Week two of ten of the Bangkok Lions Mini Rugby Union comprising both coaching clinics and the DHL Bangkok Lions League was successfully completed week last Saturday, 1st May, at the Bangkok Patana School Sports Complex. Despite the weekend public holiday, well over 150 children were coached and played age group matches against each over a four-hour period.

With many coaches playing in the Chris Kays Memorial Tens in Pattaya last weekend, last week’s coaching was impressively led by Paul Clifton, along with many of the parents. With further children registering last Saturday morning, the club has now signed up 196 players from all over Bangkok.

BLMRU Chairman Bruce Hill said, “With the ever increasing numbers of children involved we have already started our planning for next season in how this initiative can be extended further. Our current thinking is to continue the coaching clinics at the beginning of the next school year and try to capture an increasing number of schools in and around Bangkok. Thanks must be extended to League sponsors DHL plus other major sponsors London Development Company and Caledonia Asia without whose support this would not be possible.”

Amongst last Saturday’s matches in the 4 to 6 year group, the Krungthep Warriors beat the Bangkok Harlequins by six tries to one with all six tries being scored by Ben Farebrother who after scoring nine tries in two weeks has been moved to a higher age group. The other match in the 4 to 6 year group the Siamese Cats beat the Bangkok Wasps by 5 tries to 2 with Finn McElroy scoring two tries for the Cats. The 7 to 8 year group saw the Krungthep Wanderers beat the Siamese Crusaders 4 tries to 2 with Ian Ramsey scoring two tries for the Wanderers whilst the other game in this age group saw the Bangkok Sharks beat the Bangna Vagabonds by five tries to two.

In the 9 to 10 year group the Hurricanes once again beat the Typhoons again in a close match and again winning by one try with three tries to two and the 11 to 12 age group saw a reversal of fortunes from last week as the Barbarians beat the Aliens winning by 5 tries to one.

In the under 17’s match the standard of rugby continues to improve and this week’s match saw The Eagles and The Falcons draw 4 tries a piece draw with Jack Carroll scoring twice for the Falcons and Brett Keyes scoring twice for the Eagles. Tak Niino also had the pleasure of scoring two tries, one for each team as the substitutes were shared!

Should there be any parents wish to register their children, both boys and girls, to participate in the next eight weeks, this can be done at the Sports Complex opposite Bangkok Patana School, 2/38 Soi LaSalle, Sukhumvit 105 from 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, 8th May. Please note the start times listed for the various age groups below and allow sufficient time for registration: