The waiting is almost over and this weekend of will see the thirteenth staging of the Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament kicking off at the Horseshoe Point Resort. The training is complete and the strategy laid out, all that remains now is the sweat and strain of putting each coach’s plans into action on the field.
The players will be assembling, probably as you read this, on Friday evening at the Tavern by The Sea, the primary sporting outlet of the tournament’s major sponsor – the Amari Orchid Resort. All teams will be registered and many old friendships will be renewed before the old rivalries are revived on the playing field, commencing at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Enjoy a feast of great rugby this weekend as the Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament gets underway at Horseshoe Point.
The Kingdom Property Youth tournament, which will be staged in conjunction with the main tournament, will see 10 young sides representing seven Thai schools from as far away as Surin in the north and Surat in the south. They will lock horns with the Bangkok Lions and the Bangkok Barbarians, two development teams featuring mainly sons of expatriates based in Bangkok, and a recently formed team from Pattaya who will play under the banner of the Pattaya Rams, but comprise mainly students at the Regents School.
That arch referees supremo David Viccars has again assembled a brave band of men in black (MIB), who will risk life and limb to see that the laws of rugby are strictly enforced! In a first for this tournament, this year’s event will feature a lady referee specially invited from Cambodia. Ms. Sophoan Peou has refereed in several tournaments around the region and is well respected so I am sure that she will get a warm welcome in Pattaya!
There will be a total of 24 games in the round robin stages of the main tournament on Saturday, and these will be followed by 16 games in the round robin stages of the Kingdom Property Youth Tournament. The young boys will finish the knockout stages of their tournament commencing at 08:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, which will allow the older players in the main competition to have a lie in!
The knockout stages of the Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Tournament 2013 will commence at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and will conclude with the Cup Final at around 17:00, to be followed by a lavish presentation ceremony around the pool at Horseshoe Point.
Please do come and support your local heroes and have some fun and great craic at the same time. There will be a special children’s play area to keep the little ones happy while daddy enjoys some great rugby and good food and cold beer!
The final preparations are underway and by Saturday morning the playing field at Horseshoe Point will have been prepared for the battles that will be fought and the bar staff will be prepared for the challenge of the mighty thirsts that such competition has a way of creating.
The tournament could not happen without the support of our sponsors Amari Orchid Resort Pattaya, Kingdom Properties and Cranes & Equipment Asia as well as Construction Cost Consultants, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Aus Group, CR Asia Ltd., Societe Generale de Surveillance, Jardine Shipping Services, Phoenix Pacific Inc., Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and our legendary social sponsors Icebreaker.
We do hope to see many of you there – please drop by and say hello to Ray and Lin Kays (Chris’s parents) who will be honouring us with their presence.
The weather is forecast to be fine but very HOT but the beer will be very cold! The venue is in perfect condition so we have no doubt that this will be another spectacular tournament.
