RI boys team up for rugby tour

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 06/24/2006 3:43 PM

Geoff Atkinson, Contributor, Jakarta

They may live on opposite sides of the world -- but Kirk Arundale from London and Dwikie Pinontoan of Dubai become brothers-in-arms as the Indonesian ""Rhinos"" embark on a tour of Cambodia.

Both with Indonesian parents, Kirk and Dwikie flew into Jakarta to join the 28-man Indonesian squad to meet Brunei, Cambodia and Laos next week.

This is the first time Indonesia has played at an International Rugby Board (IRB) sanctioned tournament and organizers say it is international recognition of the big steps Indonesia rugby has taken on and off the field in the past two years.

The squad will leave for Cambodia on Sunday.

""I can't begin to tell you what this means in terms of pride for me and my family,"" said 17-year-old Dwikie, whose father works as an oil company executive in Dubai. ""My dad represented Indonesian in judo -- and for me to be able to play for my country in the sport I love is beyond my wildest dreams.""

Next week's tour follows a tough international against Macau last Friday night under the lights at Jakarta's ISCI sports ground. The match was narrowly won by Macau which was full of praise for the young Indonesian team.

The Indonesian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said the response to rugby in the past 12 months has been fabulous.

""We've been trying to spread the game through as many provinces as possible -- we now have players from Kalimantan, Bali, Maluku, Java, Sumatra and West Papua on the tour to Cambodia -- and the popularity of rugby is increasing every month.""

The inclusion of Dwikie and Kirk into the squad would add balance and experience and inspire many of the young Indonesian players about them. ""Both these boys play the game at a high junior level -- and while they're stepping up into open-age competition -- they will be a steadying force for the inexperienced players around them,"" the IRFU said.

The squad is made up of 20 Indonesians, eight expatriates and is coached by Nico de Rebas, a French national living in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. They have been training as a unit in Jakarta for the past few days -- but will come up against tough competition on the Cambodian tour.

""Our players come from all over the country and they don't get the chance to train together until a few days before the tournament,"" de Rebas said. ""It makes it hard to work on the finer points of team work and set moves -- but what these guys lack in time together they make with big hearts and their passion for the game.""

Kirk, 19, will return to London for university studies immediately after the Cambodian tournament but says he will return to Indonesia as soon as possible.

""I want to put something back into the game in this country,"" he said. ""If I can do that by coming out here (Indonesia) coaching and helping youngsters in my university holidays -- that's what I want to do. If you'd have asked me a couple months back If I would be representing my country in rugby -- I would have said you were out of your mind. What Indonesian rugby has done for me is just unbelievable.""

Geoff Atkinson is the spokesman for the IRFU.

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