April 22, 2009

Gaijin take on Kurumi RFC

The successful 2008 Tokyo Cup campaign started with a shock loss to Fuji Club but was followed by a couple of resounding wins from which the team was able to sneak into the Semi's and ultimately promotion into the First Division. It was hoped by all that the 2009 campaign's miserable start (loss to Musashino) was just a blip on the radar, with better things to come in the second match of the tournament against Kurumi RFC. And that is pretty much what transpired on a hot sunny day in Misato, Saitama. Well, sort of.

March 23, 2009

Video Footage to understand the game

Rugby is a complex game with a number of laws that are to be interpreted by the official on the field.  Those laws give rise to a number of different styles of play and structures with which to guide your team towards victory.  Game play is dictated by a number of different aspects such as; Pre-conceived gameplans, stages of the game, team strengths, opposition stregths, score, weather conditions....

Below are some video links of full games from different competitions in order to view the tactics and approaches of different teams in different situations.  I hope you enjoy your viewing of them and that they help in better understanding your role in the game and ways to to improve your affectiveness.

March 18, 2009

Champions League: Superman RFC

SmileyChildren turned out in their droves in anticipation to watch their beloved mentors compete against their fathers, as the "Superman" vs the Tokyo Gaijin match kicked off at an unsuspecting venue...  on top of a water treatment plant on the outskirts of town. Contrary to rumours spread around the rugby club however, the opposition team named "Superman" does not in fact boast a line-up of superheroes. Nonetheless the TGRFC knew that this would be a serious test for them.

March 7, 2009

Champions League, Round 1: Setagaya

Feb 21, 2009: The Tokyo Gaijin fielded a squad with well over a dozen forwards but no back reserves to face a largely unknown Setagaya (champions of their name-sake league). The weather was warm and sunny with a bit of wind and the Gaijin were confident of a solid result. A few new faces arrived including hooker Barry Amos-Yeo from the UK, Mike Crafton from the US who is in Japan temporarily and Saiki #2 the Fijian hooker who was borrowing someones ill-fitting boots. Two sets of props was more than enough and a plethora of loose forwards meant a bundle of energy available for the entire match, or so we expected.