Sportjing Recap: The China Rugby Tourneys Two-Dozen Team Brawl
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Having been postponed last year teams had two years’ worth of rugby to makeup and anticipation was high. Thanks to the support of our sponsors and the fantastic organization from the host Beijing rugby team it was a sensational weekend!
The weekend began on Friday for most as the touring teams made their way up North. Pictures of people traveling on planes, trains, and automobiles started to circulate on WeChat as gauntlets were laid down.
Come Saturday morning, perhaps operating on too little sleep, the teams rose early to make their way to the stunning pitches at Jujia Stadium in Daxing. Any tiredness was soon forgotten once the first hit went in and the teams began competing for one of the coveted trophies.
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Every Rugby tournament has an element of fierce competition and a few knocks are expected along the way. The teams were all grateful for the assistance and care of the medical staff from Beijing United Family Hospital. (Nothing like applying the magic sponge when needed!) As well as the assistance of Asian Tigers Group and Asian Risk Management Services for their invaluable help in putting on this event.
Teams looked to make early headway in the groups. One extremely competitive women’s group, the Hangzhou Harlequeens, made a big impact and host team the Aardvarks made impressive strides. Over on the men’s side, the Suzhou Late Knights used their power to good effect and The Beijing Devils used some acrobatic play which had Rugby nerds everywhere asking, can a ball carrier jump into a tackle?
Ultimately in the Ladies final, the Beijing Ducks managed to dig deep in a ferocious final to take the whole competition, whilst in the Men’s competition a strong scrum and massive hits from the Beijing Aardvarks were not enough to stop the silky lines of the Shanghai Silver Dragons from winning the men’s tournament.
The social side continued as teams headed to the after-party at Mango for hoarse singing and questionable dance moves. On Sunday, the teams recovered their strength thanks to a delicious buffet at Homeplate, which managed to satisfy the needs of hungry rugby teams – no easy task!
“That was an amazing weekend!” says Emily of the Xiamen Typhoons. “Thank you to everyone who organized and hosted and came out. Deffo not a tournament to be missed!”
If you find yourself craving the thrill of watching butting heads and kicking olive balls, then be sure to keep an eye out for next year’s tournament, which is slated for May 28. Or, if you want to get in on the action yourself in the meantime, then contact Marco at aardvarksrfc@yahoo.com to learn how to get involved in rugby.READ: What is Spikeball and Why is it All The Rage Now?
Images courtesy of the 2021 Beijing Rugby Tournament
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