July 13, 2004

SUGADAIRA DIARY

This club owes a great many things to Takeshi Takeda, but infallible administration is not one of them. Due to a clerical error in which, as so often happens, the word Saturday was mistaken for Sunday, the Gaijin lost a third of their most experienced operators before the tour even began. And that was back in the days, meaning the day before we left, when we thought we were only registered for the 10?s.

June 29, 2004

GAIJIN ROUNDED UP THE SEASON

ImageTokyo Gaijin rounded up the season with a mini triangular tournament at the Mitaka fields which might or might not serve as a concrete excavation quarry during the week.

The two worthy opponents: Mitaka R.F.C. and Girls - the former having made sure that their home pitch was immaculately raked, and the latter presumably imagining that their name is quite hilarious for a rugby side.

The first outing against Mitaka was, by all accounts, bad. They were fast and fit and exploited some naive back-three defence with good kicking by their fly-half, Harry Highpants (perhaps not the name his mother gave him).I can say that because I am the supposed back-three general. Sadly, my stripes came loose in the gravel. Having nullified a potential area of exploitation, the scrum, by conveniently "not having any front rowers" and requesting 'Golden Oldies' (no pushing), they proceeded to get plenty of clean ball out to their quick backs and scored several tries down the wings.

June 15, 2004

ROKKO MOUNTAIN TOO HIGH

Rokko East RFC 25 Tokyo Gaijin 0

After the blow of last week?s Tokyo Cup final defeat, the Gaijin were determined to enjoy themselves in this end of tournament play-off. And with some rare sunshine burning off the bacteria from the otherwise swampy Kizooch field, there was a renewed appetite for the raw-boned thud of contact.

June 9, 2004

MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN

Image

On behalf of the Tokyo Gaijin RFC players, I would like to take the time to extend a big 'Thank you' to all our supporters who give up their precious free time to help us out. I am very lucky to be in a position where we have too many supporters to mention you all by name, but perhaps special thanks should go to our tireless managers, Ayako Number 1 and Ayako Number 2 and our medic, Shino Iwasaki. The amount of work put in by you and others off the field makes our job as players so much easier on the field. Without your support, there would be no team. You are as much a part of our club as any player and I would like you all to know that you are valued as such. To finish with a quote from our resident scribe, Richard Beard, when it comes to our supporters, "We need you more than you need us!"

Joe Fisher.