Learning curve in Brunei

Brunei was the hosts for the inaugural Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) Junior Championships, which was held from December 14th to the 22nd. The official name of the annual competition, formerly known as the ARFU Under-20 Tournament, was changed this yer due to the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) decision to combine the under-19 and under-20 championships for the Junior World Cup be held in Wales and the Junior World Trophy to be held in Chile. These two events will be worked out in June 2008.

The world junior championship is now divided into two as Junior Cup and Junior Trophy the Asian championship too were divided into two divisions with Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Malaysia Thailand Singapore and Korea competing for the ARFU Junior Cup. Brunei, Chinese Taipei, India, Laos, the Philippines and the Arabian Gulf contested for the ARFU Junior Trophy. Winners of the ARFU Junior Cup will go to represent Asia at the IRB Junior World Trophy to be held in Chile. The winner of the ARFU junior Trophy will be promoted to next year's ARFU Junior Cup competition.

The tournament does not feature Japan who are already Asia's representatives at the IRB Junior World Cup Championship in Wales in June 2008. The ARFU Junior Cup Championship is therefore without Japan who has found their feet in the world rugby circuit. It is not only the ASIAD played in Sri Lanka or the Sri Lankan Singer Sevens that you may find the absence of Japan. They who are above the rest in Asia will obviously be identified and will want to spend more time to being in places that will help their game to progress.

Sri Lanka Juniors won their match against Thailand by 12 points to 6. All the scoring was done in the last minutes of the second half and was through two tries of which one was converted. They lost to Hong Kong's 6-0 in a hard-fought game. With this win Hong Kong entered the final to play against Korea. Sri Lanka in the meanwhile played Malaysia to determine the third and fourth Place.

Sri Lanka did well against Malaysia beating them by 43 points to nil to secure the third place. The Sri Lanka team scored 6 tries of which 5 were converted and 1 penalty was put over. Bilal Hassen scored two tries and one try each was placed by Thilina Bulner, Roshan Wijesiri, Gayan Weerakoon, Buddhika Abeysinghe. Reza Mubarak converted 4 tries and 1 penalty, while Harshana Weerakody converted 1 try. Bilal Hassan who scored against Thailand did well in this match too. Once again it has been the forwards who have been doing the hard work but this time around they have had the support of the back division.

Sri Lanka can be satisfied that they have done better as compared the last tournament. They went down to Hong Kong playing most of the match with only 14 players as several were sin-binned. They were however good in defense and did well to restrict Hong Kong. It was the forwards that played well for Sri Lanka in all three matches whereas there was a weakness shown by the three quarters who did not play as well as the forwards. However in the last match against Malaysia. The three quarters found their rhythm and were able to finish the good work done by the forwards.

South Korea Beat Hong Kong by 15points to ten and will take their place in the Junior World Trophy match. With the tournament concluded Sri Lanka are ranked fourth and are behind Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. South East Asia presented rugby with another opportunity last week when six men's and four women's teams played in the Rugby Sevens competition in the 24th South East Asian Games, held in Thailand . The six teams that competed in the men's section were Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines. In the women's competition it was Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos.

Thailand performed to the satisfaction of the home crowd to take Gold in both the men's and women's Sevens events on the final day of the 24th South East Asian Games. This gave the Thais a clean sweep of the rugby plum. They beat Philippines in the men's final after being held 12 all at half time. In the women's final, Thailand beat Cambodia 43 points to nil.

On the way to the final the Philippines beat men's favorites Malaysia 12-7 in extra time. Philippines who are finding their feet among the minnows of Asian Rugby have done well to beat established Asian Rugby playing countries and seem now set to make their presence felt in Asia.