Letters to the Editor

Hi

My name is Cathy Bowen nee Downer and I have just spotted your website as I was looking to see if there were any obituaries yet for my Grandfather, Lionel Downer.  I did not know that he was a founder of your club and was wondering if you could let me have any information/memories of him from any of your members that may have known him.  Unfortunately for me, much of the information that I have about him is sketchy as I live in the UK so never got to ask whether he was involved in anything other than the Rotary Club.

Many thanks for your help in advance.

Cathy Bowen

Catherin Bowen

ELVs Set For Biggest Trial Yet

The southern hemisphere’s showpiece provincial competition, the Super 14, gets underway on Friday and while the action promises to be as fierce as ever, the spotlight will focus on an exciting new dimension to the competition – the introduction of several of the International Rugby Board’s Experimental Law Variations (ELVs).

While the ELV trial process has incorporated a number of Tournaments around the world over the past two years, the SANZAR competition, comprising provincial sides from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and some of the biggest names in the Game, will represent the highest level of testing to date.

Variations adopted by SANZAR for the Super 14 relate to the breakdown (tackle and post tackle area), the maul, the lineout, sanctions, kicking from inside the 22 metre line and the act of scoring in relation to the corner posts.

The full inventory of ELVs will also be trialled across all levels of competition in South Africa in 2008, including the Vodacom and Currie Cup competitions. This will also allow for a comprehensive injury surveillance audit to be undertaken.

RWC 2011 Planning Begins in Earnest

Planning for Rugby World Cup 2011 will gather momentum next week when Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) visits New Zealand for operational meetings with the local organising body, Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd.

The visit, which starts with Rugby World Cup Board and IRB Executive Committee meetings in Auckland on February 17 and 18, will see representatives from RWCL, RNZ 2011 Ltd and the France 2007 Organising Committee meet for four days of discussions to review RWC 2007 and step up preparations for RWC 2011 in New Zealand.

Senior Management from the France 2007 Organising Committee, including Chief Executive Officer Etienne Thobois and Tournament Administrator Claude Atcher, will be present for a joint meeting with RWCL and RNZ 2011 representatives, including CEO Martin Snedden, General Manager Tournament Services Nigel Cass and General Manager Corporate Services Therese Walsh to debrief all operational areas of the 2007 Tournament, transfer knowledge and identify key focus areas ahead of RWC 2011.

New Zealand have made the perfect start in the IRB Sevens World Series

New Zealand Continue to Dominate IRB Sevens World Series

New Zealand’s dominance of the 2007/08 IRB Sevens World Series continued to gather momentum with victories at the New Zealand and USA Tournaments this month.

In beating Kenya to reach the San Diego final the kiwis eclipsed their own six year old record of 34 successive victories and the win over South Africa secured a fourth Cup victory out of four this season, a feat never previously achieved, taking them to 80 Series points so far – a lead of 32 points with four rounds remaining.

The Series now moves on to the famous Hong Kong Sevens from March 28-30. The event, the most prestigious in the series, is already confirmed as a record sell-out. After Hong Kong, the teams move to Adelaide for the Australia Sevens on April 5-6.

Pools Set for Hong Kong Sevens

The draw has been made and the pools and schedule announced for the 2008 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, the fifth event in the 2007/08 IRB Sevens World Series.

Runaway leaders and defending Series champions New Zealand top the seedings and will start as strong favourites to land the 30 points on offer for the Cup Champions. The 24 sides will also compete for a US$150,000 prize purse.

New Zealand currently lie 32 points clear of their closest rivals South Africa in the Series standings after winning all four opening events of the IRB Sevens World Series, a feat never previously achieved. Their two title victories in London and Edinburgh at the end of last season mean that the kiwis have now gone 36 matches unbeaten in all competitions.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 Qualifying Under Way

Brazil's women made Rugby World Cup history when they won the CONSUR RWC Sevens 2009 Qualifying Tournament held in Punta del Este, Uruguay last month.

The Brazilians defeated Argentina 45-0 in the final, scoring seven tries to become the first team from their country to qualify for a RWC event in either Sevens or 15-aside competition. In winning the CONSUR Tournament for the fourth time, the Brazilians also underlined their dominance of Sevens Rugby in the Region.

In the men's Tournament, Uruguay booked their place at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 with a 31-19 victory over Chile in the final.

Uruguay now join the other nine teams that have already guaranteed places for Rugby Sevens’ showpiece event in Dubai: Fiji, New Zealand, England, Australia, France, Scotland, Argentina, South Africa (who all qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2005 Tournament in Hong Kong) and Host Union the Arabian Gulf. A further 14 places will be filled via the regional qualifier structures.

Further regional qualifier Tournaments for both men and women will take place across the world in 2008.

Lapasset Visits South Africa

Bernard Lapasset visited the home of Rugby World Cup champions South Africa at the end of January in what was his first official engagement as Chairman of the International Rugby Board.

Lapasset, who succeeded Dr Syd Millar as Chairman of the Game’s governing body at the beginning of the year, undertook a two day programme of meetings and public visits with the South African Rugby Union in Cape Town.

The visit provided the IRB with the opportunity to discuss with the Union the ongoing development of the Game in South Africa and the Continent, and to see the positive effects of development programmes in operation in local communities.

Accompanied by IRB Chief Executive Officer Mike Miller, Lapasset visited the historic Stellenbosch University, where the IRB’s Experimental Law Variations underwent their initial trials in 2006, and also viewed a demonstration of a mobile training unit at Kasselsvlei High School in Bellville.

IRB Announces Unprecedented Investment in the Game

The IRB will invest an unprecedented level of funds in the Game in 2008. Investment in the form of Game Development Grants and Tournament Grant funding for full Member Unions and Regional Associations during 2008 will total £13 million, representing a 10 percent increase on 2007 funding.

The £13 million expenditure in the form of Game Development and Tournament Grants in 2008 is in addition to the £10 million that the IRB will invest in targeted Unions this year as part of the three-year £30 million global strategic investment programme that was launched in 2005/06.

Annual Game Development Grants for development programmes and Union infrastructure initiatives for all full Member Unions and the six Regional Associations will increase from £6.3 million in 2007 to £7.2 million in 2008 providing the foundation for global growth both on and off the field of play. Tournament Grant funding will also increase from £5.5 million to £5.7 million in 2008 to help subsidise the family of IRB and regional development tournaments that will take place during the year.

The Cook Islands will compete in the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy

Schedule Set for IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy

The match schedule has been confirmed for the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy which will take place in Chile from April 15-27, 2008. The Tournament, for international teams at Under 20 level, will comprise two pools of four teams playing across two match venues in Chile's capital city Santiago.

Chile, who qualify automatically as hosts, top Pool A and are joined by regional qualifiers Romania (FIRA-AER), Namibia (CAR) and the Cook Islands who, by winning the FORU qualifier in Auckland in late January, became the final team to confirm their place in the Trophy.

Georgia and Uruguay both qualified directly through the IRB Under 19 World Championship 2007 rankings and feature in Pool B alongside qualifiers Korea (ARFU) and Jamaica (NAWIRA), who have qualified for an IRB international 15-a-side Tournament for the first time.

IRB World Rugby Yearbook - Get Your Copy!

The media can now take advantage of a special discounted rate for the IRB World Rugby Yearbook 2008 by ordering online today.

The IRB World Rugby Yearbook returned to the shelves in 2007 to great acclaim after a three-year absence with a new look format and more detail than previous editions. The 2008 features a full statistical review of Rugby World Cup 2007, comprehensive Tournament reviews, including major domestic competitions and includes features, comment and analysis from a host of star writers.

Retailing at £16.99, the media can order copies of the IRB Yearbook for just £8.49. To take advantage of this offer and to order a copy today, simply follow this link and quote ‘IRB’ as the promotion code.

Editorial review copies are also available through the publishers

RBS Six Nations Match Officials

There have been a number of changes to the match official appointments for the RBS Six Nations Championship since the appointments were originally announced last October. Click here to view the updated RBS Six Nations Match Official Appointments>>>

Total Rugby: Future of the Pumas kicks off new IRB Debate Series
The future of the Pumas and Argentinian rugby is the subject of the first in a new series of IRB debates this week.

Broadcast on Total Rugby Radio, the IRB's popular weekly free-to-air show, the debate features Puma captain Gus Pichot, Argentina Director of Rugby Les Cusworth, IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller, IRB Head of Rugby Services Mark Egan and Stephen Jones, the Rugby Correspondent of the Sunday Times in the UK.

The panellists discuss all the key issues impacting on the Pumas, from how best to nurture grass roots rugby in Argentina to the Pumas' special brand of exported professionalism and the way forward for them in the international calendar and major competitions.

DALLAGLIO: ON DALLAGLIO: PART 2

Also on the show is the second part of our exclusive interview with Lawrence Dallaglio. The former England captain looks back on a golden era between 2002 and 2004, a first international retirement and comeback, his and the team's rocky passage to the final in 2007 and also looks ahead to life after rugby.

For access to broadcast the weekly Total Rugby Radio shows and/or the IRB Debates contact radio@irb.com

On Total Rugby Radio next week..

The topic for the second debate is the thorny issue of the Experimental Law Variations. Are law changes necessary or is the IRB considering change for the sake of it? Sunday Times Rugby correspondent Stephen Jones joins us again as a renowned critic of the plans, former Scotland coach Richie Dixon has been involved in the project from the start and they're joined by IRB Head of Communications Greg Thomas.

Further Information:

Dominic Rumbles, IRB Communications Manager +353 [0] 868-520-826, email dominic.rumbles@irb.com

Related Items/Links
Rugby World Cup 2007 website
International Rugby Board website

Hi

I worked in Cayman from 1973 to 1979 and I always read Cayman Net News for all the gossip. I suspect many   of my former colleagues and friends have probably moved on to pastures new as I do not see any references to older ex-pats.

I was a member of CRFC during that period. We only had the one club – so had to play against one another every week. England vs the Rest , Scotland & Wales v the Rest etc etc. We joined the Jamaican RFU in 73  and played our away matches in Kingston, Mo Bay , Mandeville etc. Thirst y work travelling away as you can imagine.

We had many visiting teams from UK and abroad in those years. Of course we also toured ourselves to many tournaments in USA and a memorable Tour back to UK in 1975.

I just wanted, on the spur of the m o ment , to make contact, say hello and wish everyone Seasons Gre e tings .

PS Are there any expats still around from that era. ??   If so perhaps you could pass on my email address.

Brian Allison

Investment Manager

Associate Director

0141 240 4638

0141 204 4281
brian.allison@gerrard.com

<Back