The first local Lusofonia touch rugby championship took place at TIS field, Taipa last Saturday. Eight teams entered the tournament, weather conditions were close to ideal and a good crowd was attracted to support and encourage the teams.
Group 1 saw the Cape Verde Blue Sharks, Portugal Wolves, Angola Palancas and Moçambique Panthers drawn together. Portugal Wolves got off to a good start with a 3-1 win over Cape Verde Blue Sharks. Moçambique Panthers and Angola Palancas shared a hard fought 0-0 draw. The Palancas then stepped up a gear to beat the Blue Sharks 1-0, while the Wolves continued their strong start by defeating Panthers 3-1. This setup a winner takes all game between Wolves and Angola Palancas, with the Portugal Wolves emerging victorious by 3-2 to take their place in the Cup final. Moçambique Panthers and the Blue Sharks drew their final group match 1-1.
Group 2 was composed of the Brasil Buccaneers, Goa Kingfishers, Timor-Leste Titans and local favourites Macau Marauders. An entertaining and hard fought set of games ensued with Macau putting down an early marker, winning 4-0 against Timor-Lestse Titans. Goa Kingfishers and Brasil Buccaneers drew 0-0. The Buccaneers then turned on the style to win 4-0 against Titans while high flying Macau Marauders were held 2-2 by Goa Kingfishers. The Buccaneers and Marauders then faced each other to decide which team would play Portugal Wolves in the Cup final. The Macau team squeezed through winning 2-1 while the Kingfishers beat the Titans 2-0 to secure 2nd place in the group.
The event was staged to introduce new players to touch rugby and add a new tournament to the Macau rugby calendar. There was also an objective to raise funds for Mestre Eddy Murphy as he seeks to overcome serious illness.
The Shield final saw newcomers Cabo Verde Blue Sharks beat Timor-Leste Titans 4-1 while Brasil Buccaneers won the Bowl after drawing 1-1 with Moçambique Panthers, the match then decided by a sprint-off. In the Plate final Angola Palancas edged past Goa Kingfishers 1-0.
The Cup final between Macau Marauders and Portugal Wolves was keenly anticipated and the match did not disappoint. An intense, fast and skilful game ensued with Macau taking an early lead with two scores before the Wolves hit back to make it 2-1 at halftime. An intercept try secured the match for Marauders, 3-1.
A very entertaining day’s rugby and it is hoped that this competition will become a regular feature in the local rugby calendar. Donald Shaw, MDT
