The Cambodian Federation of Rugby today announced the selection of players for the Cambodian Women's National Rugby Team, which will play Laos in an international rugby match in Vientiane on Saturday.
Kickoff for Saturday's match is slated for 2 p.m. at the National University of Laos. The men's match, also between Cambodia and Laos, follows at 3 p.m.
Laos defeated Cambodia, 15-0, in the Southeast Asian Games last December in Thailand to win the bronze medal in the women's rugby competition.
The CFR also announced that New Zealander Andrew Newman, who coached the women in last year's SEA Games, will return as coach.
"This trip to Laos will give us a chance to see how far we've progressed," stated Philippe Monnin, CFR Secretary General. "These girls are still learning the game, so the opportunity to play another international match will be a good experience for them."
Although women's rugby in Asia is now more than a decade old, it is still relatively new to women in Cambodia and Laos, who have only been playing the sport for the last two years. In both countries, coaches started with the touch version of the game, until the Cambodian and Lao women asked to play the real, full contact, tackle rugby.
So far only the shortened seven-a-side rugby -- played at the Southeast Asian Games rather than the standard 15-a-side played by the men -- has been introduced for women in both Cambodia and Laos.
Financial support for the women's team trip to Laos has been provided by the Embassy of France in Cambodia and the Billabong Hotel in Phnom Penh.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ray Leos
Director of Media Relations
Cambodian Federation of Rugby
Email: cambodia.rugby (at)gmail.com
Tel. (855) 12 620 571