By Bridget Tunnicliffe, Matthew Flemming
Contributing Writers
Seoul's men's and women's rugby players are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for international matches against Hong Kong.
The City Rugby Football Club from Hong Kong is sending a women's and men's as well as an under-18 side to play against the mainstays of expat rugby in Korea on Aug. 29.
The Korea Times reported earlier this month how the Seoul Sisters women's team was deep in preparations for their latest tussle with international opposition.
Now the male half, in the form of Seoul Survivors, have outlined how their charges are faring in the lead-up to the big kick-off.
``Us expats are used to playing against people brought up with rugby, and we know now how Koreans play, but I don't know how Chinese people play their rugby,'' said Seoul Survivors player-coach Rawiri King, 24. ``But we'll just be treating it like another rugby club game, we'll just do our own thing."
Dan Grover, 32, who plays for the Survivors but also coaches the club's under-18 players, said, ``It's a rare chance for the younger players who live in Seoul with parents who work in international business to get some opposition."
Most of his players come from Europe, Australasia and North America, with the addition of a few Korean players. ``I believe (Hong Kong) will be solely Chinese players so we are expecting them to be nippy but not as physical in the tackle and breakdown," Grover said.
The time and venue of matches have yet to be finalized, but for more information visit either club's Web sites at www.ssrfc.com or www.survivorsrfc.com.
Meanwhile, the date of an international touch rugby tournament being co-hosted by Seoul Sisters is set to be contested in Seoul on Sept. 26, not Sept. 12 and 13 as had been intimated previously, according to the organizers.