Around the Traps – Volume 3

Births

Jo & Shino Iwasaki became the proud new parents of a baby girl – Suzu Iwasaki, on the 27th of June. Mother and child are doing well. I am not sure about dad. It is hoped that Suzu becomes a valuable member of the Tokyo Gaijin like her parents have been over the past 10 years.

Rob Poulton & girlfriend Jennifer had a baby boy – Carlos Joseph Lee Poulton on July 25th. Rob flew down to the Philippines a couple of days later to make sure it was his baby. There were no doubts when the baby weighed in around 9 pounds (around 4 kilos). Looks like there is another prop in the family. Rob is back in Japan now working hard to save his first million while Jenny is solo parenting. Looks like a big change in lifestyle is on the way for young Rob.

Unsighted

Blake Walker, unsighted on the Rugby field for almost 3 years now, is rumored to be on the comeback trail. Blake who damaged ligaments in one of his knees finally had an operation at Christmas time. READ MORE... 

My spies tell me that he has been seen pounding the pavement. What’s even more incredulous, the gossip is that he has even given up the usual tub of ice cream after every meal.

Mauro Sauco, wife Mizue and daughter Maya are still stuck in China. Mauro has been working there fulltime since May. Apparently he had been fine-tuning his rugby skills with the Beijing Devils Rugby Club. The team was anxiously awaiting the new and improved Mauro but unfortunately he has done ligaments in his knee and will require an operation that may keep him off the field for some time.

It is rumored that Steve Bull, unsighted for over 2 months, has been working Sundays to pay off a massive MasterCard bill. His 4 kids have been on a diet of Bean Sprouts and Tofu for weeks now. The said bill was the result of two operations on his brindle Labrador-cross bitch after it was hit by a car and left for dead. The dog escaped the hurly-burly of Steve’s house and went roaming. The dog has since recovered but Steve’s wallet hasn’t! Apparently Steve still ghosts the streets after work in the evenings, screwdriver in hand, looking for the driver.

Alaister Nimmo, currently gallivanting around Europe somewhere, will not be sighted on the rugby field until late October due to a smashed cheekbone picked up at the Sugadaira 10`s.

Frenchman, Kevin Rebay, has also been unsighted for a while now. Perhaps he is still begging Loius Vuitton to send him back to Japan. Rumor is that he will be back at the end of September. Intensity will make a fashionable comeback soon. 

Chris Lucas is back gracing the field again for the TGRFC after a year and a bit back in Oz. This time he’s got a degree and a real job!

Friendly against Kichijoji Wild Turkeys and Shinjuku Jacks

Last Sunday the team had a ‘Friendly’ mini-game against the above two teams. The game was organized by Jesse Takahashi to familiarize everyone with the new ELVs ( no Arthur, not the little people ). The idea was for the referee to stop the game and explain any misunderstandings. No.8, Paulo de Berriozabal, was the only one who noticed a big difference, finding a lot more space when he ran from the back of the scrum. The Gaijin won their mini-games leaving them feeling happy about the new laws.

The game was played in wet and muddy conditions courtesy of the buckets of rain that had fallen over Tokyo and surrounds over the previous week. Being left short of enough backs (Was it the summer lethargy or the pouring rain the night before??) two forwards filled in capably in the back line with loose forwards Joffa Harris at standoff and Dave Kelver at outside center. Joffa was heard to say later “ It was a picnic playing in the backs!” Joffa got a try and Apisai Bati got his usual brace of tries. The forwards, however, won the day for the TGRFC.

The forwards also won the drinking competition at the fantastic BBQ put on by the other teams after the game. Chris Fearon 1st, Rob Poulton 2nd, daylight 3rd, then the opposition pretenders in both rounds…and it was Shochu… not beer. Thanks most go to the Wild Turkeys and the Jacks for a wonderful BBQ – they had 4 big BBQ plates going, piles of meat, and 5 kegs of beer.

After the game, Dave Kelver, feeling worried about his teammates` fitness, put out a challenge to the team to e-mail in their fitness efforts through the week. I am happy to report that some guys actually do train through the week with Lonnie Childress, Chris Fearon, Captain Murray Clarke, Joffa Harris, Andy Ballard (though I`m dubious about the climbing tress bit!) and Matt Downer reporting in through the week. Oh, and of course Dave himself. Will Thompson also said he had hit the gym but nobody believes him. After all, he doesn’t even have time to wash his clothes.