Bangkok Redemption: Tokyo Gaijin Crowned 2025 Shield Champions

Published by David McElhinney at March 8, 2025

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With bated breath, the long-awaited Bangkok 10s finally arrived—marking the official start of the Tokyo Gaijin’s 2025 SEA tour. The Gaijin managed to field a team from across Japan, stretching from the southern warmth of Fukuoka to the cold north of Akita, with a beautiful mix of nationalities in between.

Each member found their own unique route to Bangkok: some sprinted across Chinese airport terminals to catch connecting flights, others endured 15+ hour layovers in Vietnam, and one even managed to arrive at the wrong airport in Bangkok. But somehow, we all made it to the Galleria 10 Hotel in time for the opening team meeting—ready for a jam-packed weekend of rugby.

Friday night kicked things off with new faces and old friends sharing beers and stories. Tour kits were handed out, and Lelio Brun and Curtis Reid were announced as Captain and Vice-Captain for the tour. Afterward, we joined the Bangkok 10s Welcome Party, mingling with teams from all over Asia—and even one from Europe—before heading out for a late-night team dinner and some classic tour virgin initiations. Despite the chaos, everyone somehow found their way back to the hotel, buzzing for the weekend ahead.

Day One: Getting Into Gear

Saturday’s group stages started slow for the Gaijin, going 1-2 on the day.
Our opener was a gritty, defense-heavy match against the Bangkok Bangers, where we went down 0-7 in a tight contest. The second game saw us fall 0-10 to a strong Cruiser Corner SC side, still struggling to find our rhythm on offense.

But adjustments were made, and our final group match was against familiar friends—the CNX Cobras. With our offense finally clicking, we closed out the day with a much-needed 12-0 win and renewed confidence heading into Day Two.

Saturday night was all about good food and great company. We hit the town for a solid team dinner sampling local delicacies, though a few lads had to call it early—either from allergies or a sudden case of food poisoning (who can say).

Day Two: The Shield Run

With the group stages behind us, the Gaijin were playing for either the Bowl or Shield. First up was a tough one against the Selwyn Raptors, a rep side from Canterbury, New Zealand. They came out hard and handed us a heavy 0-28 defeat. That loss dropped us into the Shield bracket—but we kept our heads high and stayed focused on taking home some silverware.

In the Shield semi-final, we faced the Saigon Geckos—a team we had tied with in last year’s group stages. No draws this time. We came out strong and walked away with a 14-7 win, earning our shot at redemption in the final.

The Final: A Bangkok Grudge Match

And then… it happened.
The Shield Final brought us up against none other than the Black Bunnies—our Tokyo rivals who had crushed our Bangkok 10s dreams last year.

Fueled by unfinished business, the Gaijin came out hot. We opened the scoring with our signature BJ call—a 10-loop off the scrum—which led to a smooth try from Vice-Captain Curtis Reid. But the Bunnies responded with a line break and a cheeky offload to Yu Nagai, a Tokyo Gaijin player moonlighting for the enemy (!), tying things up.

We bounced right back, swinging the ball wide for a first-half try by Ron Joseph Guatlo (that’s me, baby). With a 12-5 lead going into halftime, we locked things down in the second half. One final try came from Moceituba Sio, who capitalized on a loose offload from the Bunnies to seal the win.

Final score: 19-5. The Tokyo Gaijin are your 2025 Bangkok 10s Shield Champions.

Off the Pitch: Kangaroo Court & Chaos

With the rugby done, it was time for the real games—Kangaroo Court.
Accusations flew, defences were weak at best, and there may or may not have been someone who threw up in their own cup… and tried to drink from it again. Classic tour chaos.

From there, we hit the beer garden for some dancing—joined by a few sukebe Japanese men—before one final rooftop pool session and a dinner full of bubbles to toast the end of an unforgettable tour.