AsiaLIFE

The Cambodian Federation of Rugby is bringing Cambodian players to the forefront of the game—and through international competitions, showcasing Cambodian rugby to the world. Words by Craig Gerard. Photography by Conor Wall.

Anyone looking to promote a new sport in Cambodia would be wise to look at the Cambodian Federation of Rugby as a model of efficiency and sustainability. Unlike other Western sports in Cambodia, the majority of rugby is played by Khmers, according to James Sterling, a board member of the CFR. “It is amazing to see the progression of these athletes,” he says. “They are truly competing on an international level.”

In rugby’s early years in the Kingdom, the sport was mostly played by expats working at NGOs during the UNTAC period in the 1990s. In 2000, a small and determined group of these players started working with children from NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, and thus Cambodian rugby was born.

There are three Cambodian senior clubs, Sisowath Knights, Stade Khmer and PSE Garuda, in the ANZ Royal Super 4 league, which also includes the Saigon Geckos. The season for these club teams runs from December to June. On Nov. 5, these four teams will be joined by eight more men’s teams and two women’s teams to kick off the season with the ANZ Royal Angkor 10’s tournament.

For the 11th straight year, club teams from all across the region, including as far away as Australia and Dubai, will descend on Cambodia for a celebration of rugby.

“This year we are doing a rugby festival,” explains Sterling, who is also the tournament organiser. This means a family-friendly event, complete with face painters, bouncy castles and food vendors organised by tournament host Northbridge International School. Joining the long list of sponsors, Kingdom Breweries will provide discounted barley pops and SOS International will be on hand to bandage damaged players.

The setup for the Angkor 10’s allows spectators to see a whole lot of rugby packed into one day. Teams of 10 a side (compared to the normal 15) will play on a wide-open field, with lots of long runs and hopefully high scores. This favours small, quick teams, which is why the Cambodian teams generally do well. Starting at 8am, teams will play 12-minute halves, so that each game takes approximately half an hour. By 6pm, the 12 teams will be narrowed down to one, and the winner of the 2011 ANZ Royal Angkor 10’s will be crowned.

The two ladies teams will play a longer 20-minute half game during the day as well. Additionally, on Nov. 4 at 3pm, there will be an Old Boys 15 a side game for players with more life experience, also at Northbridge. With free admission and lots of entertainment, the ANZ Royal Angkor 10’s promises to be a fun festival for the whole family.

In Cambodia, the best players from the club teams are selected for the national team, led by coach Richie Flanagan. The national team competes annually in the Mekong Cup and the HSBC Asian Five Nations Division Five tournaments. To be eligible for the national team, at least one grandparent or parent must be Khmer, and players of other nationalities must have permanent residency for longer than 36 months in Cambodia.

While the Cambodian national team may not compete at the level of the recently finished Rugby World Cup, they have built a solid programme over the last decade and are now competing with other teams from the region.

The team’s main rival, Laos, seems to win more of the matches, but the two teams are evenly matched in skill and fundamentals. Teams with a longer track record in rugby like Brunei are generally stronger, but Laos saw victory against Brunei in last year’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations tournament. The Cambodian national team seems poised for a similar upset, as the programme is growing stronger every year. Much of this strength comes from the commendable organisational skills of the Cambodian Federation of Rugby.

An annual gala dinner raises awareness of the game here in Cambodia, as well as increases the profile of the Cambodian rugby scene abroad. Each year, international rugby stars join the gala dinner for this purpose. The gala gets bigger each year as the league continues its path to progress.

Youth teams are used to develop the next generation of players. The three senior clubs each run their own youth development teams, which are divided by age, with teams at Under 11, Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 20. A player that graduates to the next level needs to also improve his skills to be able to compete, but Sterling explains that this is what the Cambodian Federation of Rugby is all about. “It gives you such a good feeling to watch a player hone his skills as he moves from the Under 15s to the Under 17s,” Sterling says.

According to Sterling, by 2015 the CFR aims to reach a target of 855 active players on 44 different teams. And while the game has the potential to change the lives of hundreds of Cambodian players, the organisers are equally rewarded for their hard work. “I couldn’t imagine life without it,” says Sterling.