Another international game

Today an U18 selection played against Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura HS from Yokohama in Japan. It was an entertaining contest with the KGM boys providing stiff opposition for the entire game. The St. Bede's team won 5-2 (tries) but it was a very evenly balanced match. Luke de Roo stood out scoring three of the St. Bede's tries. Tadeo Andriani and Logan Bainbridge played well for Mutsuura, filling gaps caused by injuries. St. Bede's wishes Mutsuura HS well for their last tour game before returning to Japan.

Introduction to Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura Rugby by Kuni Takayama

Rugby at Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura HS (KGM) kicked off in 2005 with an initial roster of just five boys committed to the sport. Three years later, in 2008, the KGM Rugby Club was officially established becoming the newest addition to secondary-level rugby playing schools in Kanagawa Prefecture, the southwest neighbour to Tokyo.

In 2015 the school gave rugby the status of “Special Club” in order to accelerate its development, at the same time starting the first girls’ rugby club at secondary school level in Kanagawa. With this, both the boys and girls clubs established a special scholarship system enabling them to offer places at the school to male and female players taking their rugby ability into account as a category for consideration. In recent years the boys’ Club has become steadily stronger, training hard in order to achieve its next goal of beating a Top 4 team in Kanagawa, a prefecture that boasts several traditional rugby schools. At this stage of the school’s rugby development, it is marvellous that our boys are able to challenge themselves to set ever higher standards on this tour in New Zealand. Beyond the rugby we want the boys to enjoy themselves and to learn all sorts of things through being in a foreign country. I sincerely hope that our players will create life-long memories on this tour.

関東学院六浦ラグビー部（KGM）は、2005年に男子部員5人で愛好会からスタートし、2008年正式に創部した神奈川県内では最も新しいチームです。
　2015年には本校ラグビー部は、特別強化クラブに指定され、更には神奈川県内初の女子ラグビー部をスタートしました。それと同時に男女共高校からのラグビー推薦入学制度もはじめました。

ここ最近では着実に力をつけ、強豪ひしめく神奈川県の「打倒TOP４」をチームターゲットとし、日々トレーニングをしています。今こうしてNZへチーム全体で武者修行し、選手一人ひとりに高いマインドセット、そしてラグビーをより楽しんで頂き、さまざまなことを学べればと思います。

今回のNZ遠征においても、彼らにとって生涯忘れることのない遠征になればと思います。

On a personal note, about 17 or 18 years ago, two players from my team spent a season in the St. Bede’s 1st XV, and when we toured New Zealand we were able to play against them. I remember it as a tense game that we lost by just a few points. Our two team mates played well for St. Bede’s, so well that I think that if we had them playing for us we may even have won!

After that, every year my school sent players into the IRP at St. Bede’s. Without exception they returned to Japan to play very well and become key players for our 1st XV. I am now a coach on this tour, but it goes without saying that it is quite special for me to be able to return to St. Bede’s like this and play against one of their teams. This is all thanks to the connections made back then that still exist now. I am truly grateful to all of the people who made today’s game possible. I sincerely hope that the interaction the boys have enjoyed today will contribute in a small way to relations between Japan and New Zealand, and of course that it leads to ongoing exchange between St. Bede’s College and KGM.

私個人的には私が高校生の時（１７，１８年ほど前）、私のチームから２名の選手がセントビーヅに留学をしていたこともあり、NZ遠征でこのセントビーヅと試合をさせていただきました。結果は我々が数点差で敗戦してしまったという記憶があります。

おそらく、そのチームメイト２名が私たちのチームで出場していれば勝利していたのではないかと思いますが。笑

その後、数年にわたり私の学校から毎年、セントビーヅにラグビー留学することとなり、留学した選手はみんな日本でも大活躍されました。今現在私はラグビーのコーチとなりましたが、自分がコーチングするチームが今こうしてまたセントビーヅと対戦することは、私にとってとても懐かしく特別な想いです。 人の縁や繋がりによってできたことだと思います。この日に携わって頂いた方々に感謝申し上げます。またこの繋がりを大切に、日本とNZ、そしてKGMとセントビーヅが交流を持ち続けられればと願っております。