Another year has flown past and the local rugby community in Pattaya is already busy making the arrangements for the seventeenth staging of the Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament that will kick off at the Horseshoe Point Resort on Saturday, April 29 and wrap up on Sunday, April 30.
The training is over and some new strategy has been developed, all that remains now is the sweat and strain of putting the coach’s plans into action on the field. The Pattaya Panthers have been very busy so far this year and have become serious tourists, attending tournaments in Bangkok, Vientiane, Surin and Khon Kaen. They have enjoyed some success, mostly off the field, and feel that they are peaking just in time for their very own tournament.
We will be welcoming 5 overseas teams including one all the way from England, our old friends the Vikings from Australia and the Valley Griffins and the Hong Kong Scottish from Hong Kong and a completely unknown quantity in the form of a State Selection Side from India. In addition the entire expat rugby community and all the usual local suspects from Thailand will be there.
All teams will be registered and many old friendships will be renewed at a reception on Friday night, April 28, which will be held at the Robin Hood Tavern in the Avenue Shopping Centre on Pattaya Second Road. Then old rivalries will be revived on the playing field commencing at 09:00 am on Saturday morning.
There will be a total of 24 games in the initial round robin stages of the main tournament on Saturday, followed by rest and recreation, early to bed with hot cocoa and biscuits! Then the knockout stages of the Chris Kays Memorial Tournament 2017 will commence at approximately 09:00 am on Sunday morning and will conclude with the Cup Final at around 17:00, to be followed by the now famous 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 lots of diversions to keep the little ones happy while the adults enjoy some great rugby, good food and cold beer!
The tournament could not happen without the support of sponsors: Robin Hood Tavern part of the Retox Group, the new Rugby School (opening later this year), Societe Generale de Surveillance, S5 Agency World, WHA Hemaraj Land and Development Co., Ltd., Manpower Thailand, Phoenix Pacific Inc., and of course the welfare of all participants will be looked after by the staff of the Bangboriboon Foundation and the tents and cooling shade will be provided by CR Asia (Thailand) Ltd.
We do hope to see many of you there. Please drop by and say hello to us at the organiser’s tent. The weather is expected to be fine and very hot but the beer and cider served by the Robin Hood girls will be very cold! Steve Mines the “Pie Man” from the London Pie Shop will also be on hand to satisfy your hunger. With the venue being in perfect condition we have no doubt that this will be another spectacular tournament.
