TA KLE - 7 Group
Transcription
TA KLE - 7 Group
E T A L E TH EDITION 4 E L K TA 28 October - 04 November 2012 Fukuoka, japan uty and Dep hi (left) os y e u S Norio award on Director ceive an l e a r iv o t ot s e om F , Mr En mittee. Director ival Com t s e F g Festival -workin the hard behalf of The unique atmospher e at the F better illus estival in Fukuoka w trated th an the spe as never earthqua c ial match ke affect b e t w e e n the ed teams of Golden New Zea Korus (C land) and hristchur Tohoku Sm ch, ile (Fukush ima, Japa n). From Fukuoka with Love Let the love of rugby take you places. Never has that Golden Oldies mantra been more true than the 19th Air New Zealand Golden Oldies Rugby World Festival in Fukuoka. The first Golden Oldies Festival to come to Asia proved an unqualified success. “It’s fair to say we had more challenges than in other recent Festivals to get numbers to come,” said one Golden Oldie. “One of the reasons was the economy for sure. It was also a long way to Japan. And to be fair most of us had preconceptions about Japan. “The Japanese are a wonderful people. And this is a rugby-mad culture.” The summation could not have been put any better. Golden Oldies will look to another first time destination, to another distant land and to yet another country that is passionate about rugby with the 20th edition of the world’s biggest rugby festival heads to Argentina. The coastal tourist destination of Mar del Plata will welcome Golden Oldies from 21 to 28 September 2014. “All of those preconceptions were completely incorrect. It blew us away. The city was so clean and tidy. The people were outstanding – so courteous, so helpful, so happy. It may be the barriers broken down in Japan, its well-renown rugby tradition or the thought of those unsurpassed beef steaks, but nearly 40 teams have already signed up for Argentina. “The rugby was organised well and the after-club was great. The beer tasted pretty good too. The functions were magic from that amazing opening, parade and welcome to the picnic day and the final dinner. Arigato. Sayonara. Dewa mata – thank you, good bye and see you again. Now it’s ... Bienvenido a Argentina. grand finale dinner The Marine Messe Fukuoka convention centre was the venue for the Grand Finale Dinner. Some of the highlights included: Food preparations for the Grand Finale Dinner. The light show and surrounds of the Marine Messe Fukuoka convention centre. The Japanese Beatles entertained ... And Elvis was in the house too. Charlie and his country band were a real hit. And the showband brought the house down. We want you to be our friend! Join our Golden Oldies Rugby ‘Facebook’ group... go to www.facebook.com to register, then specify Golden Oldies Rugby in your search. festival Awards The following awards were presented at the Grand Finale Dinner and Air New Zealand Awards Ceremony by Dave Simmons, General Manager, Online and Leisure, Air New Zealand. Friendship Award: City of Fukuoka, accepted by the Mayor of Fukuoka, Soichiro Takashima. Best Team Uniform: Midland Puffin Billies, Western Australia. Best Supporters: Alice Springs Dingoes, Australia Spirit of the Festival: Tohoku Smile, Japan Personality of the Festival: Rolf Keppler, Golden Korus, New Zealand Special Merit Award: Sir Frederick Goodwin, Cook Islands Diplomats. Read all about it! Contact the Golden Oldies World Rugby Secretariat with your email and postal address, to receive our email and hard copy updates, email [email protected] Golden Oldies Rugby eNews July 2012 Click here to view this sletter ser r brow in you new JU LY al ition e add n & in, som by Tow et Tra a Rug ase of ic Bull e site, rele icon ding itag Japan’s rld Her the pen rds to ride uring a Wo se and Awa nity n crui light opportuoptions feat luncheo st, high to the e. … an ing nch ing le Tru te com tsee a Fre ndise rang ritab sigh and Cha ls, pay tribu s of upcha dium new aren Mer l tiva Sta McL with tiva Fes the Bill Sports and end world. our Fes ils of Oldies Rugby’ nd the deta den arou nds We give past Gol k Isla nts from by of Coo by eve won man Rug ‘Gentle Oldies Golden 20 12 Back top to the MAR DEL PLATA ARGENTINA 2 0 14 are ready to go. am for Argentina The organising te Ready and Waiting Argentina is set to make a huge impression on Golden Oldies Rugby fans when it hosts the 20th World Rugby Festival in 2014. “Argentina’s history in rugby is relatively recent but very strong. Argentinean rugby followers will greatly enjoy what Golden Oldies rugby can convey about rugby.” Leading the way is the equally striking figure of former Pumas No 8 star Buenaventura Mínguez, affectionately known as Guri, who is the Festival Director. He is also keen to use the opportunity develop Golden Oldies throughout South American to countries like Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela where rugby is played. He played 11 Tests for Los Pumas over a 10 year period and is currently on the Board of Union Argentina de Rugby. Guri, who played his rugby in Argentina for IPR Sporting Club, lives in Mar del Plata and is sure his city will be a superb host for Golden Oldies. “Mar Del Plata is a very special city in tourism especially because it was born as a tourism spot. The population is the main asset – they are tourism-friendly,” he said. “Of course the local people will appreciate that these are very special rugby players with a strong commitment to rugby but of course a love of things off the field – like eating steak. “ Rugby has history in Argentina but Guri is hoping Golden Oldies will open up a new pathway for the sport in his country. “Rugby in Argentina is even bigger than in Japan. Rugby in Argentina is the third sport in presence after football and Formula One. “Our big challenge after that is to make it that big in our veterans’ football. That is a big challenge to position our veterans’ rugby as high as Golden Oldies Festivals. Join us! 20th Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival, Mar del Plata, Argentina 21 - 28 September 2014 Guri said his team are now excited by the challenge ahead. “The three main players – the tourism operators, the city itself and the guys dealing with the rugby are all ready and waiting to start work. The three sides are working together, very much in unity, with the main goal of all the participants being very happy about their experience in Argentina. “Golden Oldies will come, they will play and we are confident they will not want to leave.” Guri said he found his introduction to Golden Oldies to be very special. “It has been amazing. I did not expect as much as I have experienced. It is a lot about rugby.” Will that tempt him to put his boots on in Mar del Plata in 2014? “The boots on ... maybe. But playing quite unlikely.” Fukuoka Feedback “I continue to be impressed at the professionalism and value of Air New Zealand Golden Oldies events and credit for that goes to you and your team.” Nick Mudge, Regional Manager, Japan and Korea, Tourism New Zealand “On behalf of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union and the Delegation that participated in the 2012 Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival, let me thank the Organizing Committee and the Japan Rugby Football Union for the excellent job done in conducting such a wonderful Event and especially for the warm welcome extended to us.” Lasitha Gunaratne, Vice President. “Our team all thought the festival was extremely well organised and ran smoothly, although the games were a tad harder than we perhaps would have liked.”! Evan Howland, Golden Korus “Thank you everyone for a great week. You should be proud and pleased with what was achieved. We certainly had a great time in a wonderful city.” Don & Christine Thomas “On behalf of the Mandurah Raw Prawns, I would like to thank you for a fantastic ten days of rugby and the bringing together of so many wonderful people. The memories of this tour will stay with us for many years.” Norm Roberts, Mandurah Raw Prawns