Indonesia to Open Home Rugby Tournament Against Guam
Jakarta. Indonesia's national rugby union team will face off against Guam on Sunday at the British School Jakarta in Bintaro, South Jakarta.
The Rhinos are hosting China and the Pacific Island nation for the 2015 Asian Rugby Championship Division 3 East tournament.
The ARC competition replaces the Asian 5 nations, which the Rhinos won in Indonesia in 2008, against Laos and Cambodia. The winner of this year's tournament will get promotion to the ARC Division 2 tournament in 2016, and a chance to go to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan – the first time rugby's biggest event comes to Asia.
“Indonesia's destiny for promotion is in the hands of the selected players who can set up this fantastic opportunity by defeating Guam this Sunday,” said Stephen Barber, a life member of the Indonesian Rugby Union (PRUI). “The Rhinos will be hoping for plenty of hometown support from the ‘Merah-Putih’ brigade so get along for a great day of Asia rugby.”
Indonesia plays Guam at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Coming home
This weekend will also mark the first time Indonesia’s rugby team has played at home since 2011.
“We have played against Guam four or five times, and we have not beaten them,” said Daniel Nugroho, the Rhinos’ captain. “But this weekend, with playing at home, we are really excited, and looking at the teams this year ... all the players for Indonesia are prepared.
“We are confident that we can make history.”
The Rhinos will play China on June 12, a team it has both won and lost against in close matches. The Chinese play Guam on Wednesday.
In the 2011 A5N, held in Indonesia, the Rhinos beat Pakistan 20-19 in a playoff to take third place. China won that tournament, after beating Indonesia 32-23 in the earlier semifinal, before running out 28-18 champion over Guam.
Since then, Indonesia beat Pakistan again at the A5N in 2012, and in 2013 recorded a thumping 37-13 win over China. Last year, it lost a physical contest to the Chinese, 10-6, and won another, 11-10, against Laos in Vientiane.
During that time, through the continued efforts of the Indonesian Rugby Union, rugby has been steadily spreading throughout the archipelago. It now has support bases and teams across the main islands, Bali and Papua. Recently, the sport reached Pare-Pare in South Sulawesi.
It also has growing women's and youth development programs.
Tags: Keywords: