ASRU’s blue squad

Our top rugby players selected for Pacific Cup

Volume 48, No. 11, June 29, 2006

An Army player splits LAC Bryon Hudson, left, and AC Mathew Irvine at the recent ASRU championships in Canberra.

In the same game, LAC Ryan Baden wins a line-out.

Photos by WOFF Dave Pang.

NINE Air Force players have been chosen for the extended Australian Services Rugby Union (ASRU) squad.

The ASRU team will contest the Pacific Cup against Defence teams from New Zealand, Tonga, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji in early September.

Their selection follows the recent ASRU championships, which were played in Canberra in late May and early June. Air Force lost 32-15 against Navy and 60-11 against Army.

Despite the losses by Air Force, the team fielded its most potent challenge for several years and its scrum was the strongest on the field.

In addition, two Air Force women have been selected in the ASRU women’s squad following their outstanding play with the Navy women’s team during the ASRC.

President of Air Force Rugby AIRCDRE Glenn Steed congratulated the players and praised the efforts of the team and everyone else involved with Air Force Rugby in 2006.

“While the losses were disappointing, the effort and dedication of the players, coaching staff and management cannot be questioned,” he said.

“It has been a real team effort to get the team onto the park and competitive against the other Services. As well as the players and staff, the committee, our sponsors, and our supporters have all ensured that Air Force Rugby has lived up to the expectations of the Air Force.

“As president I am immensely proud of our team and what they have achieved and, just as importantly, what they will achieve in the next few years.”

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