The TGRFC has traditionally played in the Tama League but due to that League`s poor organization in recent years we decided to change to the Shuto League this year. As a pre-cursor to the season we were invited to play in the Shuto League Sevens alongside 16 other teams.

The TGRFC met out at Shin Urayasu at 8:45am (too early for some) armed with their new team tent and tarp. On arrival we noticed that there were two fields, a grass one and a dirt/gravel one. We shacked up next to the dirt field as that is what we are used to. Actually that position was allocated to us, but we felt at home anyway.

Before the recent test between Australia and France, Australian coach Eddie Jones was quoted as saying ?There`s the French team that turns up, and there`s the one that doesn`t.? Tokyo Gaijin turned up for their game against the All French at Asahi Shinbun Ground in Misato wondering which team they were going to play against.

      With a skeleton of the run-on squad that had played in the Tokyo Cup Final three weeks before due to injury and work/family commitments some were wondering that if the All French were ever going to beat TGRFC then today was a huge opportunity for them. Tokyo Gaijin were lucky to have the presence of 4 new guys ? Patrick Boyden, who announced that he hadn`t played rugby (in the centres) for 13 years and was promptly banished to Lock; Sam Lander, a young Kiwi who works for the circus and had amazed some and made others cringe when he leapt in the air and landed in the splits position during the warm-up; Yuichi, who has actually played for The Gaijin before and the East Japan Bulldogs RL team but is committed to his University team recently and Yuichi`s 19 year old University buddy Taka who played hooker.

Tokyo Gaijin RFC vs. Ryutsu Keizai Daigaku, Sunday June 12, 2005

The Tokyo Gaijin traveled out to the scenic locale of Ibaraki-ken for some free beer and a chance to watch the lovely cheerleaders that would be on display at the Ryutsu Keizai University rugby festival. Little did the Gaijin know that there was a slight catch in that we actually had to play a rugby match before all of this could be enjoyed!

After getting a whole of ten players actually anywhere near the ground within a reasonable space of time before kick-off in which to warm, hasty plans were put into action to secure the services of some ring-ins, who elected to remain nameless for privacy reasons.  After some hasty changing (class) room shenanigans where Heats Devlin expressed one of his fantasies, the Gaijin, finally with something resembling a squad of 15 made their way down to the pitch for the game against Ryutsu Keizai University ?C? grade.

• CBs international season wrap-up
• RWC 07 Asian Qualification
• The Rumour Mill
  • Super 8s
  • Buddy System
  • New president JRFU
  • Pacific players
• On the Horizon