be associated with the Academy and we would hope to be able to announce a partner early on in 2012.  As always much of our work is held back by the lack of funding opportunities for non-cricket or football and we continue to work hard to break down these barriers!

Maidan Hazards at Callaghan Cup

The Maidan Hazards will travel to Bhubaneswar on 22 January to play in the years first major tournament the Callaghan Cup – India’s Division 2 15-a-side tournament.  The boys have been training hard over Xmas and we’re sure they will have success on the fields of Odisha!

Corporate Touch

Our 6th Corporate Touch Rugby will be held on 18 February on the Maidan – please be in touch if you would like to take part!

Thanks to all our supporters and sponsors in 2011 – both corporates and individuals – and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2012 to grow rugby and give youngsters across the country the chance to play and be part of our community! 

Cheers!!! 

The boys put in a lot of hard work before the tournament commiting plenty of early mornings to the Maidan. We were drawn in a tough group with Maharastra State Police and home team Delhi Hurricanes. Game one saw the boys comfortably move past the Police boys, but in game two we took a bit of a drubbing against the Hurricanes – who had 5 national players in their team and had clearly been very focussed on this tournament. Day Two came round and we faced a crucial quarter final against the top Army outfit ‘Army Red’. And what a game, the Crows were really fired up and came out fighting, perhaps giving up more than 25kgs per man and certainly 3-4 inches in height but on Sunday morning it made no difference. 12-12 at full time the game went into sudden death extra time, hugely exciting for the crowd and the Crows….but just when we were nearest a bad knock on scrum half Arun’s knee left him hobbling and opened a gap in the defence which the Army went through to score, 17-12 the final score.

So into the plate and first up, Tamil Nadu Police. Two quick scores saw the Crows leading 14-0 but a try on the stroke of half time, saw the Police back into it. A very poor second half saw the Crows scrap home 14-12, but the injuries were mounting up and we now had just one reserve, but at least only a final to go. Bangalore RFC stood between the Jungle Crows and the Plate, but this time the boys were on top form, knowing this was a chance to show our best side as we had done against the Army. Final score 34-5….with Tiger scampering through for a hat-trick of tries. The Plate was ours!

2011 Champions, Delhi Hurricanes beat Army Red 26-12. The Hurricanes now have their own rugby pitch in Delhi, full time coaches and have imported a Head Coach and Development Manager from France……as their theme tune says….”there’s a Hurricane blowing through….”

Thanks to all our supporters, all your wishes and thoughts keep us going……Cheers….

Jungle Crows supported by
Nalco
BOC Le Coq Sportif Ennore Indismart

Sunday’s Kolkata Telegraph reported that the Jungle Crows retained the Calcutta Cup, with a 10-8 win over Future Hope!

Jungle Crows retain the Calcutta Cup

What a game, if it was boxing the Crows might have been given a standing count in the first half in which they never once managed to get the ball out of their half though having plenty of possession. Future Hope missed 3 long range penalties and scored from one. 3-0 at half time and there were some stern words and a desire to do better.

10 minutes into the second half and the Crows crossed the line after a series of drives from the ruck. It wasn’t always pretty, but was done at a fast enough pace to leave the Future Hope defence exposed and Sidarth pounced across the line for the score. Tudu’s conversion and the Crows were 7-3 up.

Both teams continued to enjoy equal possession but neither was able to break the other down. Half way into the second half and the Crows were defending their own line-out at 5 metres and in a classic mix-up under pressure the throw went straight to the last man in the line out, the Future Hope flanker, who couldn’t believe his luck and quickly crossed the line! No conversion but Future Hope were now up 8-7. Nail biting stuff.

The clock was ticking down and though the Crows were getting into good positions they couldn’t finish. The sidelines were bouncing, especially around the coaching team as two penalties were taken quickly from in front of the posts with no result. Finally sense prevailed and a simple penalty in the middle 10 metres out was slotted home – 10-8. Still close but the Crows were now in control, their fans knew it and soon there were hugs all round. Jungle Crows….Calcutta Cup Champions 2011!

Thanks to everyone that has supported us on this crazy journey!!

CHEERS……..

Paul

Digby Ioane made his Super Rugby debut with the Western Force, playing 20 games in Perth before joining the Reds in 2008. By that time he had graduated to the Test arena with a debut for the Wallabies against Wales, and a debut try, coming in June 2007. Born in Wellington NZ, he was raised in Melbourne before attending school in Brisbane. His Test career has been blighted by injury, including a shoulder reconstruction in 2009 and a dislocation in 2010, but on his day he remains one of the game’s most powerful broken field runners – at wing or outside-centre. Digby, Diggers or Ratt as he is affectionately known to those that know him is a good friend of TOA and it’s an honour to have him as the inaugural TEN-4-TOA interview.

THE FIRST 5

TOA – Digby, thanks for talking to TOA brother. And thanks for being the first TEN-4-TOA interview.
DI – No worries Champ, it’s great to be able to this for all the TOA supporters out there.

Q1
TOA – First thing congratulations to you and the Reds on making the Super Rugby final this weekend. The Reds have definitely been the form team throughout this season’s competition. What do you think is the major factor that has contributed to this?

DI – The team has been really close this season. We operate like and family and I think that has been a massive factor in our success. Also, it helps with so much depth from the young boys in the team.

Q2
TOA – Bro, your own form has been nothing short of sublime and without doubt you are senior player in a potent back division. You’re a prolific try scorer and your runs on the left side normally end up with a try or at worst, a try on the right side. With this in mind, is it hard not to think ahead towards the Rugby World Cup given you are the form Australian winger? That has to be on the radar right?

DI – It is every player’s goal and of course a goal of mine to play for Australia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup however my main focus is on the tasks right in front of me. For now I am putting everything into Reds Rugby and hopefully we will see the rewards after the weekend.

Q3
TOA – You were the first person of Samoan descent to represent the Wallabies at test level, were there any ambitions to represent either New Zealand (country of birth) or Samoa (country of parents birth) or was it always going to be Australia?

DI – Being raised in Melbourne and starting my professional career in Brisbane with the QLD Reds has cemented my loyalty to play for Australia.

Q4
TOA – Quade Cooper has been a revelation this season. It is said that for a team to be successful in Super Rugby they must have a strong 10 hence why the Blues (Stephen Brett) and the Stormers (Peter Grant) were never going to win last week. How much confidence do the boys take out of knowing Quade is there pulling the strings and do you think he has earned the right to oust Dan Carter as the number 1 playmaker in world rugby?

DI – It is definitely helpful to play in a backline where Quade is constantly creating attacking opportunities. Good support players are very important around Quade as Ben Tapuia showed us against the Blues. Carter is a world class player and has led his team to a Super Rugby final yet again so I think his form can’t be denied just yet

Q5
TOA – Like most Samoans you’re big on tattoos but unlike most Samoans you’re tattoos differ to that of the normal tribal/family symbolism. Why is this and what are the meanings behind your tats?
DI – My tattoos are generally based on my own religious beliefs and family.

THE QUICK 5

Blondes or Brunettes? –BRUNETTES PLEASE

Who were your heroes when you were a kid and why? – Michael Jordan (Basketball legend) because he followed his dream regardless of his circumstances. Also Superman.

Any pre match superstitions? – Prayer

Most respected opponent and why? – Blues & All Black winger Joe Rokocoko because he’s a world class player that’s proven himself at the highest level for a long time.

And finally, your thoughts on TOA for next season?

I think if TOA get fitter they will definitely threaten the likes of the Dubai Dragons and the Dubai Hurricanes as from what I understand the boys don’t have an issue scoring tries but at the back end of games tend to let a few in. I like the look of the midfield (Paul Austin & Rama Chand) but again, fitness is the key for any team to complete the full 80.

Show your support for Digby by liking his fan page: Digby’s Fan Page

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Bank Details

• Account Name:                          Dubai Exiles RFC
• Account Number:                      020-518403-001
• Bank Name:                                 HSBC
• Branch:                                         Bur Dubai
• Bank code:                                    BBMEAEAD

From the Chairman

Dear Members,

I am writing to brief you on a tragic event that occurred recently when one of our club members, Jonathan Beeton (‘Studente’ to his friends), was critically hurt in an accident. This note is not only to brief you but to ask for your help and support next week.

In short, Jon received his injuries when he fell on a boating trip with some friends. As a consequence of that fall, he suffered severe head and neck injuries and he now lies in hospital in Dubai where he has never regained consciousness since his accident. Expert medical opinion from the UAE and overseas specialists is that Jon will never regain consciousness and that he is expected to pass away peacefully in the next few weeks. This is a tragic accident which has left his young wife Tammy, family, friends, work and rugby colleagues stunned and shocked. Jon is from South Africa and is a stalwart of the Club Men’s Section where he played last season at Centre for the 1st XV. This year he was awarded the Men’s Player of the Year Trophy which he received at our Annual Ball. Some of you may also remember his storming run for the UAE side up the field against Japan from which the team so nearly scored against world class opposition.

The Men’s Section of DERFC, led by Mike Cox-Hill and Dave Vittes, are currently organising an event on Friday 8th July at the Sevens which will consist of a brunch, an auction, a raffle and a rugby match between a ‘Studente XV’ and a ‘UAE XV’. The purpose of this event is to raise funds to help Tammy and Jon’s family cover costs incurred through this incredibly difficult time, to cover future appropriate expenses and also to donate monies to a charity of Tammy’s choosing. The rugby community around the world is known for its cohesiveness, loyalty and generosity in good times and bad. I implore you all to get behind this event and to attend/support wherever and however you can and before we all disappear on summer holidays. Full details of this event will be sent via Club Hub and also via national media soon.

Jon has given his all for our Club and his adopted Country on and off the rugby pitch. It’s now time for us, the members of his Exiles family, to do the same for him and his dependents.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Mike Wolff

Chairman

DERFC

Maidan Hazards: Game 1

The rugby season has now started in Kolkata with the Centenary Cup. The Jungle Crows will begin their defence of the Cup on Saturday but yesterday the Hazards took to the CCFC field in Round 1 of the Cup. For those that don’t know the Hazards are our second team and have really grown in the last couple of years to have their own style and group of players and supporters, this year led by Rajdeep. The Hazards played the Kolkata Police Sergeants Institute in a good game in difficult rainy conditions. 0-0 at half time and the Hazards really had the Sergeant’s under pressure for long periods but in the end the Sergeant’s nudged ahead with a penalty and then closed it of with a try at the end. But 8-0 is showing real improvement and the boys will take heart for their season from this performance!

And it’s not only about the rugby…..

We have given out the first of two scholarships this year to Sunny, who will attend the Scott Hotel Management School in Kolkata and study a BSc in Hospitality Management. We have done this in partnership with the Indismart Group who are based in Kolkata and work in Education and Hospitality. We will also be awarding another scholarship soon for one of our players to begin a BA in Hospitality from IIHM, another well known institute in Kolkata. As usual we are working to support all the boys and girls that train and play with us in furthering their education and development.

KISS and Roshan in the UK

Lots of friends will know Roshan, a great scrum half who grew up with Ashalayam and is now Coach to the KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) team. On Sunday 19 June Roshan will travel with an U13 KISS team to play in the Mayor of Manchester’s TourAid Rugby. See this link which tells you more about KISS and the Tour.

Khelo Rugby…..Afghanistan…..Chennai…..Manipur

Zaffar’s Khelo Rugby programme goes from strength to strength in Kolkata. He now manages six rugby coaching locations with his two community coaches of Amirul and Tiger. Khelo takes rugby into some of the poorest parts of Kolkata where we coach tag rugby – giving kids with little organised activity in their lives the chance to play and participate in our festivals and tournaments (and come along and support the Jungle Crows!) In June Zaffar was invited to undertake the first coaching camp for the new Afghan Rugby Federation. He spent two weeks in Kabul and Jalalabad coaching 20-30 boys in each location the basics and fundamentals of the game. While Zaffar was away General Sir Peter Wall, the British Army’s Chief of the General Staff enjoyed an afternoon playing with the kids at the Khelo programme in Brooklyn, one of the most impoverished neighbourhoods in Kolkata. Khelo Rugby is now also in Chennai, where Coach Suresh already has a group of 8 government schools and NGO’s where he is busy each week. And we hope soon to add Manipur to the Khelo family – in May Zaffar and Nanda visited Manipur to begin the process of setting up coaching and we hope soon to appoint a full time coach in Manipur.

Jungle Crows Women’s Team

The Crows women’s team are still the reigning national champions of India, and we are working on a schedule of tours and games for the next few months that should see the team play in Pune, Delhi and Bangalore. To make this happen and push on with the women’s game we really need to find a dedicated sponsor for the team….this really isn’t that expensive….to get your name emblazoned on the front of India’s top rugby team, to benefit from that shared glow of success and to promote the development and promotion of women’s rugby…we are talking about no more than Rs 2.5lac or £3000 (or parts of)!

Work Force (it’s not only about the rugby – Part II)

We now have the Crows Work Force where all the players, supporters and coaches come together to deliver a community project. So far we have focused on clean up projects over a weekend – first was a derelict community hall in Kidderpore which was cleaned, scrubbed and painted to allow the community to once again use the space, second was a school playground that had been turned into a dump by the State Government – three abandoned buses were dug out of the ground and moved and more than 10 truck loads of garbage were removed. Smelly, dirty and very satisfying work!

Sevens – State Games & Howrah

Back in January the Crows won the Gold medal in the Bengal State Games. A great performance from the boys saw them beating Kolkata Police 34-7 in the final, especially satisfying when the team had lost to the Police on Day 1. The boys totally dominated a good Police team and enjoyed a great Kebab and Beer party as a celebration! Jump to May and we organised a one day sevens in a great little venue we have found in Howrah. Very near the station, a perfect pitch with grass and no cricket square in the middle. Very exciting (for us at least!!!) Crows lost in the final to a resurgent Armenian team, Ashalayam Pirate Ants reached the semi finals and the Hazards won the Bowl.

Rugby Uncle – News

It’s great that Rugby Uncle are able to support the work we do in India with fundraising efforts in the UK. I know the Rugby Uncle network is keen to expand so please do get in touch and see how you can be part of the effort! Rugby Uncle now also has its own 7s team RU7 and last month came second in the Caldy 7s. The team was put together by Tudu with boys from Hartpury and Mike with boys from Leeds Uni and was it seems pretty damn good! If you would like to play, coach, organise, manage or generally be involved with this team then please be in touch!

Abhishek and Sunny

Abhishek and Sunny who have both played and trained with the Crows for many years have been missing practice for the last year due to being awarded scholarships to study in the USA. Abhishek was in Miami studying Management and Sunny in Seattle studying Hospitality, both are back now and hoping that a year in the USA can be put to good use in developing their careers. They will however be running rounds of the Maidan for the next month as punishment for missing so much practice!

2011 Corporate Touch Rugby

March was our annual corporate Touch Rugby:
THE RESULTS…..
Cup Final: Jadavpur University beat PWC ‘A’ 10-5
Plate Final: Dos Minute Kella beat BOC 20-10
Bowl Final: HSBC beat Terra Indica 10-5
Tankard Final: Future Hope beat Alstom 20-10

Facebook: Crows, Khelo and Uncle

We have very active Facebook pages for the Crows, Khelo Rugby and Rugby Uncle. All our news is posted on these pages and lots of friends are sharing ideas and plans. If you are not a member then please do consider joining, and if you are please look up these pages and join in!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this update – Thanks All!

Jungle Crows supported by
Nalco
BOC Le Coq Sportif Ennore Indismart
AND YOU?

Report on Afghanistan Rugby

by Zaffar Khan

Introduction

My name is Zaffar Khan.   I am a 25 years old Indian Citizen of Afghan origin and I have been playing rugby for the last 8 years. I got introduced to the game through my local club the Jungle Crows in Kolkata when I was 17. Through the support of the club founder, Paul Walsh, I got selected for the West Bengal state team and in 2008 I was selected for the Indian National Team.

In September 2010 I became a project Manager with the Jungle Crows.  The club not only plays rugby but has also set up a number of social projects to help less privileged people and children in India which I manage.  One of those projects is “Khelo Rugby” started in January 2009 which takes sporting opportunities to young children in disadvantaged communities/slums.  Using the sport of rugby we aim to make a positive impact in these communities.

I  have also organised the” Jungle Crows Workforce” which has taken on a number of clean-up missions – tidying up the playground at a Government Girls High School which had been completely ambushed with weeds and litter for the last 20 years and refurbishing a dis-used community hall in a slum called Brooklyn.

I have also helped organise the annual Jungle Crows Corporate Touch Rugby Tournament which is a carnival of 10 plus corporate teams competing against each other.

In December 2010 I was contacted by the Afghan Rugby Federation and invited to coach and select the national Afghan team primarily because I speak the local language, Pashto, and have some experience in the game.

KABUL – The Camp

On 20^th May 2011 I arrived in Kabul to begin the 10-Day Camp.  Although I have visited Kabul before I was excited to be back and try and spread awareness of the game.

A typical day at the camp began at 5.00am with a morning training session of 2.5 hours at the Ghazi Stadium.  It is an early start as many of the boys participating in the programme have to go to school or work after the session finishes.  However at this time of the morning the weather conditions are prefect as it gets very hot later in the day.

Rugby training in Afghanistan

Day 1 - when I arrived at the stadium there were only 7 boys ready to learn how to play rugby.  None of these boys had seen a rugby ball before so I started teaching the basic skills such as throwing and catching the ball, backward passing and introducing them to some of the technical terms used in the game such as “Knock-on”, “Scrum” “Line-Out” and so on.

Day 2 – The word about the camp had spread and we had 18 boys at the session. We ran through the basics again very quickly and then I introduced tackling.   Initially we used the tackle pads and then later in the practice the pads were removed and the boys tackled each other.  I finished the session with the boys playing a full rugby contact game.  It was amazing to see the boys learning the rules quickly and putting them into play.  I felt we were achieving things fast!

Day 3 – Even more boys came along to join the session.  I introduced rucking and scrum techniques.  At first the boys found it difficult because of the physical contact but they soon got used it and by the end of the session I think they enjoyed it because it allowed them to get their aggression out on the field.

Day 4/5 - we had 26 boys participating ranging between the ages of 15 – 24 and all of different abilities.

Day 6 - we travelled to Jalalabad with a group of 6 boys plus our Manager Ashur and the Doctor, to run the second phase of the Camp.  We coached 20 boys and selected 4 potentials for the national team who have returned with us to Kabul to participate in Phase 3 of the Camp.

Jalalabad

Zaffar Khan coaching in Jalabad

The camp at Jalalabad began with six of the boys from Kabul who volunteered to help us showing what they knew. Mr Ashur (Manager) as usual was great with his organisation of stuff required for the camp, accommodation and food.

Day 1 - we reached there and in the evening we had to look for a suitable place to practice.  After lot of “no’s”  we found a cricket ground which the chief was kind enough to let us use for the days we were in Jalalabad. On the first day we had 2 boys because of lack of information to the people and the media not informed.

Day 2 - we started practice at 5am and had practice in the late evening. We found more boys and the total went up to almost 20 boys. Most of the boys we found were under 19’s out of which we choose 4 who seemed to catch the game up quickly. One news agency also came for interviews.

Day 3 - we had practice in the morning and most of the boys turned up and then it was of back to Kabul. So we now had selected 4 boys from Jalalabad out of which two came to Kabul and 2 were not able to make the team because of their school exams.

The Enthusiasm!

The boys are very enthusiastic to learn and there are some amazingly talented players who we will be putting forward for the national team.  At the start of the camp I quickly realized that most of them had never even seen the game of rugby.  They were more familiar with cricket. However I was impressed with how quick the boys picked up the skills and learnt the rules of backward passing, knock-ons etc.

One of the things we do need to work on is improving their fitness.  Because of the high altitude the boys were not used to the intensive training and the amount of running involved so we incorporated plenty of water breaks.  But I also saw a massive improvement in their fitness with each session.

Dealing with the Media

Midway through the session on the first day of Camp we met the Chairman of the Afghan Olympic Federation and did 10 media interviews!!!  I found the interviewers were curious about the game off which they had little knowledge and they asked us interesting questions like

• “what is the weight of the ball”
• “How many players in a team”
• “How long is a rugby pitch”

My Recommendations

In order to see the game of rugby expand in Afghanistan I would recommend the following:

• Grassroots coaching and introduction in a small group of schools/colleges perhaps using tag rugby
• Employ some experienced rugby coaches
• Run camps to train up coaches and referees
• Acquire a rugby playing ground
• Purchase equipment and kit
• Gain assured access to medical and first aid facilities
• Set budgets
• In parallel develop a senior 15-a-side team to join Asian 5 Nations, an under 20 team to play in Asian junior tournaments and a senior sevens team.  Players can be in more than one squad.
• Seek Invitations from other countries for the Afghan national squad to play friendly matches and take part in tournaments such as the Asian 5 Nations.
• Work on getting ARF to join the IRB, Afghan Olympic Association, Asian Rugby Union

After a glittering 15 years of top flight rugby, 57 caps for his country and 31 tries, Ben Cohen MBE has decided to hang up his boots to fully take over his new role of Chairman to the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, the world’s first anti-bullying organisation. Cohen’s role as an advocate for equality and the rights of the individual has been developing over the past few years through his work with the gay community both in the UK and the USA. He is the first straight sports star to dedicate his philanthropic efforts for the benefit of LGBT people.

He is currently travelling to the USA on his Acceptance Tour visiting 4 cities to promote his message, raise funds to assist existing LGBT organisations and to gather support from everyone encouraging them to stand up with him against bullying and homophobia and to stand up for love and equality.

‘To be honest, I would never have imagined my career was going to move in this direction after my professional rugby career, but here we are – it’s happening. It is incredibly exciting and we have so many plans in the pipeline to be able to make a difference.”

In my view, rugby is a very inclusive sport. Everyone can get involved in one way or another, so I will be using it as a vehicle to drive my message of acceptance out to people from all walks of life, everywhere. There is a lot of work to be done. Attitudes need to change. Young people should not be bullied into taking their own lives. That is what is happening and it needs to stop’.

Cohen, 32, started playing professional rugby at 17 years old as part of the Northampton Saints set up where he played for 11 years. During that time he was part of the team that won the Heineken Cup in 2000. He then went on to win the World Cup in 2003 with England.

‘I have reached the top in my sport. It has been an incredible journey and has put me in the privileged position I am in today to be able to work on these exciting new projects through the StandUp Brand. As athletes, it is not enough just to have strong bodies. We must have strong characters and use our voices to support those who need and deserve it.’

After 18 months playing in France at CA Brive, Cohen returned to the UK to finish his career with a two year stint with Sale Sharks.

The Ben Cohen Acceptance Tour , 19th to 29th May 2011, involves working with the Gay/Gay Friendly rugby clubs in Atlanta, New York, Washington DC and finishes at the Magnitude Tournament in Seattle. Cohen will be running training sessions, talking to groups at universities, schools and colleges as well as attending a variety of fund raising events throughout the 10 days.

Cohen will be staying within the rugby arena as much as possible on a variety of projects that are currently in formation.

MESSAGE FROM BEN.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years. It has been an incredible journey and there are so many of you who have stuck by me through thick and thin. I really am grateful to all of you. I have friends who have known me since I was 17 years old and playing at Saints and new friends who are supporting my cause and standing up with me against bullying. You all hold a special place in my heart.”

I see this as the beginning of my new career and I have much work to do. The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation is being officially launched at the beginning of our Acceptance Tour this coming week. I look forward to keeping in touch with everybody and am excited about standing up for equality and making a difference”

Ben

The event is being staged to support the Help For Heroes Charity and all our armed service personnel.

The event will feature not only rugby but many other events and entertainment to commemorate, support and show our thanks for our armed services bravery and sacrifice.

Our Help For Heroes ID :20110314-8782-8600

Please register your team / teams ASAP . Spaces are going fast so we have to work on a first come first served bases. We also have a mini festival so again if you would like to enter a team/ teams please let me know ASAP.

Tailor Made Sports Tours is an ATOL, ABTA & IATA Bonded Travel Operator with over 20 years experience in constructing sports tours to worldwide destinations if you are interested in touring please feel free to contact us for more information. Tailor Made Sports Tours is the Official Travel Operator for the UK Super 10’s Tournament.

Thank you for your help and support.

Teresa Stenner

Director
Tailor Made Sports Tours
The Welsh Experience
Bradford & Wales
Tel: 0845 608 3606
Mob: 07826856676
Web: www.tailormadesportstours.com
Web: www.thewelshexperience.co.uk
Web: www.uksupersports.co.uk

I met John Mamea-Wilson on my last visit to Dubai and we have a number of exciting web projects bubbling – more importantly though, I recently spotted this on his facebook page and saw that he was involved in it, so I asked if I could help circulate the flyer.

On Thursday April 28th TOA Dubai will be fielding an International XV to play against the fantastic Magners league champions Ospreys. There will be some great names there including Tommy Bowe, Shane Williams, Alun Wynn-Jones, Adam Jones and more.

If you are in UAE then get yourself along to this as not only will it be a fantastic day but it’s also for a great cause.