Bahrain Rugby Club will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a week-long series of events in May after last year’s plans to commemorate the event with a grand reunion were postponed as a result of the unrest.
Scores of families will be flying into the kingdom from around the globe to join in the party, to reminisce, renew acquaintances and take part in a host of activities being organised for May 14-20.
The event will provide another boost to the local economy and add to the feeling of goodwill being generated across the kingdom as the island strives to return to normality and boost its battered tourism sector.
'Bahrain Rugby Club has always been very friendly and open and has touched many hearts over the decades,' explained club president Jonty Crosse. 'This will be a celebration of 40 years’ commitment to both sport and Bahrain.'
Former international rugby stars are also set to attend to provide another high-profile addition to the kingdom’s sporting calendar and will come shortly after a celebrity golf tournament at the Royal Golf Club and the return of Formula 1’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Club chairman Mehdi Honar said: 'The main thing is that this is going to be a fun week with a lot of activities, allowing past and present members to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Bahrain will continue to work its magic on them all.'
The week’s events include a welcoming reception, a golden oldies game, BMMI festival with band, end-of-season ball at the Crowne Plaza and farewell poolside BBQ.
DHL, one of the major sponsors of last year’s Rugby World Cup, has come on board as a major sponsor of the event. Established in 1976, DHL Express was the first logistics provider to set up operations in the region and for more than 30 years has remained committed to Bahrain.
The company says the strength of its integrated network in Bahrain, which includes the DHL Middle East Express Head Office and DHL Aviation Head Office, ensures it is well placed to continue providing quality service and solutions to the local market and across the Middle East. Currently DHL Express employs more than 1,000 members of staff across its business units located in Bahrain.
Rugby links between the company and the club date back to 1981 when DHL Barbarians was dreamt up by a group of rugby enthusiasts. The side took on Bahrain Rugby Club in what was to become a regular fixture for many years. In 2009 it became an annual memorial and charity fund-raising game in celebration of the lives of former DHL employees Jason Bresler, David Giles and Mohammed Shafiq who died in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Since its formation in 1971 the club has played matches in Juffair, near the airport and in Saar before moving to its current Janabiya location in 1991. Former members of the rugby club have been making contact through its website and sending old and new photos to its facilities manager, Bob Phillips. Contacts have been made with hundreds of people now living in Australia, the US, the UK and numerous other countries.
The walls of the clubhouse and adjoining Manu’s Restaurant are also plastered with team pictures covering the past 40 years alongside rugby memorabilia.
One of the treasures is a framed image of His Majesty King Hamad, then Heir Apparent, kicking off a match in 1998-99 between the Bahrain Defence Force and Bahrain Rugby Club – a side led by captain Nigel Palmer which included two Bahraini stars, Ahmed Al Hakim and Ibrahim Al Afoo, whose son Hadi now plays for the club’s U17s.
There is also a record of one of the greatest moments in Bahrain rugby history when the kingdom took on mighty Australia in the Hong Kong 7s tournament in 1978. A photograph of the scoreboard reads: Australia 0 – Bahrain 4.
Australia kicked off and the ball was taken by Bahrain, a couple of passes and it was with Richard Duck, arguably the fastest man to wear a Bahrain RFC shirt. With ease he beat his marker on the outside and outstripped their cover to score a glorious try in the corner.
The crowd went wild. 'On the first day of our first visit to Hong Kong 7s the minnows of Bahrain put a scare into Australia, one of the tournament favourites.' recalled Dave Parker, who played for the club between 1975 and 2006. 'In the end Australia ran out comfortable winners by 28-4 but we had them worried for a minute or so.'
Over the years the Bahrain Rugby Club has hosted some of the sport’s biggest names such as Australia’s Rugby World Cup 1991 winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, All Black hooker Sean Fitzpatrick, Ireland’s Willie John McBride, Welsh wizard JPR Williams and England’s Jason Robinson to name but a few.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations an honours board will be unveiled highlighting the playing legends who have visited the club.
Accommodation packages are being organised by the club’s Sorrell Marlow-Eastwood, who is co-ordinating the 40th anniversary celebrations. She can be contacted by emailing sorrell@batelco.com.bh
