The Chiang Mai 11s rugby tournament represented the significant progress made by Lanna Rugby Club this season.
Having men’s, women’s and U14’s teams taking to the field over the weekend is a proud achievement for the club in the fifth year since its founding.
It was time for the training and hard work by Club Director Hirsty to pay off and our whole club came ready for some home turf action. All three teams walked away with trophies and we could not be more proud!
The stadium being dominated by a sea of Lanna white and blue was testament to the hard work and dedication of the club’s members, supporters and sponsors. A huge thanks to the event’s organisers and to all who came to support the competition.
A special shout out to our fellow rugby clubs of Thailand. It is phenomenal to see the way this beautiful sport continues to grow here. Heres to many more years to come!
WE ARE LANNA!
Maddie Barry (Women’s Team Captain), David Smith (Men’s Team Captain), and Thomou Pas-plein (U14s Coach)
LIONESSES
The Lionesses came out with a bang, fielding a full Lanna team for the first time. They kicked off their 4 games on Saturday with a loss to the experienced Bangkok Southerners, as they began to come together. Followed by a huge win against the Bangkok Rebelles, the women gained quite the boost. Ending the day with losses to the Bangkok Belles and Southerners couldn’t dampen the soaring spirits of a team finally finding their own way.
Sunday went down as the best day in Lionesses history as the women went undefeated! They started with a W against the Bangkok Rebelles & came back to tie the Bangkok Belles 5-5! This led the women into the plate final, where they put all of their determination and hard work into a win!
Although they are quite a new and developing team, the Lionesses were able to stand their ground well and proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with. With an unbeatable defensive line throughout the weekend and tries from all-stars: Victoria, Zab, Kelly, Grace and Maddie, the Lionesses proudly took 3rd place.
MEN
The men were all up to the challenge and started off the weekend with a mighty defensive performance against the experienced Bangkok Bangers. Followed by a draw with local rivals CM All Stars and a frustrating loss to the Phuket Vagabonds, the Lions took third place in Group A for Saturday.
The men began Sunday’s action with a solid performance against finalists Hanoi Dragons. The Lions upped their game for a comfortable win against Chiang Mai University, to take their place in the Bowl final. With a score to settle in their fourth meeting of the season with the CM All Stars, the Lions roared with hard tackles, lightning closing down and two brilliantly worked tries to take a late victory and secure the Bowl trophy!
The Lions showed up with a full roster of 26 men from various levels of experience. As Lanna keeps growing, our men continue to lead the charge in strength and numbers. And the bowl trophy only proves how far they have come!
JUNIORS
For five fantastic years, The Lanna Cubs have been a force in Northern Thailand. Yet this was the U14 boys second time playing together in a tournament. They took the field with grit, coming up short to the well-drilled PRC, but now having a target to work toward.
The bonds with the Doi Tao team were strengthened and they are looking forward to more collaboration. The Cubs took home the plate trophy with pride!
This tournament was not just about showcasing the development of skills; it was a celebration of fun, fostering our youth rugby connections, and embracing the joy of the game.
We saw our Cubs embody the true essence of youth rugby between the thrills and the laughter on the field.
Lanna Rugby Club has gone through many changes this season. This tournament represented the significant progress every member in the club has achieved for this brilliant weekend to have happened.
We Are LANNA!
Lanna Rugby Club would like to thank our 2023-24 season sponsors:
