48 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2007
Tour of force
from Plymouth
Command
PLYMOUTH Command’s
men’s hockey and ladies’
netball sides headed half-
way around the world for a
tour of Australia.
The Royal Australian Navy
hosted both teams at HMAS
Penguin, fortuitously situated
just 200 yards from a superb
beach and not far from Manly.
The men – the Warriors
– were soon in action against
Easts, one of the local
premiership hockey sides.
Despite the best efforts of the
exceedingly vocal cheerleading
squad (also known as the
netball team...) jet-lag was still
evident and sadly the side lost
3-1.
The next two games were
against the New South Wales
Combined Services squad,
which provided a stern test.
The fi rst match, played at
Burwood on the Olympic No.2
pitch, ended with a 3-1 win
for the touring side and a very
impressive black eye for Cdr
Heber Ackland.
The second clash was a very
hard-fought affair played at
Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. This
saw the Warriors triumphant
with a 3-2 victory, despite twice
falling behind.
Once again they lost the
injury war, however, with OM
● The Royals (in white) and the red berets challenge for the ball in the Parachute Regiment’s box during a set-piece in the 2-2 draw at Exeter’s Sandy Park
Nurse needing fi ve stitches on
Picture: LA(Phot) Jenny Burn
his forehead.
The hockey team’s fourth
match saw them pitted against
NSW U21 XI, who boasted fi ve
Australian U21 internationals
(two of whom have since been
selected to tour Europe with the
full Australian squad).
From the Falklands
Despite a barrage of attacks,
the inexperienced Plymouth
starting line-up heroically
managed to keep the home
side out for 15 minutes before
conceding a barrage of goals at
the end of the period.
The second half was more
to the town of JR
evenly matched with the
Aussies edging it 2-1.
The fi nal game was
unfortunately cancelled by the
PERHAPS fi ttingly in this
Falklands Cup outright.
Australians at short notice, 25th anniversary year
Meanwhile, in a country far,
so the balance sheet for the
of the Falklands confl ict
far away, some of the youngest
Warriors showed two matches
footballers in the RN talent
honours were even in the
won and two lost.
pool headed to Texas for the
The netball ladies started
football contest between
world’s leading youth ‘soccer’
their tour against very strong
the green and red berets
tournament.
opposition from one of the local which shares the war’s
This year’s contest, the 28th,
sides.
saw the greatest number of
name. competitors to date drawn from
Despite valiant efforts the
A 2,000-strong crowd turned all over the football world with
ladies sadly lost quite heavily
up at Sandy Park Stadium, home such great names as Chelsea, Real
against a team who were
of Exeter Chiefs RUFC, to see Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt
considerably taller and who
an enthralling match – and some all in the hat.
had obviously played regularly
fine pre-match and half-time The RN U18 team have been
together.
entertainment. ever-presents in Dallas since the
In the next game against an
The Band of HM Royal competitions founding and the
RAN side, the Brits proved they
Marines Lympstone welcomed 2007 event, like its predecessors,
were ready for the challenge
the two challengers on to the pitch is one the teenagers will never
and stepped off the court with a
to the Gladiator theme. And then forget.
good win.
the combatants locked horns in a The squad had prepared well
They were not as lucky with
fizzing first half. for the competition, particularly
their third clash against NSWIS.
The Royals had a goal since the turn of the year with
They were forced to fi ght
disallowed in the opening minutes, comfortable victories against
hard for possession before
but that did not deter them as they London and the AFA in the Home
eventually losing the clash.
kept the Paras on the back foot, Counties League and held on
The fourth clash of the tour
dominating the first quarter. to the Inter-Services Youth Cup
saw the PT staff of HMAS
That dominance paid off against the Army at Aldershot
Kuttabul demonstrate their
with two strikes from Dan (one of our sides had to beat the
netball prowess and use their
Boere and Richie Hope... strikes old enemy...).
height advantage to great
which roused the red berets and The team headed across the
effect.
prompted a change of tactics. The Atlantic in buoyant mood aided
Onside with Capt Paul
This was followed by a
switch unsettled the Royals, who by a valuable coaching session
● The RN U18 side on the attack
challenge from the Warrior men.
conceded numerous free kicks with Steve Rutter (FA Coaching
Cunningham, RNFA
against Japan’s Takigawa Dai
Disappointed by the
before Para pressure paid off and National Co-ordinator) and
Nai in the opening match of the
cancellation of their fi nal
Tony Fitzpatrick netted to reduce Pompey goalkeeping legend Alan
Dallas Cup
hockey match, they decided
the marines’ half-time advantage Knight before departing the
that they had seen enough
to 2-1. United Kingdom.
netball to have a go.
– imagine playing mid afternoon against a team from Boise, Idaho, particular highlight from this year’s
After entertainment during On arrival in Dallas, the squad
in August in this country against as is the tradition in the Dallas tour although the opportunity to
While they learned quickly
the break provided by the RM were met by a wonderful set of
players faster and fi tter than you Cup for teams that do not progress renew old friendships and make
and showed that there were
Commando Display Team, the two people who volunteer to host the
are at one of the biggest football before hanging up the boots. new acquaintances continues to
similarities with basketball, teams trotted out for the second
players and staff throughout the
occasions of your life and you The remainder of the tour be a high point for both players
ultimately the ladies had the 45 minutes pretty confident that
contest and inevitably end up
can probably guess what is going saw the team take in the sights and staff alike.
advantage. the next goal would decide the
being surrogate parents – not to
through the mind of a 17-year-old and sounds of the US with a A healthy proportion of the
Being in Sydney for 12 contest one way or the other. mention passionate Navy fans.
sailor. particularly memorable trip to the 2007 squad will be young enough
days, there was time for The result was some pretty The group stage of the
The second game, against rodeo. to return to Dallas next year, if
other activities and the team dogged play for much of the tournament began with a tough
a strong team from Houston, The players also witnessed selected, and will no doubt benefi t
experienced the harbour at high second half, finally broken by tie against Takigawa Dai Nai from
resulted in a 2-0 defeat and left the some outstanding football in the from this year’s experience.
speed in a jet boat and climbed paratrooper Ian McManus who Kobe, Japan, and the RN came
RN with a huge mountain to climb latter stages of the contest with Trials for the 2008 RN Youth
to the top of Sydney Harbour sent the maroon section of the away with a deserved 2-2 draw
if they were to qualify beyond the Sao Paulo of Brazil fi nally beating Squad will begin early next seaso;
Bridge. crowd wild with his equalizer. thanks to goals from AB Hawke
group stages. Chelsea in the U19 Super Group players eligible for the Dallas Cup
A trip to the Blue Mountains Both teams pressed for a (Raleigh) and ET Gunnery
It is to the enormous credit of fi nal. XXIV should be born after August
and the Jenolan Caves winner, but neither could deliver (Collingwood), although arguably the team that they battled valiantly The squad returned to the UK 1 1988. Recommendations of
provided less strenuous days the knockout punch and so the the Brits should have taken all in the fi nal group match against a to re-join their respective units suitable RN/RM players to the
out, although the fi nal day of clash ended 2-2 – “a fitting result three points. highly-rated Milwaukee team and after two weeks together – all the RNFA Offi ce at HMS Temeraire.
the tour was spent whitewater for an outstanding game,” said Despite the lengthy preparations, went down 1-0, having tested the better for their experience, both as ■ ONSIDE will be taking a break
rafting on the Olympic canoe Sgt Ian Michelsen of the RM the pace of the game and the harsh woodwork several times. players and as young adults. for a couple of months until the
course. FA – with no-one holding the climate had its effect on the team The sailors played a friendly It would be diffi cult to pick out a football season resumes.
0048-052_NN_Jul.indd 148-052_NN_Jul.indd 1 119/6/07 16:53:259/6/07 16:53:25
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