I took time off from writing my own International experience to introduce the "Cendrawasih" (bird of paradise), the Indonesian Women 7s team, and how the sport is growing amongst women in Indonesia.
Long gone is image of the timid, subservient woman in todayââ'¬â"¢s modern world, but in some places the mental image is still very vivid and it takes a different breed of ladies to show the world what is truly possible for the so-called fairer sex.
Asia for example is not generally known as a rugby continent. Its neighbors in Europe and at the farthest southern hemisphere have traditionally dominated world rugby for many a decade past. But things are changing and they are changing rapidly!One country where a keen interest has been shown by women in the sport of rugby is Indonesia. Even with over 200 million people inhabiting over 17 thousand islands (or because of it), rugby still takes a distant back-seat to more popular sports such as soccer, volleyball and of course, badminton particularly amongst the ladies of sport
Things are changing though, and the passion for rugby is growing amongst Indonesian women. Jakarta, which is the countryââ'¬â"¢s capital, had its first schoolsââ'¬â"¢ girls sevens rugby competition earlier this year with four local schools taking part. This is a big step as prior to this competition; most womenââ'¬â"¢s rugby had only taken place in international schools and within the foreign community."Yes!ââ'¬Â agrees Dita of SMA Al-Chasanah high school, ââ'¬Å"Rugby gives me the chance to express myself moreââ'¬Â¦ even my aggressive side, that other sports donââ'¬â"¢t let me do.ââ'¬Â ââ'¬Å"I love rugby because it gives me the chance to use my hands, arms and legs, my mind and heart when I play the gameââ'¬Â says Ima, a year-12 student of Labschool Kebayoran.
As part of the recent HSBC Asian Division IV tournament held at Lippo Village, Jakarta, girls from Jakarta and the neighboring city of Bandung were given a chance to participate in coaching clinics conducted by the iRB & ARFU (Asian Rugby Fotball Union). Singaporean international Ismail Kadir who runs the coaching was a great motivator to those taking part in the event.
ââ'¬Å"They say that rugby is a tough sport and girls should just watch it and not play itââ'¬Â says Jenny, a university student from Bandung, ââ'¬Å"but my boyfriend plays it and he knows I am a tough girl so he likes me to play it. It actually lets us spend more time together too!ââ'¬ÂAfter the exhibition match (in which the referee was also a young lady), the girls of Indonesian Rugby were very happy indeed. Their dreams of forming a national sevens team (already christened ââ'¬ËœCendrawasihââ'¬â"¢ or Bird of Paradise) and of participating in more sevens and fifteens tournaments are getting closer to becoming a reality.
Their passion is abound and their love for the game is clearly visible. Indonesian womenââ'¬â"¢s rugby is truly in good hands!
Cendrawasih is planning to compete at the Kota Kinabalu 7s as well as the Singapore 7s later this year, and if selected I could be coaching the first ever Indonesian National Women's team, as well as the first ever Indonesian International Coach.
Courtesy of "Jago Dulu" Rugby Football Club.Image 1Image 2Image 3
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