Oxford Uni Beat Lebanon Game 1

[ouwet]

Oxford Uni over Liban Espoir 24-12...
Full Report below click on the link

http://www.ourlfc.org/pages/home/home.html

 

[Alan Shore]

Not a bad result for Lebanon really. Especially since Hazem wasn't there.

 

[mono_mal]

tama, Lebanon have a lot more quality players than Hazem.
they boast a team thats possibly the 4th best rugby league nation when including australian based players. check this for a team
1. El Masri (Bulldogs)
2. Saleh (Dragons)
3. Samia (Balmain Tigers)
4. Corrie/Salem (Sydney Bulls)
5. Bajouri (Souths)
6. Boulous (North Sydney Bears)
7. Nicholas (Souths Juniors)
8. El Hamed (Newtown Jets)
9. Farrah (Wests Tigers)
10. Farrah (Balmain Tigers)
11. Chamoun (Sydney Bulls)
12. Najarrin (Newtown Jets)
13. Coorey (Toowoomba Clydesdales)
The Espoir are a team made up purely of domestic players. Players that have been playing the game for 2 seasons at most. This result is encouraging for Lebanon Rugby League as they now know they can compete to an extent without overseas talent and this is from a country that played no league 2 years ago.
The Cedars are a quality team. All players playing NRL/Premier League/Qld Cup or Jim Beam Cup. All players not in the NRL though are exceptional players and standouts for their respective comps and teams.

 

[ouwet]

Not a bad result for Lebanon really. Especially since Hazem wasn't there.

Not one Australian based player was there... That team was 100% Lebanese people players living and playing in Lebanon

 

[ali]

What a great day. So much news on this forum. The result is irrelevant. I wonder what the likes of Stephen Jones and other League hating journos in England, think of this, (if they know). Oxford Uni, which is so associated with upper class England, vs 100% home grown Lebanon. Has there ever been a better fixture on paper for showing the progress of our game.

 

[ali]

This is heart warming for an internationalist like myself. From the Oxford website.

Before my first rugby tour in 1998, our coach explained the famous historical role that touring Sportsmen have played in spreading a common global culture and how once rivalries had been contested on the sports field, friendships would be cemented in the bar. This will be the attitude that we shall take to the Lebanon. This will be the first British sports tour to the region in recent times, therefore we are aware of the significance of the visit. As the invitational letter we received (below) demonstrates, this tour should provide a fascinating (and possibly unique) opportunity to help the development of a sport that is giving the Lebanese a new and positive international reputation.
Due to the recent history of the area (Lebanon is still technically at war with Israel) it remains off the regular tourist trail. However the location, history and terrain make the country one of the most diverse and interesting. It is said that only in Lebanon can you ski in the mountains in the morning then sunbathe and swim in the sea in the afternoon! If one adds to this natural beauty, the rich cultural heritage, a remarkable image of Lebanon emerges. Part of our tour will involve an important question and answer session with the Lebanese American University. This is designed to be a cultural exchange – an opportunity to foster closer links not just between the two sports teams but also between the educational establishments. It will also enable both parties to develop a greater understanding of the different perceptions that exist in the Middle East and in the West about the future relationships between these two worlds.



Of course, in addition to these benefits, the most tangible results will be seen in the pre-season training we are able to do. With a tour before the varsity term begins, we would hope to be able to return to Oxford at the start of Hilary term with an extremely fit, organised squad already used to each other’s game. We would in effect have an extra six weeks to add extra, more expansive dimensions to our game.



I hope you can see from this brief outline that this tour promises many things for participants and sponsors alike. I would be delighted if you decided to support it in whatever way you can.



Matt Scaife

Joint OURLFC President

 

[Jeffles]

4th best Miono mal. very ambitious of you.

Liban Espoir is the best side from the domestic comp. They were beaten by Morocco last year. It is good that they have rep fixtures. It gives them something more to aim at. I look forward to the next game.

 

[deluded pom?]

You also have to realise that a majority of the Oxford players probably hadn`t played any league until they went to university . If you look at the make up of the Varsity teams they tend to be players drawn from all over the U.K. with the occasional foreign player involved . These foreign players almost always come from a country that doesn`t play RL at all or if it does then not to any great level.Invariably the foreign players wouldn`t have even heard of RL till they went to University. The players from areas of the U.K. that are outside of the traditional heartlands tend to be RL virgins also .

 

[carlnz]

Oxford won the second game 24-4, apperantly yhe lebanon team was hit by heaps of injuries