TA KLE - 7 Group

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EDITION 4
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28 October - 04 November 2012 Fukuoka, japan
uty
and Dep
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Director
ceive an
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om
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, Mr En
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Director
ival Com
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-workin
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behalf of
The unique
atmospher
e at the F
better illus
estival in
Fukuoka w
trated th
an the spe
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of Golden
New Zea
Korus (C
land) and
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Tohoku Sm
ch,
ile (Fukush
ima, Japa
n).
From Fukuoka with Love
Let the love of rugby take you places. Never has that Golden
Oldies mantra been more true than the 19th Air New Zealand
Golden Oldies Rugby World Festival in Fukuoka.
The first Golden Oldies Festival to come to Asia proved an
unqualified success.
“It’s fair to say we had more challenges than in other recent
Festivals to get numbers to come,” said one Golden Oldie.
“One of the reasons was the economy for sure. It was also a
long way to Japan. And to be fair most of us had preconceptions
about Japan.
“The Japanese are a wonderful people. And this is a
rugby-mad culture.”
The summation could not have been put any better.
Golden Oldies will look to another first time destination,
to another distant land and to yet another country that is
passionate about rugby with the 20th edition of the world’s
biggest rugby festival heads to Argentina.
The coastal tourist destination of Mar del Plata will welcome
Golden Oldies from 21 to 28 September 2014.
“All of those preconceptions were completely incorrect.
It blew us away. The city was so clean and tidy. The people
were outstanding – so courteous, so helpful, so happy.
It may be the barriers broken down in Japan, its well-renown
rugby tradition or the thought of those unsurpassed beef steaks,
but nearly 40 teams have already signed up for Argentina.
“The rugby was organised well and the after-club was great.
The beer tasted pretty good too. The functions were magic from
that amazing opening, parade and welcome to the picnic day
and the final dinner.
Arigato. Sayonara. Dewa mata – thank you, good bye and see
you again.
Now it’s ... Bienvenido a Argentina.
grand finale dinner
The Marine Messe Fukuoka convention centre was the venue for the Grand Finale Dinner.
Some of the highlights included:
Food preparations for the Grand Finale Dinner.
The light show and surrounds of the Marine Messe Fukuoka
convention centre.
The Japanese Beatles entertained ...
And Elvis was in the house too.
Charlie and his country band were a real hit.
And the showband brought the house down.
We want you to be our friend!
Join our Golden Oldies Rugby ‘Facebook’ group...
go to www.facebook.com to register, then specify
Golden Oldies Rugby in your search.
festival Awards
The following awards were presented at the Grand Finale Dinner and Air New Zealand Awards Ceremony by Dave Simmons,
General Manager, Online and Leisure, Air New Zealand.
Friendship Award: City of Fukuoka, accepted by the
Mayor of Fukuoka, Soichiro Takashima.
Best Team Uniform: Midland Puffin Billies, Western Australia.
Best Supporters: Alice Springs Dingoes, Australia
Spirit of the Festival: Tohoku Smile, Japan
Personality of the Festival: Rolf Keppler, Golden Korus, New Zealand
Special Merit Award: Sir Frederick Goodwin, Cook Islands Diplomats.
Read all about it!
Contact the Golden Oldies World Rugby Secretariat with
your email and postal address, to receive our email and
hard copy updates, email rugby@goldenoldiessports.com
Golden
Oldies
Rugby
eNews
July
2012
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here
to view
this
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MAR DEL PLATA
ARGENTINA
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are ready to go.
am for Argentina
The organising te
Ready and Waiting
Argentina is set to make a huge
impression on Golden Oldies Rugby
fans when it hosts the 20th World Rugby
Festival in 2014.
“Argentina’s history in rugby is relatively
recent but very strong. Argentinean rugby
followers will greatly enjoy what Golden
Oldies rugby can convey about rugby.”
Leading the way is the equally striking
figure of former Pumas No 8 star
Buenaventura Mínguez, affectionately
known as Guri, who is the Festival Director.
He is also keen to use the opportunity
develop Golden Oldies throughout South
American to countries like Uruguay, Chile,
Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela where
rugby is played.
He played 11 Tests for Los Pumas over
a 10 year period and is currently on the
Board of Union Argentina de Rugby. Guri,
who played his rugby in Argentina for IPR
Sporting Club, lives in Mar del Plata and
is sure his city will be a superb host for
Golden Oldies.
“Mar Del Plata is a very special city in
tourism especially because it was born as
a tourism spot. The population is the main
asset – they are tourism-friendly,” he said.
“Of course the local people will
appreciate that these are very special
rugby players with a strong commitment
to rugby but of course a love of things off
the field – like eating steak. “
Rugby has history in Argentina but Guri is
hoping Golden Oldies will open up a new
pathway for the sport in his country.
“Rugby in Argentina is even bigger than
in Japan. Rugby in Argentina is the third
sport in presence after football and
Formula One.
“Our big challenge after that is to make it
that big in our veterans’ football. That is
a big challenge to position our veterans’
rugby as high as Golden Oldies Festivals.
Join us!
20th Golden Oldies World Rugby
Festival, Mar del Plata, Argentina
21 - 28 September 2014
Guri said his team are now excited by the
challenge ahead.
“The three main players – the tourism
operators, the city itself and the guys
dealing with the rugby are all ready and
waiting to start work. The three sides
are working together, very much in unity,
with the main goal of all the participants
being very happy about their experience in
Argentina.
“Golden Oldies will come, they will play and
we are confident they will not want to leave.”
Guri said he found his introduction to
Golden Oldies to be
very special.
“It has been amazing. I did not expect
as much as I have experienced. It is a lot
about rugby.”
Will that tempt him to put his boots on in
Mar del Plata in 2014?
“The boots on ... maybe. But playing quite
unlikely.”
Fukuoka
Feedback
“I continue to be impressed at the
professionalism and value of Air New
Zealand Golden Oldies events and credit
for that goes to you and your team.”
Nick Mudge,
Regional Manager, Japan and Korea,
Tourism New Zealand
“On behalf of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football
Union and the Delegation that participated
in the 2012 Golden Oldies World Rugby
Festival, let me thank the Organizing
Committee and the Japan Rugby Football
Union for the excellent job done in conducting
such a wonderful Event and especially for
the warm welcome extended to us.”
Lasitha Gunaratne,
Vice President.
“Our team all thought the festival was
extremely well organised and ran smoothly,
although the games were a tad harder
than we perhaps would have liked.”!
Evan Howland,
Golden Korus
“Thank you everyone for a great week.
You should be proud and pleased with
what was achieved. We certainly had a
great time in a wonderful city.”
Don & Christine Thomas
“On behalf of the Mandurah Raw Prawns,
I would like to thank you for a fantastic
ten days of rugby and the bringing
together of so many wonderful people.
The memories of this tour will stay with
us for many years.”
Norm Roberts,
Mandurah Raw Prawns