INTRODUCTION The IRFU was established in May 2004 by a small group of founding volunteers to target the development of Rugby for Indonesian Nationals. Prior to the establishment of the IRFU, Rugby had been played in Indonesia for over 30 years, however it was for most of that time a sport dominated by expatriates and the formation of the IRFU set about to change that trend. Since May 2004, there has been a large growth in the National participation levels from junior through to senior players, coaches and match officials. The IRFU is fully funded by generous sponsors and supporters, and it receives no financial assistance from the Indonesian Government or other sporting bodies. All monies raised by the IRFU go towards the development of Rugby for Indonesians. The establishment of the Indonesian National 15’s Team, known as the “Rhinos” in 2006, has been one of the great success stories of the IRFU and Indonesia has proven that it can compete on the international stage. The IRFU has completed four years of international competition as a National team, having played 10 full international Test Matches over that period against Cambodia (3), Lao (3), Brunei (2), Guam and Iran. Indonesian National Team players have had the opportunity to travel to Cambodia, Brunei and the Philippines, as well as play at home, as the IRFU hosted an international tournament known as the HSBC A5N Regional Tournament in 2008. Indonesia currently has a proud record of 7 wins from 10 Tests. The IRFU expanded its Rugby Development program in May 2007 by employing a Rugby Development Officer (RDO), whose role was to manage the continued development of Rugby within Indonesia. The first RDO, David Nye was employed through the Australian Government’s “Volunteering for International Development” (VIDA) program. In March 2009, he was replaced by Sam Refshauge, who was supplied by another Australian Government program called “Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development” (AYAD), an AusAID Initiative which supports skilled young Australians who want to live, work and make a difference in the Asia Pacific region. Rugby within Indonesia has rapidly expanded since May 2004, during which time there has been a marked growth in Indonesian player numbers and also the expansion of new and existing Rugby Clubs throughout Indonesia. Currently there are 16 Rugby Clubs active within the Indonesian archipelago. In August 2007, the IRFU introduced Rugby into Indonesian Schools and Universities in Jakarta region and also in Bali. David Nye approached Schools and Universities to gauge interest and also to raise Rugby awareness within the various student communities. At this time Rugby was only played at the Jakarta International School (JIS) and the British International School (BIS). In early 2009, the IRFU hosted the first ever Schools Rugby Tournament in which 4 schools participated – JIS, BIS, Sekolah Pelita Harapan and Darunnajah Pondok Pesantren. Interest in Rugby by schools really started to take hold in mid-2009, such that the recent 2010 IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby 7’s Tournament featured 11 schools participating, an almost threefold increase on 2009. The IRFU was granted Associate Membership of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) in September 2004 and then Full Membership in November 2005 following progress made by the Union to develop Rugby. In the years that followed the IRFU gained repute amongst fellow ARFU nations and since 2008 the Union has had a representative, Bill Ryan on the ARFU Executive Council. The successful transition to a sport dominated by Indonesian participation coupled with a willingness to compete in international competition resulted in the IRFU gaining Associate Membership of the International Rugby Board (IRB) in May 2008, which was a huge step forwards for Indonesian Rugby. In late November 2009, Indonesia was invited along with 116 other Rugby nations to send a representative to the IRB’s 9th General Assembly in Dublin, Ireland. IRFU Chairman, Stephen Barber attended this Assembly on behalf of the Union. CLUB RUGBY SCENE Since 2004, the IRFU has developed and managed Rugby in Indonesia, which seen a transformation from an expatriate domain for the 30 years prior to a sport dominated by Indonesian players, including many school age male and female players who previously had had no exposure to Rugby. The flagship of any national sporting organisation is its National Team and following the establishment of the Rhinos in 2006 it was clearly evident to the IRFU Board of Directors that the long term development and sustainability of Rugby in Indonesia and the international success of the Rhinos required the implementation of the “Rugby Goes to School” program in August 2007 to ensure the grassroots development of the sport. Coupled with schools development is the emergence of new Rugby clubs and the expansion of existing clubs throughout Indonesia, so as to allow players to continue playing and being involved with the sport throughout their lives. Rugby within Indonesia Prior to the establishment of the IRFU in May 2004, several Rugby clubs existed in Indonesia catering only for senior players. The number of Rugby clubs has increased dramatically since the IRFU’s foundation, as has the participation of Indonesian players, coaches and match officials. Currently, there are 16 Senior Rugby Teams within Indonesia. • Jakarta Bantengs (Jakarta) – 92% Indonesian, 8% expatriate • ISCI Komodos (Banten) – 100% expatriate • JJRG Samurai (Banten) – 100% Japanese expatriate • Jago Dulu (Jakarta) – 100% expatriate • Bandung Rams (West Java) – 80% Indonesian, 20% PNG expatriate • Bandung Ewes (West Java) – 75% Indonesian, 25% expatriate • Sengata Hornbills (East Kalimantan) – 90% Indonesian, 10% expatriate • Balikpapan Bears (East Kalimantan) – 80% Indonesian, 20% expatriate • Gosowong (North Maluku) – 100% Indonesian • Mantano Miners (SE Sulawesi) – 90% Indonesian, 10% expatriate • Banti Menagas (Papua) – 100% Indonesian • Kotekas (Papua) – 100% Indonesian • Sumbawa Nagas (West Nusa Tenggara)– 100% expatriate • Sumbawa Development (West Nusa Tenggara) – 100% Indonesian • Bali Stiff Chillis (Bali) – 20% Indonesian, 80% expatriate • Bali Red Chillis (Bali) – 100% Indonesian There has been a rapid growth of new Rugby clubs with 9 of the clubs listed on the previous page being established in the last 3 years. All Indonesian Rugby clubs are self-sufficient, relying on sponsors and player subscriptions for funding. Prior to the foundation of the IRFU, there were only two annual Rugby tournaments in Indonesia, namely the Jakarta 10’s (organised by the ISCI Rugby Club), which is held every May and the Bali 10’s (previously organised by a group of Rugby friends) played every October. The Jakarta 10’s has served as the Indonesian National Championships since 2005. Following the tragic death of an expatriate named Willy Ellison in June 2004, the IRFU founded an annual Rugby 15’s match to remember Willy, who had been a player for the ISCI Club during his time in Indonesia. The first Willy Ellison Memorial Cup match was played at the KPC Mine, Sengata, East Kalimantan in late 2004 between the Sangatta Saracens and ISCI Jakarta. Similar matches were played in 2005 and 2006, before this match was moved to Balikpapan in 2007, where it continues as an annual event. The Sengata Rugby 10’s tournament was first played in March 2008. This tournament saw the introduction of what became known as the ‘Sengata Rule’ meaning that at least 8 out of 10 players on the field must be Indonesian Nationals at all times. Teams from Balikpapan, Sengata, Jakarta, Bali and Gosowong competed in this tournament. August 2008, saw the establishment of a similar tournament in Sanur, Bali. This tournament involved teams from Sengata, Gosowong, Jakarta Bantengs, Bandung Rams, Banti Menagas, Kotekas and Bali Development team. The Bandung Ewes Women’s development team also competed in a women’s touch Rugby competition. The IRFU successfully ran the annual Bali 10’s Tournament in 2007-08. Both of these tournaments attracted all the club teams from within Indonesia as well as club teams from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The IRFU decided to hand over the management and running of this tournament to the Bali Rugby Club in 2009. Note – Rugby 10’s is a non-IRB approved format of Rugby, although it is commonly played throughout SE Asia, as it involves a bit more forward play like Rugby 15’s. Rugby 10’s adopts the rules of Rugby 7’s and likewise it is played over 7-minute halves. In February 2008, the inaugural Jakarta XV’s Rugby Series was launched. This was a significant achievement for Indonesian Rugby as it saw four (4) club teams, namely the Jakarta Bantengs, ISCI Komodos, JJRG Samurai and the Bandung Rams competing in a round robin tournament held over two rounds. This tournament was significant for the IRFU as it was one of the requirements that allowed the Union to gain Associate Membership of the IRB. This tournament is now an official part of the annual Indonesian Rugby calendar, played each year from February through until late April. In 2010 this tournament will hopefully expand to include a fifth Rugby club. The 2010 Jakarta XV’s Series will serve as a great competition to allow Rhinos’ Selectors to gain a great insight into the quality of players available for selection in the National Squad. This squad will be supplemented by players from outside Jakarta, who will play in a series of selection trials planned for Bali and Balikpapan in mid-May. ESTABLISHED NATIONAL TEAMS Indonesian National Mens 15’s Team – Rhinos In early 2006 the IRFU was invited to send a National Team to the newly formed Asian Division 6 Championship – this tournament was organised by the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and sanctioned by the IRB. The IRFU decided to send a team to this tournament on the basis that participation in international competition would help create more exposure for Rugby in Indonesia. Players were selected from all over Indonesia and also included a few Indonesian Nationals based overseas. The Indonesian National Team was named the “Rhinos” as this is animal featured in the IRFU’s logo and it symbolised ‘strength and power’ which are attributes associated with Rugby. Despite losing its first up match against Cambodia, the Rhinos went onto secure consecutive victories over Lao and Brunei to finish Runners-up in the inaugural Asian Division 6 Championships, which was won by Cambodia. Following on from the success of this initial tournament, ARFU decided that the same competition would be played July 2007 in Brunei. The Rhinos performed admirably in this tournament securing wins against Lao, Cambodia and Brunei to secure the 2007 Asian Division 6 Championships undefeated. This was a fantastic effort away from home, especially given that Indonesian teams in most other sports generally fail to deliver. Photo 4 – Rhinos celebrate as the 2007 Asian Division 6 Champions joined by the Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam (holding trophy) Based on the success of the Rugby tournaments throughout Asia, including the Asian Division 6 Championships in 2006-07, ARFU’s Member Council decided to seek major sponsorship in order to setup a Rugby tournament that would involve all the Rugby-playing nations of Asia. This tournament was to become known as the HSBC Asian 5 Nations (A5N) Tournament, which comprised of a premier division of the Top 5 Rugby nations in Asia, namely Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Arabian Gulf, as well as Division 1 (next four teams), Division 2 (4 teams) and Regional Tournaments (3 teams in each of these). In its first year, the A5N Tournament was to be played on a promotion and relegation basis for the Top 5, Division 1 and Division 2. In late 2007, Indonesia was selected by ARFU to host the 2008 HSBC A5N Regional Tournament, which was played at the University of Pelita Harapan (UPH) Stadium, located in the Karawaci Estate, West Jakarta. This tournament started with Lao defeating Cambodia 33-0, before the Rhinos went onto secure victory against Lao (23-11) and then comprehensively out-classing Cambodia (55-3) to win a second international Rugby title for Indonesia. Rhinos’ players came from Papua, Halmahera, East Kalimantan, Bali, Bandung and Jakarta. The victorious team also included a few expatriates and some Indonesian Nationals who came from as far away as England and Dubai. Last year the Rhinos were promoted to the newly formed 2009 HSBC A5N Division 3 Tournament which was played in Manila, the Philippines. This tournament included National Teams from Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran and Guam. Despite trying their best in their first match against Guam, the Rhinos struggled against a much larger team going down and then faced a formidable foe in Iran. The Iranians proved too big and strong for the Rhinos running out comprehensive winners. This tournament was a learning experience not just for the Rhinos but the entire IRFU Board, who realised that schools and youth Rugby development was essential in Indonesia to ensure a steady flow of younger and fitter players into future Rhinos’ teams. In late 2009, the IRFU successfully bid to host the 2010 HSBC A5N Division 3 Tournament which will see the Rhinos taking on Pakistan (relegated from Division 2 in 2009), Iran and Guam. This tournament will be played June 9-12 at the UPH Stadium, Karawaci Estate. A new-look Rhinos, which will hopefully include several younger players from the school boy ranks, will be looking to make amends for 2009 in front of the ‘home crowd’. Matches are scheduled for Wednesday June 9 – Iran vs. Guam and Indonesia vs. Pakistan – and Saturday June 12 – Finals playoffs. Indonesian National Mens 7’s Team – Harimau Rugby 7’s, which is an abbreviated form of the more traditional 15-a-side Rugby is typically played over weekend competitions and also at multisport events such as the South East Asian Games in 2005 as an exhibition sport and in 2007 as an official sport. The IRFU sent a team to the 2005 SEAG played in Manila, the Philippines. Given that the IRFU focused on the more traditional game of 15’s in 2006-07, it was not until October 2008 that the Union was invited to send a 7’s team to the 2008 Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) Rugby 7’s where the team successfully won the Bowl Trophy. In late 2009, Indonesia was invited to send a Rugby 7’s team to an IRB-sanctioned tournament called the Borneo 7’s in Kota-Kinabalu, Malaysia, prior to the team traveling to the SCC Rugby 7’s the following week. Before departing for the Borneo 7’s the team was named the “Harimau” as this animal known as a tiger represents the dynamic and stealth-like qualities commonly associated with Rugby 7’s. The 2009 Harimau came up against semi-professional teams from Japan, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia in both of these competitions and despite being outclassed the team impressed with their never-say-die attitude. Rugby 7’s is fast and dynamic form of the sport which entertains spectators all over Asia and throughout the World at tournaments such as the Hong 7’s and the IRB Rugby World Cup 7’s. On October 9, 2009 the IOC voted unanimously (91% vote) to include Rugby 7’s for males and females in the sports program of the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. Rugby 7’s was an exhibition sport at the 2005 South East Asian Games (SEAG) – Indonesia participated in this tournament. Although Rugby 7’s was included in the official sports program at the 2007 SEAG, it was not included at the 2009 SEAG. In 2010, the IRFU plans to lobby KONI to have Rugby 7’s reinstated in the sports program for 2011 SEAG which are to be hosted by Indonesia. All SE Asian Nations (except Vietnam and Myanmar) have National Rugby 7’s Teams. Indonesian National Women’s 7’s Team In 2010, the IRFU is planning to commence a women’s Rugby 7’s program and it plans to play exhibition matches during the 2010 HSBC A5N Division 3 Tournament from June 9-12, to expose Women’s Rugby 7’s to Indonesia. The IRFU is encouraging girls and women to play Rugby 7’s as this fits in with the IRB’s goal of increasing female participation on the sport, plus Women’s Rugby 7’s has also been included in the 2016-20 Olympic Games. At last year’s Bali 10’s Tournament there was a women’s competition included in the program for the first time. Despite being a Rugby 10’s Tournament, the skills learnt and the involvement in a competition augers well for the future of Women’s Rugby 7’s in Indonesia. “RUGBY GOES TO SCHOOL” PROGRAM In August 2007, the IRFU Board of Directors realised to secure a sustainable future for Rugby in Indonesia the Union had to implement a “Rugby Goes to School” program to ensure grassroots development of the sport. The program was setup to target children and youths aged 14-19 years old in the Jakarta and Bogor region, and the main aims of this program are as follows: • Enhance physical capabilities of students • Instill the “Spirit of Rugby” • Teach Rugby’s “Core Values” • Introduce the principles of teamwork • Develop a healthy and competitive nature • Develop training modules for schools • Provide ongoing support to schools • Develop junior rugby pathways • Interaction with existing Rugby programs in International Schools such as JIS & BIS • Promote inter-school tournaments • Develop and maintain healthy rivalries between schools • Establish a player pathway for future Rugby 7’s and 15’s National representatives From August 2007 until March 2008, the following schools received an exposure to Rugby: • Darunnajah Pondok Pesantren, Ulujami • Al Izhar, Fatmawati • Cendrawasih 1 + 3, Pondok Pinang • Cita Buana, Pondok Indah • Notre Dame, Kembangan • Tunas Mudah, Kembangan • Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Karawaci At that time, the following International Schools had an active Rugby program: • Jakarta International School (JIS) • British International School (BIS) The “Rugby Goes to Schools” program also attempted to include university-aged students from: • Universitas Pelita Harapan, Karawaci • Universitas Negre Jakarta, Rawamangun • Al Azhar University, Blok M In late 2007, IRFU put together a mixed team comprising Darunnajah and Al Izhar students that successfully competed in the British International School’s annual U16 Rugby Tournament. Bali Rugby Club sent their first ever schoolboys team to this tournament also. Darunnajah competed against Jakarta International School’s U16’s development team in February 2008. In April 2008, Sekolah Pelita Harapan and Cita Buana each played their first game of Rugby in a match that was held at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Karawaci. The Bali Rugby Club (BRC) also started its own schools development program in 2008, whereby it held open training sessions twice weekly for school children in the Kuta area. These training sessions were conducted by BRC volunteers. The Bali appointed a RDO to focus on the schools development in late 2008. August 2008 saw the IRFU inaugurating a program whereby the Union employed 4 Indonesian Nationals on a part-time basis to assist the Union’s RDO in carrying out Rugby training at several schools on a twice weekly basis. The idea behind this training program was to hopefully lead to the establishment of an Indonesian Schools Rugby Tournament. 2009 IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby Tournament Thanks to plenty of hard work, in January 2009 the first ever IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby Tournament was hosted by Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH). This tournament involved teams from the following schools: 1. Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) 2. Darunnajah 3. Jakarta International School (JIS) – 2 teams 4. British International School (BIS) The inaugural IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby Tournament culminated in a closely fought Cup Final between JIS and SPH, with the former securing the Championship with a penalty goal on the final siren. 2009-10 “Rugby Goes to School” Program Following on from the achievements of its 2008 pilot project in Jakarta and the success of the first ever Indonesian Schools Tournament, the IRFU decided to expand its Schools Rugby program in 2009 to include the following schools: • Darunnajah Pondok Pesantren, Ulujami • Cita Buana, Pondok Indah • Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Karawaci • Sekolah Bogor Raya, Bogor • Labschool, Kebayoran • SMA 3, Setiabudi • BPK Penabur, Gading Serpong • Sekolah Global Jaya, Bintaro • Monash College In addition the French International School also established its own Rugby program and has coordinated this with the existing IRFU Schools program. An interesting addition to the Schools Rugby program in 2009 was the introduction of Rugby to girls from the following schools: • Cita Buana, Pondok Indah • Labschool, Kebayoran • SMA 3, Setiabudi • Sekolah Global Jaya, Bintaro These girls will now tie into the existing Touch Rugby programs at JIS and BIS, in the view of forming a Girl’s Rugby 7’s tournament in 2010-11. In late 2009, the IRFU Board of Directors in line with the IOC’s decision to include Rugby 7’s in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, plus the IRB’s stance on Rugby 15’s being the premiere form of the game, decided that all future Indonesian Schools Rugby Tournaments should be played as Rugby 7’s until a regular Rugby 15’s competition can be organised. 2010 IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby 7’s Tournament On January 23, 2010, Sekolah Pelita Harapan hosted the 2010 IRFU Indonesian Schools Rugby 7’s Tournament. As an indication of the growth in the popularity of Rugby as schools sport the number of participating teams grew from 5 teams from 4 schools in 2008 to 14 teams from 11 schools in 2010. The following teams participated in 2010: 1. Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) – 2 teams 2. Darunnajah (D) 3. Jakarta International School (JIS) – 3 teams 4. British International School (BIS) 5. Sekolah Bogor Raya (SBR) 6. BPK, Penabur (BPK) 7. Sekolah Global Jaya (GJ) 8. SMA 3 9. Labschool (LS) 10. Cita Buana (CB) 11. French International School (FIS) The 2010 tournament was played in 2 pools of 7 teams, with each school playing 4 pool matches each, before the teams were ranked for Finals playoffs. The pool rounds of this competition were closely contested and it was very interesting to see the National Schools challenging the International Schools in most of the matches. The results of the playoff matches were as follows:  Cup Final – FIS defeated BIS  Plate Final – SPH1 defeated JIS1  Bowl Final – SPH2 defeated JIS2  Shield Final – D defeated BPK  Jug Final – GJ defeated JIS3  Saucer Final – LS defeated CB  Wooden Spoon Final – SMA 3 defeated SBR Indonesian Schools Rugby Future To ensure the continued development of Schools Rugby in 2010 and beyond the IRFU intends to employ a fulltime Schools RDO in both Jakarta and Bali to focus specifically on the following:  Coaching Rugby & coordinate fitness training programs at schools for both boys and girls  Assist in the supply of training equipment including balls, tackle bags/ shields, mouth guards, cones, tag belts, etc to improve skills  Management, coordination & supervision of all IRFU Schools Rugby competitions A coordinated Jakarta and Bali program is envisaged to lead to the development of elite school boy and girl Rugby squads with a view to select boys and girls National U20’s Teams for Rugby 7’s by 2011-12. Junior Rugby Thanks to the dedicated work of a group of parents from the ISCI Jakarta Rugby Club for the past 6 years, approximately 50 youngsters (90% boys and 10% girls) aged from 4-15 years of age are involved in annual Junior Rugby Training. These children include expatriate children as well as Indonesian Nationals and mixed marriage children (with an Indonesian parent). In the past this training has been held at the ISCI Rugby Club, however in 2009-10, this training has taken place at the Australian International School. The IRFU is very supportive of the efforts made by ISCI Jakarta Rugby Club to ensure junior players are introduced to Rugby at an early age. ASIAN & WORLD RUGBY The efforts of the IRFU have not gone unnoticed in Asia, with the Union gaining Associate Membership of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) in September 2004, and then Full Membership in November 2005. ARFU is a regional association of the International Rugby Board (IRB) which is the governing body of World Rugby, whose headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. The IRB has Regional Development Manager in Asia, who is present at all ARFU Council Meetings (held twice annually) and reports on the state of the game in Asia to the IRB. In May 2008, the IRFU was granted Associate Membership status in the IRB and based upon the current level of development the IRFU should be eligible for Full IRB Membership by 2012. In late November 2009, current IRFU Chairman, Stephen Barber attended the IRB’s 9th General Assembly in Dublin, Ireland. This was the first time that an Indonesian representative had attended the IRB’s General Assembly which is held on a bi-annual basis. Due to the dramatic growth of Rugby worldwide, 117 Rugby Nations attended the 2009 Assembly. Figure 15 – Peter Maley (Cambodia), Bernard Lapasset (IRB Chairman), Matt Cullen (Philippines), Aga Hussein (India) & Stephen Barber (Indonesia); pictured with the William Webb Ellis Trophy aka Rugby World Cup The theme of the Assembly was “Engaging the Membership” and as such all Member and Associate Member Nations had an opportunity to meet with IRB Management including the current IRB Chairman, Bernard Lapasset and IRB General Manager Mike Miller plus others. Apart from meeting with senior IRB personnel there was also a wonderful opportunity to meet with representatives from other nations including the major Rugby Unions of England, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Ireland, as well as minor Unions like Norway, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Namibia, Georgia, Spain, and many others. Indonesia was officially welcomed into the ‘IRB Family’ at the Assembly. SPONSORSHIP & FUNDRAISING EVENTS The driving force behind Rugby development in Indonesia has funding supplied by multinational companies and fundraising efforts carried out by the IRFU. Since 2004, the IRFU has received major sponsorship from the following companies: 2004 – Thiess Contractors Indonesia 2005 – Thiess Contractors Indonesia 2006 – Thiess Contractors Indonesia, Standard Chartered Bank 2007 – Thiess Contractors Indonesia, Standard Chartered Bank 2008 – Thiess Contractors Indonesia, Offshore Services Indonesia 2009 – Offshore Services Indonesia, Thiess Contractors Indonesia, Asiarep 2010 – Offshore Services Indonesia, Asiarep, Maxidrill (confirmed at this stage) As well as the financial sponsorship provided by these companies, the IRFU has also received product sponsorship from International SOS, Coca-Cola and Carisbrook from 2007 until now. The IRFU has held major fund raising events at major Jakarta hotels including the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jakarta; Shangri-La Hotel; Marriott Hotel; the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Pacific Place from 2005-09. In addition to the sponsorship provided by the hotels and companies above, the IRFU has also received generous support at these events from companies such as Minvest, Intertek, Fez by Aphrodite, Caprock and others. As part of these events the IRFU has invited former international Test Rugby players including: 2005 – Andy McIntyre & Matt Ryan (former Wallabies) 2006 – Terry Wright (former All Black), Phil Greening (England) & Tom Lawton (Wallaby) 2007 – Mark Ella & Mark Bell (former Wallabies) 2008 – Jim Phipps (former Wallaby) & Enrique ‘Topo’ Rodriquez (Argentina & Wallaby) 2009 – Rory Underwood (former England) & Chris ‘Buddha’ Handy (Wallaby) Photo 16 – Mark Bell, Mark Ella (both former Wallabies), Stephen Barber, Justin Sampson The IRFU is planning similar fundraising events this year and at this stage can confirm the 2010 Indonesian Rugby Business Dinner in late March. The special guest speaker at this event will be former Wallaby Captain, John Eales, who was a member of the Wallabies 1991 Rugby World Cup Champion Team and Captain of the Wallabies 1999 Rugby World Cup Champion Team. MEDIA EXPOSURE The IRFU has received regular media exposure in magazines such as OB – Golf and Lifestyle, Jakarta Kini (previously), NOW! Jakarta, FHM Indonesia, Maxim, Bola and newspapers including The Jakarta Globe and The Jakarta Post. Additionally the Rugby has gained exposure on Indonesian TV as well as Australia Network. In 2010, it is hoped to broaden the amount of exposure Rugby receives in Indonesia through a new approach to how IRFU Sponsorship and Promotion is carried out. THE WAY FORWARD FOR RUGBY IN 2010 As Rugby is a new sport for Indonesians, the progress of schools and club development was initially relatively slow. Another factor that slowed Rugby’s growth was the complexity of the sport which adds to the challenge of encouraging participants. However, following the introduction of the “Rugby Goes to School” program and increased development by clubs coupled with the success of the Rhinos in 2007-08, has resulted in increased participation levels. Apart from these problems the following issues have been identified as slowing the game’s expansion: 1. The general lack of adequate sporting facilities in Indonesian National schools, universities and in general public areas is one of the main issues; and also 2. Most Indonesian schools do not have a structured Physical Education (PE) program, and as such the importance of physical activity in the school curriculum generally takes a back seat Given that Rugby is a ‘contact sport’ the need for well maintained fields will continue to be a problem in Indonesia. As such the next phase of schools and universities that are targeted for the development program will have to have minimum requirements before being selected into the program. The other main issue is of course the physical nature of the game, which means that for the majority of Indonesians the idea of “full body contact” goes completely against their cultural beliefs and ideals. There is also obvious concern from parents and teachers alike due to the lack of understanding of Rugby and how it is played. The amount of funding available to the IRFU up until early 2010 has also slowed the game’s expansion in terms of growth and development in Indonesian Schools. However this will all change in 2010 when thanks to increased sponsorship the Union plans to employ a fulltime Expatriate and 3 fulltime Indonesian RDO’s who will be trained by qualified IRB Trainers. Once trained up these RDO’s will commence a series of “Train the Trainers” programs in order to increase the number of qualified IRB Trainers in Indonesia. Whilst most of these Trainers will focus on Schools Rugby, some of these Trainers will also assist the Senior Clubs. In addition to the training of Rugby Trainers and Coaches, the IRFU also plans to run IRB Referee Training Courses in order to increase the number of Referees in Indonesia. All Referees in Indonesia are members of the ‘Society of Indonesian Rugby Referees’ or SIRR as it is known. SIRR’s major goal in 2010 is to increase its Referee ranks, especially in terms of the number of Indonesian National Referees. Rugby will continue to grow in Indonesia thanks to all the hard work completed by dedicated volunteers over the last 6 years, plus the great sponsorship the sport is now receiving and the increased participation numbers of Indonesian National males and females. CONCLUSION The future of IRFU and Rugby within Indonesia is very bright, especially if the Union can gain KONI Membership in 2010. The expansion of rugby in the last few years has come down to the valuable assistance given by many sponsors and supporters, plus the invaluable time that volunteers around the archipelago have contributed to the development of the sport. The continued rapid expansion of IRFU is now at a point where funding will become one of the major issues to take it to the next level. Despite the current level of sponsorship, these are still insufficient to continue rapid expansion. Additionally, there is also a need for fulltime employees to devote 100% of their time to the development of the Rugby in Indonesia from the grassroots upwards to a senior level. This encompasses Schools Rugby, Club Rugby, Provincial Rugby, National Squad Player Identification and Administration. The development needs to target the growth areas, not only in the Jakarta-Bogor-Bandung region, but also Bali, East Kalimantan, North Maluku, Southeast Sulawesi, and Papua. Traditionally it has been a challenge to devote resources and funding to the regions outside of Java, but KONI Membership will ensure that Rugby prospers in all of these regions. Indonesia’s performances on the International stage, in playing and hosting tournaments, have increased IRFU’s profile within Asian and World Rugby. In 2010, this trend will continue as the union plays host to the HSBC A5N Division 3 Tournament and hopefully the 2011 SEAG Rugby 7’s Tournament.