Dimbulla Estate CNX International Rugby 11’s Tournament 2023
Kicking off this year’s event, we will showcase the up-and-coming Northern talent, with a 4 team U 14’s tournament. The Doi Tao Boys, Prince Royals Colleges’ PRC Lions & PRC Tigers along with Lanna RFC Cubs will battle it out.
There will be 10 teams fighting for honours in the Dimbulla Estate Men’s Open Division in 2 groups of five teams. Saturday will see the group round robin games before the knockouts and finals on Sunday.
Defending Champions from Hanoi, the Dragons, are flying in to try and retain the trophy that they won, against all the odds, last year. There will be some tough competition, with the Bangkok Bangers & Bangkok Southerners coming with full strength teams, and looking to take the cup home. Phuket Vagabonds, will no doubt take some scalps during the weekend, and will have an outside chance of making a final.
The Dimbulla Estate CNX Rugby 11’s League champions, The Chiang Mai All Stars, will be contenders, if they can get a full-strength team on the park. The Chiang Mai Cobras, league runners up, will be looking to continue their fine form and will be looking to renew their recent on field relationship, with the Bangkok Southerners. The Lanna Rugby Club and the CMU Purple Blacks, round out the home teams, with the Chiang Rai Bears, making the journey, to compete in their first tournament for many years, after being recently resurrected by Lonni Levi.
The Hell Energy Drink Ladies tournament is always a crowd pleaser, and four teams are competing this year. The Bangers Belles are fielding two teams, The Belles & ReBelles. The Lanna Rugby Club ladies will play in there second CM tournament after debuting last year. The reigning champions, the Southerners Ladies, will be looking to dominate proceedings again this year, but it will be tough, against some stern opposition.
In the Whitesmiths O 35’s Vets a more social approach will no doubt be taken, with an emphasis on the off-field attractions. Having said that, the Muddy Buffalos, Bangkok Bangers Vets and the home team, Chiang Mai Cobras, will be giving it their all, with slick passing, sneaky offloads & the occasional dummy, and that’s all in the warm up at the bar!
Whoever takes the honours come Sunday afternoon, it will be well deserved, and the enjoyment of participation, on and off the pitch, will instill memories for many years to come.
There will be a welcome party Friday night at the Welcome Inn on Loh Kro & the teams will be wetting their whistles, for the kareoke competition on Saturday night, at the same venue. Come on down and meet the lads and lasses and make new friends, and renew old acquaintances, with others.
Australia’s Dimbulla Estate has been instrumental, along with Whitesmiths, in bringing the Rugby 11’s concept to Thailand and through their support, Chiang Mai ran the world’s first ever Rugby 11’s league this year, which was a huge success. Both Dimbulla & Whitesmiths will continue to support grassroots rugby in Thailand and continue to spread the 11’s Rugby concept throughout the regions, in the coming years.
Entry to the event is free so come on down and support local rugby at its best.
For all fixtures & results you can follow on https://www.macoocoo.com/index.php?r=group/default/tournament§ion=schedule&tid=2159&cid=&n=
Link for Suthep Stadium https://maps.app.goo.gl/PZh1KgVbRgSuQPTRA
