SEOUL SURVIVORS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
Maybe Next Weekend
IN BRIEF: • Training at Jamwon rugby pitch scheduled for 10am Saturday. Be ready to go on the hour sharp. If you can’t attend training please inform Ra or Simon.
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• An experienced English referee, Darryl Chapman, will be running an informal clinic at training this weekend for anyone interested in giving the whistle a go.
Seoul Survivors Play At Olympic Stadium
• Next Saturday, the 26th of September is the International Touch Seoul (ITS) tournament. It will be held at the Korea Military Academy in Nowon District, NorthEast Seoul. Even if touch isn’t your thing, please come down and support the Survivors from the sideline. There will be refreshments on offer and great oval ball action all day.
CONTENTS: Page 2: Gangnam 10s Reports. Page 3: Player Profile - Jordan Smigelsky Survivors’ Mail Bag.
The Oakwood Seoul Survivors and Korea University B enjoy the occasion at Olympic Stadium.
By Kurt Taogaga Page 4: Beer Pong. Pitch directions.
CONTACTS:
•
Ted Gray (Club Captain) 011-287-9558
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Roddy Bancroft (Manager) 016-494-7363
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Simon Walsh (Pitch Captain) 010-9417-9554
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Kurtis Taogaga (Media) 010-3149-6547
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Rawiri King (Coach) 010-8698-4982
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RJ Karas (Social Officer) 010-5465-6122
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Jordan Smigelsky (Community Project Manager)
•
Richard Jarvis (Website)
The Oakwood Seoul Survivors capped off a huge summer of rugby by extending their 15-aside winning record at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium last Saturday. The 70,000 seat arena was mostly empty for the 9am match but the few early stragglers that had shown up still constituted possibly the largest audience that the majority of the Survivors had ever played in front of. The ‘Grey and Blacks’ squared off against a Korea University B side composed mostly of the college’s PE department as the curtain raiser to the traditional Korea University/Yonsei University rugby match that takes
place annually at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. Warming up with a lap around the field, the players were pinching themselves as they emerged onto the same sports ground that Ben Johnson infamously “broke” the 100 metre world record for Canada. Sideline, the cheerleaders for the respective universities warmed up, testing their overpowered speaker systems, making onfield communication difficult and contributing to the daunting atmosphere. However, the Survivors weren’t rattled by the immensity of the stadium or the occasion and, in front of a vocal crowd of student onlookers and the regular sideline support, ran
out 20-0 victors over the inexperienced Korean side in a 50 minute match, abbreviated due to scheduling clashes with the main event. The highlights of the shortened game belonged mostly to the Koreans who played the contact with vigour and showed a refreshingly mature approach to the game, learning from mistakes and getting on with the match without resorting to constant protests to sway the officials. The University B side’s hardy defensive effort restricted the expats to four unconverted tries including lock David Judge’s first since 1997. Congratulations, Judge!
Survivors Swallow Bitter 10s Pill By Kurt Taogaga The Seoul Survivors were left ruing their chances as call after call went against them in the Cup semi-finals of the Gangnam 10s at Jamwon this past Sunday. The game was tipped in the balance until a controversial penalty try was awarded to the Ansan squad pushing the ‘Black and Greys’ into overtime. Unfortunately, the A team were unable to stay in it at this point and Ansan ran out winners to progress to the final before a mob of outraged Survivors supporters. From the outset the Survivors A squad took a professional approach to the day’s proceedings warming up and conducting drills sidelines to keep the desire fresh. Unlike their Killer Bs counterparts, the A team were well rested, lucid and experienced campaigners who had every capability of winning the competition. In the pool stages, the Survivors displayed their talent and ability beating both the Yonsei and Haka teams to compete for the Cup in the knockout stages and title of Seoul 10s champions. The standard of refereeing had, up to the semi-finals, been of a fairly good standard. However, in the A team’s final outing, frustrated supporters couldn’t help but think that something a little more underhanded than simple incompetence was affecting
Survivors accept their silverware at the Gangnam 10s. L to R: Justin Painter, Brett Fitzgerald, Jeff Rands, John Goddard, Richard Jarvis, Dan Grover, Nathan Atkins. the ref’s whistle. Nevertheless, the Korean opposition played hard, fair and to the whistle but it looked like one of those days where the expats would have to completely dominate the opposing team to have any chance of advancing. In the tight exchanges, the 50/50 calls seemed to all go one way and even the more obvious decisions seemed to be out of the ref’s grasp.
Eventually, the A team slipped away at the last moment in overtime but left the field holding heads high knowing that the 2009 Survivors are fully capable of fielding quality rugby teams that can stand up to the best on the peninsula. Look out for the Survivors 10s squads in Gumi early October.
Killer Bs Gain Valuable Experience...Even Without Their Stingers By RJ Karas This past Saturday the Seoul Survivors were lucky enough to submit two teams in the Seoul 10s tournament at Jamwon. The Killer Bs, as the second side was known, truly found themselves in a winwin situation. With a mix of youth, inexperience and a few regulars who were still seeing double from the night before, expectations for the second side were understandably low. With that being said, though, the chance for many to get some much needed playing time was too valuable an opportunity to pass up.
Jordan Smigelsky took the reigns of the squad after watching Kurt Taogaga consume a Big Mac that was in his kit bag from the night before ... Taogaga was obviously planning ahead. Smigelsky did his best with the players that were available however after moving a utility back row/hooker to center, out of necessity, one’s prospects of success decreased exponentially. Both seventeen year old Louis Galtié and newcomer Juan Nieto stood out as the Killer Bs took their lumps. Though Galtié had to come off because of a knock to the head he never showed fear
as he strapped up the boots with men nearly twice his age. Likewise, Nieto, a man known in his homeland for his cow-wrangling abilities, displayed his quickness and strength. As the day wore on it became evident that the Killer Bs were slightly outmatched with the fast-paced style that is 10s rugby. Although they did not get the results that they desired the day was not a waste. The Killer Bs held their heads high and took solace in the famous phrase “we’ll live to fight another day.”
Player Profile Name:
Jordan Smigelsky
Nickname:
Fratboy
Position:
Prop
Birthdate:
04/03/1982
Hometown: Caledon, Ontario, Canada With his ever-present cap-turned backwards and sporting his favourite hockey shirt, Smigelsky earned the dubious nickname of Fratboy. A regular in the Survivors engine room, Fratboy has epitomised the heart and soul of the team for over two years. Fratboy’s other pastimes include disrespecting culture which earned him the secondary nickname: Brokenose. First rugby memory: Training in a spring snowstorm and not being able to feel my hands.
What are you doing in Korea? Teaching and travelling.
Favourite thing about Korea: The food, cheap beer and the ridiculous amount of money that they pay recent university graduates with no teaching experience.
Survivors’ Mail Bag In an attempt to make the weekly newsletter as interactive and informative as possible we have decided to start a new feature, the Survivors’ Mail Bag. Each week, you are encouraged to email your questions to survivorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to address your question or questions to any member of the Survivors, the more people we can get involved the better. As far as topics, as long as it is relevant to rugby or the Survivors anything is fair game ... after all there is no such thing as dumb questions, right? As far as this week’s question, with Australia and New Zealand squaring off in the final Tri-Nations match of 2009 on Saturday, we figured that it would be appropriate to discuss the series, so ...
What is the significance & history of the Tri-Nations series? The Tri-Nations is an international rugby series that is held annually between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The TriNations began in 1996 when SANZAR was formed. SANZAR is the union that was created in order to establish the tournament between the three Southern Hemisphere countries. Since the inception of the tournament the All Black’s of New Zealand have taken home the Tri-Nations trophy nine times, South Africa has won the tournament three times and the Wallabies from Australia have taken the top spot twice. The Tri-Nations series will cease to exist as of 2012. The successful run of the tournament along with the improved play of fellow Southern Hemisphere nation, Argentina, has created a need to expand the series to include a fourth team. Argentina will begin competing for the “Four Nations” series in 2012.
Least favourite thing about Korea: Korean rugby referees, ajummas and What do you like most at train- How would you like to improve ajosshis. yourself off the rugby field? ing? Get a Masters in the next couple Playing Rugby League. of years. What do you enjoy about your position? What do you like least at trainScrums. If you were to die tomorrow, ing? Fitness and being yelled at to run what would you be remembered for? faster. What don’t you like about your posiBeing the 2nd prop forward feation? tured in Seoul Survivors NewsletGetting donkey kicked by a 1st time What are your interests out- ter. jumper in a line-out. side rugby? Xbox, reading, travelling and movies Do you have a good luck charm/ritual for games? No. Do you have a favourite quote or saying? What do you miss most about home? “Put me on ice” (in response to Tim Horton’s, hockey, family, friends and people telling me to run faster). Canadian beer.
Beer Pong Bridges Gaps By RJ Karas Throughout history there have been many events that have brought different societies and cultures together. For example, during the ancient Olympic Games, first held in 776BC, truces were agreed to between rival city-states to ensure safe travel for their respective athletes. Similarly, this Saturday, on the third floor of Scrooge Pub at 2 pm, many different cultures will be promoting sportsmanship and unity while competing at the highest level against one another. Though the prospects of Kiwis, Australians, South Africans, Americans, Canadians, English, French, Venezuelans, and all the other nationalities that make up the Seoul Survivors being civil during competition seems unlikely it is worth a try. Traditionally, Beer Pong is native to North America however variations of
the game exist worldwide. In an effort to bring cultures that do not have a history of peaceful interaction together the first Survivors’ Beer Pong Spectacular was created as a warm up for the Australia/New Zealand test on Saturday. Although there will be no ceremonial doves to symbolize the unity of the squad, all matches will be played with white ping pong balls as opposed to the standard orange colored balls. An olive branch, of sorts, from one culture to another. Hard feelings will be saved for the final TriNations match later in the day. As each team competes, for the pride of their home country, they will remember one thing ... WIN OR LOSE WE ALL STILL BOOZE!!! Credits Editor: Kurt Taogaga Co-editor: Ali McCannell Contributing writers: RJ Karas and Kurt Taogaga Photos: Olympic Stadium/10s - Richard Jarvis
Public Transport: Apgujeong Station (#335) Exit 6. Walk down the road for about 500 meters and then turn right between Shinsa Middle School and Hyundai High School. Walk to the end of the road and turn left at the T-junction. Keep walking, after 75 meters there is a tunnel on your right. This takes you under the Olympic Expressway and brings you out in a car park by the river. The rugby pitch is on the right of the car park. Driving: Go south over Hannam bridge over the Olympic Expressway, turn right towards Apgujeong Stn. The road loops around and you head east parallel with the river but south of the Olympic Expressway. After 500m turn left at the traffic light between Shinsa Middle and Hyundai High schools. Go to the end of the road, turn left and after 75m turn right through the tunnel under the Olympic Expressway. The rugby pitch is on the right of the car park.