Over in the UK The Gallagher Premiership produced one surprise last weekend with Bristol winning the West Country derby away at Bath. Northampton Saints narrowly beat Harlequins, Leicester demolished Newcastle by 40 points, Sale beat Gloucester by 4 and Saracens disposed of Exeter to remain top of the league.
If you are looking closer to home for rugby in Thailand then you could do far worse than the upcoming Chiang Mai Rugby 11s.
This year’s Amora Hotels & Resorts CNX International Rugby 11s is to be held at the picturesque Suthep Stadium nestled in the foothills of Chiang Mai on the weekend of Nov 23rd-24, with teams from Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam all competing in the men’s and women’s open and men’s veterans divisions. This year youth rugby is also in the mix where you can witness fine young talent express itself.
The whole tournament promises to be a very exciting weekend of explosive 11s Rugby action so why not consider a trip away to enjoy all Chiang Mai has to offer? It is only a two-hour flight from Phuket and you will not be disappointed with Chiang Mai’s culinary delights and welcoming night life. The hub of all the fun is the ‘Welcome Inn’ on Loi Kroh Rd, where you are free to pop in and meet the teams on the Friday evening. Entry to the stadium for all games is free.
If you are still contemplating entering a team, please contact Pat Cotter at phuketpat@gmail.com.
The Global Rugby Coach, Mike Penistone, is a globally renowned professional rugby coach based in Phuket who is also an ambassador for the Asia Center Foundation, a charity for disadvantaged children. For more information visit: www.rugbycoachingconsultancy.com.