On Saturday June 3 and Sunday June 4, our Turvens, Benjis and Cubs and our combined Juniors team, The Hague Barbarians, had a great rugby weekend at the 17th Annual International Youth Beach Rugby Tournament hosted by Rugbyclub Hoek van Holland. Our younger Warriors, Turvens and Benjis, put up strong on Saturday. Benjis coach Germain Rivaux and Ying Zhou-Rameseder, team manager of the Turvens, tell you more here.

100% fun and commitment

Benjis Coach Germain could not be more proud of his team: “There would be so many things to say about this day! What a pleasure to see the team playing like that, with joy, smiles, team spirit, friendship and engagement. Everyone has given 100%. No one ever gave up! I’ll point out two moments when the team demonstrated its resilience.

The first moment happened during the 2nd group match, the Warriors played against Delft. Delft was a very strong team and extremely prepared. During the first half, they dominated their strong suits. Delft players tackled everywhere and often tackled very hard. Our Warriors could not find spaces as Delft players were ahead of us on all the tracks to grab the ball. This difficult situation caused the 4-2 for Delft at the half time. But then comes the awakening! During the break, the team talked to each other when they were arm in arm. They encouraged each other and were very concentrated on the game. In the end, we finally won 5 -4!! we scored a 3-0 on the 2nd half time against an excellent Delft team! Our Benjis played with so much pleasure, and smiles. A coach of Delft said : “What a Wassenaar team! It is incredible that how well they play, a wonderful game, thank you very much!”.

The second moment happened during the final against our host, Rugbyclub Hoek van Holland. Before THE game, our Warriors recovered a lot. The players made effort to be under the shade, to drink well. Moreover, we talked a lot among the team before this final. Some of the Warriors asked questions and thought about game tactics. Some of them were asking about the rules while others were just listening quietly. There was tiredness too. It was sunny, windy and warm. Everybody waked up at 7:30 a.m. and had been running in the sand since 9 a.m. Our opponent was the host. The Warriors were impressed by the enthusiastic from our opponent’s supports. But, our supporters were just as amazing as theirs. Parents, siblings, staff, Barbarians (Juniors), Cubs and Turvens were all here cheering for the Benjis. Benjis Warriors stayed focus in this ambiance and kept smiling. They were enjoying their first ever beach rugby final for each member of the team.

The game did not start in the perfect way: 2-0 for Hoek van Holland. They were strong and often taller than us. They tackled hard, sometimes few frontal charge. But again, the resilience of the team came back! We succeeded to propose a draw 2-2 before the end of the 1st half. The 2nd half was one the most impressive games I saw this year from the team. With very high level of intensity and energy on the pitch, none of both teams wanted to give up. Only 1 try has been scored! Final score was 3-2… for us!!! Hoek Van Holland spent the end of the game at less than 5m from our try line, but they never succeeded to pass our fortress. What a defense! 0 try was taken on these 2 half time! Details which made the difference. Just like this, we brought home the traditional champion trophy from Hoek van Holland!

Dear parents, you can be proud of your kids! They never gave up, whatever the team in front. They played with pleasure with great solidarity and team spirit. They are amazing! Thank you all for your support!

Germain Rivaux
Benjis Coach

Great experience for our Turvens

Turvens, on the other hand, had a great start as well. Most of our little Warriors had never played beach rugby before. But they played like a pro and defeated RC Eindhoven at 5:1. The boys and girls clearly had not had enough fun yet. Our Warriors and the players from VR-C decided to play a friendly in between games. Our Warriors won the game eventually as they started getting better and better at teamwork.

As the No. 1 in the group, Turvens entered the semi-final. Unfortunately, the Warriors encountered Etten-Leur, a very fast team from the south. Although our Warriors gradually adapted to the rhythm, it was not early enough. At the very last second, Etten-Leur scored their final try to seal the deal. Finally, after a long break, our Turvens played their last game against the Dukes. More than half of the Warriors on the pitch now were 1st year Turvens. The opponents were bigger and taller, but our little Warriors tried their best. They lost the game at the end but gained a great experience! Great job young Warriors!

What an excellent experience! What a positive atmosphere! The tournament showed all the warriors the power and charm of playing beach rugby.

Thank you for the hospitality, Rugby Club Hoek van Holland!

Thank you for being great role models, wonderful coaches and staff members!!

Thank you for the continuous support, lovely parents!!!

Thank you for all your hard work, my marvelous amazing rugby children!!!

Lastly, this was also my very last game as Turvens Team Manager. During these three seasons, I have witnessed the development of our club and the growth of so many talented boys and girls. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to make friends all around the Netherlands. And I wish all the rugby players, especially Turvens players, all the best!

Ying Zhou-Rameseder
Turvens Team Manager

Posted in Benjis, General, Turvens

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