French Rugby Delegation to support Vientiane International Rugby 10s 2024

French Rugby Delegation to support Vientiane International Rugby 10s 2024

Vientiane, Lao PDR - The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is proud to welcome representatives from the French Rugby Federation to the 2024 Vientiane International Rugby 10s, which will take place from 15 to 17 November at the National University of Laos in Dongdok Village. This year’s tournament showcases a growing partnership between rugby in Laos and France, with a shared mission of strengthening rugby across Laos.

The French delegation includes notable rugby figures:

• Lise Arricastre, former France national team player, 2014 Six Nations champion and 2014 Rugby World Cup representative;

• Ionut Florea, former Federale 1 player and referee.

Ms. Arricastre will focus on coach development, while Mr. Florea will support Lao referees officiating at the tournament.

Their presence reflects a shared commitment between Lao Rugby and France Rugby to grow the sport from the ground up. Together, they aim to strengthen youth engagement, develop Lao talent, and use rugby as a bridge between communities and cultures.

The Vientiane 10s, a flagship international event hosted by the Lao Rugby Federation, unites Lao and international teams to celebrate rugby talent and community spirit. Alongside the tournament, youth activities, as part of the LRF’s Champa Ban initiative, will focus on developing rugby skills and life skills for young players. 

This year’s event will include special sessions with the French delegation, offering invaluable opportunities for Lao coaches, players, and officials to learn best practices, and gain inspiration for their futures shaping rugby in Laos.

“We are honoured to welcome our French colleagues to the Vientiane 10s,” said Virayouth Rathikoun, President of the Lao Rugby Federation. “Their support is invaluable in driving the growth of the sport here in Laos. This collaboration with the French Rugby Federation and the French Embassy in Laos highlights the importance of international partnerships in enhancing opportunities for young players and strengthening the foundations of rugby across the country.”

In addition to the tournament, the French delegation will visit a Champa Ban powered by Pass It Back session and meet with representatives from the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports, reinforcing a shared vision to make the sport accessible at all levels. 

Notes to the editor

About the Lao Rugby Federation

Founded in 2001, the Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for rugby in the Lao PDR. The LRF has gained full membership of Asia Rugby and World Rugby and is registered with the Elite Sports Department of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is dedicated to promoting rugby through school and community programs, supporting domestic and elite teams, and building a transparent, accountable framework to support the sport’s growth. The LRF’s mission is to create opportunities for men and women, youth and adults, across urban and rural areas to participate in rugby, ensuring the health and personal development benefits are fully realised. 

To fulfill this mission, the LRF collaborates with government, communities, businesses, and schools to create sustainable access to rugby in both playing and non-playing capacities.

For more information, please contact:

Viengsamai Souksavanh

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Editors: Images are available upon request.

Rugby Sevens Exhibition Event held during the 11th Lao National Games

Rugby Sevens Exhibition Event held during the 11th Lao National Games
Xieng Khouang Province, Lao PDR — The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) successfully hosted a Rugby Sevens Exhibition event in the 11th Lao National Games, at Saysana Stadium on 8 December. The event marked the first time rugby has been included in the Lao National Games.

The event featured U18 men’s and women’s teams from Xieng Khouang Province, Vientiane Province, and Vientiane Capital. In total, 100 players from the LRF’s Champa Ban youth rugby program participated and teams were coached by current and former Pass It Back Coaches, who have gone on to be accredited as World Rugby Level 1 Coaches.  An additional eight young people led match officiating for the competition, all of whom started their rugby careers in the LRF’s Champa Ban powered by Pass It Back program and went onto obtain their Level 2 World Rugby Match Officiating accreditation.  The officiating team was supported by World Rugby qualified First Aid staff, who have also come through the LRF’s Champa Ban powered by Pass It Back program.

The Lao National Games are the pinnacle event for sport in the Lao PDR. Following 20 years of work to grow the game across Laos, the LRF is proud to be invited by the Lao Minister of Education and Sport to lead the technical implementation of Rugby Sevens as an exhibition sport in the National Games, with the aim of full inclusion of the sport in future Lao National Games.

“The pathways the LRF has in place allow young people to begin their rugby journey with no previous experience of rugby. Since 2012, the LRF has been working with hard to engage young people new to the sport and we can now see success appearing - from DAC Lao National Team victories in international competitions, to reaching World Rugby Full Membership status in 2020,” said Viengsamai Souksavanh, LRF CEO.

“And this year, with the LRF hosting Rugby Sevens as an exhibition sport in the Lao National Games, playing for the Minister’s Cup, it shows increasing recognition from our national leadership around the strength of our youth-led, grassroots approach to build a strong, sustainable Lao Rugby community” Viengsamai added.

In the competition, Kham District was victorious in the Women’s Division, narrowly beating Vientiane Capital, while Paek District took third place over Vientiane Province in a pair of final matches both being decided in nail-biting extra time. In the Men’s Division, Vientiane Capital took the Cup, beating Vientiane Province, with Paek District claiming Bronze and Kham District taking fourth place.

In addition to the excitement on the pitch, the event was presided over and attended by the Vice Minister of Education and Sport, Madame Khanthaly Siliphongphan, and the Director General of Elite Sports of the Ministry of Education and Sport, Mr. Sengphone Phonarmath.

“It was exciting to see such a close set of matches and competitiveness from across three provinces at the U18 level. This competition marks a new chapter for Lao Rugby building on the outstanding support from  partners and sponsors who share our long term vision” said Mr. Virayouth Rathikoun, LRF President.

“When I took on the presidency, there were only two to three hundred players in Laos in the Capital. Now there is a thriving rugby community.  The strength of this is shown by a women’s team from a rural area of Laos winning the title. At the event this week, I was accompanied by several former Lao National Team players who played alongside me in the 1960s and 70s and we were all so proud to see the progress and look forward to continuing to see the sport grow and develop in more provinces in the future,” Rathikoun added.

The LRF would like to thank its platinum supporters, DAC Management, Australian Aid and DHL Express,  whose long-term and dedicated support over the past ten years has made not only this event possible, but the LRF’s overall growth and development. Thanks also to ChildFund Rugby whose technical support and partnership throughout the last decade has been instrumental in this progress.

A number of other sponsors and community supporters also played an important role in the inclusion of Rugby Sevens as an Exhibition sport in the Lao National Games, as well as LRF’s wider growth and development including the New Zealand Embassy, the Pot Bellied Pigs, Kowloon Rugby Club, Tanner De Witt, Vientiane College, DFDL, the UK Embassy, Interception Management, YuGoal and Asia Rugby. Their continued support has made this event possible and allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, learn life skills, and foster leadership through the sport of rugby.

For more information about this press release, please contact:
Anoulek Douangdala
Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: Tanner and De Witt supports for LRF as a Champa Ban Connect Sponsor for 2022

Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR - November 2022 - Tanner and De Witt supports the Lao Rugby Federation to provide rugby and life skills learning opportunities through the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Program.

The Lao Rugby Federation is proud to welcome Tanner De Witt to the LRF family with their sponsorship supporting one set of village youth rugby teams in Vientiane Province, Lao PDR. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in Lao language, and the program currently involves nearly 3,000 young players across the country who participate in weekly rugby and life skills sessions as part of the Pass It Back curriculum. Through the program, youth Coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to go onto coach teams in their respective communities. 

The Pass It Back curriculum uses rugby as a tool to support learning across key life and leadership skills topics including gender equality, future planning, preventing violence and sexual reproductive health and rights. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to more than 10,000 players since piloting the curriculum in 2012. Annually, over 100 community-based coaches are trained to become specialists in the curriculum content as well as becoming role models and ambassadors for the game for other young people and community members in their villages.

Vientiane Province, located 1-2 hours north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players in 24 teams. 

“The Lao Rugby Federation is proud to welcome Tanner De Witt into the Champa Ban Connect family,” Mr. Virayouth Rathikoun, LRF President, commented at the sponsorship agreement signing. “With the first full school year underway since COVID interruptions, more young people will have a chance to learn valuable life skills through rugby and develop the LRF community thanks to Tanner De Witt.”

The 2022-2023 support from Tanner De Witt for the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Program has allowed the LRF to involve two additional male and two additional female teams from Vientiane Province to join in the National Youth League supporting more than 50 young people from rural Laos to learn important life and leadership skills through 32 integrated sport sessions over 12 months.

The LRF would like to thank the community of Tanner De Witt for their support of Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province, and across the country. Their support  has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills, and foster leadership skills through the sport of rugby.

About Lao Rugby Federation - The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

About Tanner De Witt Solicitors - Tanner De Witt is a renowned independent law firm located in Hong Kong. First established in 1999, Tanner De Witt is now comprised of over 100 lawyers. Mainly working in the areas of dispute resolution, Tanner De Witt works in several areas of international law.

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: Pot Bellied Pigs RFC Hong Kong continues support for LRF as a Champa Ban Connect sponsor for 2022

11 January, 2022, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: Pot Bellied Pigs RFC continues support for LRF as a Champa Ban Connect sponsor for 2022 

Founded in 1997, the Pot Bellied Pigs RFC are a social touring rugby team based in Hong Kong, committed to the development of rugby union and supporting children in Asia. The club’s membership boasts over 300 playing and social members from across the globe, including a number of ex-international players. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

The Pot Bellied Pigs has been a crucial long-term partner for the LRF. The partnership, established in 2017, was instrumental in creating the first rugby teams in Paek District, located in Xieng Khouang Province in the northeast of Laos. Their continuous support since has allowed the players and coaches in Paek to found one of the most vibrant and active rugby communities in the country. Over the course of the partnership, the rugby community in Paek has grown to encompass one blossoming rugby club, 35 coaches and over 600 players. 

For the 2022 season, the Pot Bellied Pigs is continuing to support LRF’s Champa Ban Connect programme, a programme that supports the development of youth rugby in Paek District.  “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 300 community-based coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming.” 

2022 represents an exciting year for the rugby community in Paek District. Thanks to this support from the Pot Bellied Pigs, five Champa Ban teams each with 12 to 15 players and two coaches will be able to participate in the next two seasons of rugby and life skills. The coaches deliver these sessions not only to prepare the players for the local competitions, but also to empower the local youth by equipping them with life skills. These sessions are also critical opportunities for the Coaches to hone their organizational and leadership skills which they can apply to their lives outside of the programme. It is the intention of the programme to empower these youths through the sport of rugby so that they can have an impact on their local communities.  

The LRF would like to thank the Pot Bellied Pigs for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Paek District, which enables children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: Kowloon RFC extends partnership with the Lao Rugby Federation for 2021/22

13 September 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: Champa Ban partner Kowloon Rugby Club renews support for rugby and life skill programme in Vientiane Province 

About Kowloon Rugby Club and LRF 

Kowloon Rugby Club was established in 1976 and it remains one of the six Premiership Rugby Clubs that competes throughout Hong Kong’s domestic leagues. The club acts as an inclusive sporting club providing rugby and netball opportunities for members from the Kowloon, Sai Kung and the New Territories districts.  The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth as well as senior domestic and international representative teams. 

Kowloon Rugby Club has been a crucial long-term partner for the LRF for the development of rugby programs in Laos. For the 2021/22 season, Kowloon Rugby Club continued to partner with the LRF to help develop the rugby community here in Laos. 

About the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme 

“Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth Coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to Coach teams in their respective communities.

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which   combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based Coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and Coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players as of 2021.  

The continual support from Kowloon Rugby Club to the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme has allowed the LRF to support the operations of four teams in Vientiane Province, each with 12 to 15 players and two Coaches. The youth Coaches deliver the Pass It Back curriculum in weekly sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for Coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into Coaches for future players represent a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank Kowloon Rugby Club for their long term support for the Lao Rugby Federation including their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact LRF:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: LRF celebrates long term partnership with Vientiane College

6 July 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: LRF celebrates long term partnership with Vientiane College 

As the LRF continues its work to provide opportunities for all youth to grow through the sport of rugby, we would like to acknowledge the support provided to us by Vientiane College.  

Established in 1994, Vientiane College is an Australian-owned training institution widely regarded as one of the premier English Language schools in the Lao PDR. The management team, with an average of over 25 years’ service, typifies the consistency and commitment of the College staff; a cosmopolitan body of 42 teachers, representing a dozen different nations, and more than 80 local administrative staff and classroom assistants.

Vientiane College is also highly regarded as an active member of the community who generously gives back through a range of activities. Primarily targeting youth, and in particular disadvantaged youth, the College offers subsidized training and scholarships, and also works with local schools to provide teacher training, to contribute teachers, resources and curriculum development assistance. 

Vientiane College has also been one of the Lao Rugby Federation’s oldest supporters. Over the past 10 years of partnership, Vientiane College has supported LRF’s work through providing training facilities, event sponsorship, scholarships and support for international volunteer placements. 

Vientiane College’s support is a crucial component of LRF’s work to achieve Rugby for All in Laos. We would like to thank Vientiane College’s unwavering commitment to the LRF vision and wish to continue this partnership long into the future. 

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: DFDL extends partnership with the Lao Rugby Federation for 2021

19 June, 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: DFDL extends partnership with the Lao Rugby Federation for 2021 to provide rugby and life skills learning opportunities for a youth rugby team in Vientiane Province. 

DFDL is an integrated international standard law firm with in-depth knowledge of the Mekong Region, who provides specialized and personalized advisory services to the international business community. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

DFDL has partnered with LRF to support the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which  combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding”  and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming….the programme has an explicit and high-level commitment to transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 200 players in 16 teams as of March of 2021. 

This support from DFDL to the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme has allowed the LRF to support a youth rugby team Vientiane Province. The youth Coaches deliver the aforementioned Pass It Back curriculum in weekly sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provides critical opportunities for coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into coaches for future players represent a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank DFDL for their continued support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Website: www.laorugby.com

The Delta-Eta Whale Patrol supports LRF as Champa Ban Connect partner for the 2020/21 season

Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR - 25 March 2021 - Delta-Eta Whale Patrol partners with the Lao Rugby Federation to provide to rugby and life skills learning opportunities for a youth rugby team in Vientiane Province. 

The Delta-Eta Whale Patrol is a social community mainly consisting of alumni from the University of Southern California. The Delta-Eta Whale Patrol became involved with the Lao Rugby Federation through Galen Erickson, who served as the Sponsorship and Outreach Coordinator through the Princeton in Asia fellowship in 2018. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

Delta-Eta Whale Patrol has partnered with LRF to support the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth Coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which   combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based Coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming….the programme has an explicit and high-level commitment to transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and Coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players in 24 teams as of Fall 2020. 

This support from the Delta-Eta Whale Patrol to the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme has allowed the LRF to support the establishment of one new team in Vientiane Province, with 12 to 15 players and two Coaches. The youth Coaches deliver the Pass It Back curriculum in weekly sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for Coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into Coaches for future players represent a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like thank the community of the Delta-Eta Whale Patrol for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact LRF:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

The Kowloon Rugby Club supports LRF as Champa Ban Connect partner for the 2020/21 season

19 February 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: Kowloon Rugby Club partners with the Lao Rugby Federation to provide to rugby and life skills learning opportunities for two youth rugby teams in Vientiane Province 

Kowloon Rugby Club was established in 1976 and it remains one of the six Premiership Rugby Clubs that competes throughout Hong Kong’s domestic leagues. The club acts as an inclusive sporting club providing rugby and netball opportunities for members from the Kowloon, Sai Kung and the New Territories districts.  The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth as well as senior domestic and international representative teams. 

Kowloon Rugby Club has been a crucial long-term partner for the LRF and the development of rugby programs in Laos. For the 2020/21 season, Kowloon Rugby Club partnered with LRF as a Champa Ban Connect partner to continue the strong momentum in providing rugby and life skills to children and youth athletes. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth Coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to Coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which   combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based Coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and Coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players in 24 teams as of the end of 2020. 

The continual support from Kowloon Rugby Club to the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme has allowed the LRF to support the operations of two teams in Vientiane Province, each with 12 to 15 players and two Coaches. The youth Coaches deliver the Pass It Back curriculum in weekly sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for Coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into Coaches for future players represent a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank Kowloon Rugby Club for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact LRF:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Results: DHL Vientiane 10s competition on 30-31 January

17 February, 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: DHL Vientiane 10s Results 

On January 30-31, 2021, over 300 players from 21 teams gathered in Vientiane to participate in the DHL Vientiane 10s. This year’s competition was its 14th iteration in Laos and the 3rd year of LRF’s collaboration with our counterparts in Vietnam to host the DHL Vientiane – Hanoi 10s Series. The Vientiane competition featured teams at the senior and U17 levels, each divided into men’s and women’s divisions. In addition to 14 Lao teams returning from the 2020 competition, the LRF was proud to welcome seven new teams this year from three provinces in Laos, demonstrating the rapid growth of domestic rugby across the country.

The Vientiane Lions Women continued their winning streak in the competition by sweeping the Cup Final for the fifth year in a row, while the Lao Barbarians lifted the Senior Men’s Cup trophy for their first time. The Vientiane Tigers dominated a very competitive youth division, winning Cup Finals for both the Men’s and Women’s U17 divisions. Full results of the competition can be found below.

The Lao Rugby Federation would like to thank DHL for their support as the Title Sponsor for the Vientiane – Hanoi 10s Competition Series, which made these tournaments possible. LRF would also like the recognise the contributions of sponsors and partners including Inthira Group, Vientiane College, DAC, the British Embassy in Vientiane, ChildFund, Laureus Sport for Good, and YuGoal. Furthermore, we would like to thank World Rugby and Asia Rugby for their long-term support in building the capacity of the LRF to host high-calibre rugby competitions, and most importantly, the Elite Sports Department of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports for its guidance and support to the LRF.  

Results of DHL Vientiane 10s 

Senior Men’s Division 

Cup Winner: Lao Barbarians 

Plate Winner:  Vientiane Wild Hogs 

Bowl Winner: Xieng Khouang RFC 

Senior Women’s Division 

Cup Winner: Vientiane Lions 

Cup Runners Up: Xieng Khouang RFC

U17 Men’s Division 

Cup Winner: Vientiane Junior Tigers 

Plate Winner:  Xieng Khouang RFC 

Bowl Winner: Kham District Bull RFC 

U17 Women’s Division 

Cup Winner: Vientiane Tigers Junior Women

Plate Winner:  Kham District Golden Elephants RFC 

Bowl Winner: Xieng Khouang RFC 

For more information about this press release, please contact: 

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Lao PDR: The Irish Embassy in Hanoi supports LRF as Champa Ban Connect partner for the 2020/21 season

8 February, 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: The Irish Embassy in Hanoi supports LRF as Champa Ban Connect partner for the 2020/21 season 

The Irish Embassy in Hanoi’s development programme aims to support the most vulnerable people in Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to build their own capacity and drive their own development. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

The Irish Embassy in Hanoi partnered with LRF for the 2020/21 season as a Champa Ban Connect partner to provide rugby and life skills to children and youth athletes in rural Laos. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players in 24 teams as of Fall 2020. 

This partnership with the Irish Embassy in Hanoi allows LRF to organize two teams, each with 12 to 15 players and two coaches. The youth coaches will deliver a total of 34 weekly tag rugby and life skills sessions and train their teams to participate in two competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into coaches and leaders in the local rugby communities is a crucial step towards the sustainable development of the sport in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank the Irish Embassy in Hanoi for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has enabled children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

About the Lao Rugby Federation

The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full Asia Rugby and World Rugby membership and most importantly, registration with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby union, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795
Email: info@laorugby.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/laorugby
Website: www.laorugby.com

Pot Bellied Pigs RFC supports LRF as a Champa Ban Connect sponsor for the 2020/21 season

Media Release

5 February, 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: Pot Bellied Pigs RFC supports LRF as a Champa Ban Connect sponsor for the 2020/21 season 

Founded in 1997, the Pot Bellied Pigs RFC are a social touring rugby team based in Hong Kong, committed to the development of rugby union and supporting children in Asia. The club’s membership boasts over 300 playing and social members from across the globe, including a number of ex-international players. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

The Pot Bellied Pigs has been a crucial long-term partner for the LRF. The partnership, established in 2017, was instrumental in creating the first rugby teams in Paek District, located in Xieng Khouang Province in the northeast of Laos. Their continuous support since has allowed the players and coaches in Paek to found one of the most vibrant and active rugby communities in the country. Today, over 700 players participate in LRF’s programmes in Paek District. 

For the 2020/21 season, the Pot Bellied Pigs is partnering with LRF as a Champa Ban Connect sponsor to continue the strong momentum in providing rugby and life skills to children and youth athletes in Paek District. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which   combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming.”

This support from the Pot Bellied Pigs for the 2020/21 season allows LRF to organize five teams in Paek District each with 12 to 15 players and two coaches. The youth coaches will deliver a total of 34 weekly rugby and life skills sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into coaches and leaders in their local rugby communities is a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank the Pot Bellied Pigs for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Paek District, which enables children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

About the Lao Rugby Federation

The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full Asia Rugby and World Rugby membership and most importantly, registration with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby union, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laorugby

Website: www.laorugby.com

DHL Vientiane 10s kicking off for 2 day competition on 30 January

8 January, 2021, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: The Lao Rugby Federation is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the DHL Vientiane 10s, our flagship rugby competition, in Vientiane Capital on 30-31 January, 2021. The competition will welcome a record-setting number of domestic club teams, with more than 15 teams participating from Xieng Khouang Province, Vientiane Province, and Vientiane Capital this year. The event will be organised in strict adherence with local public health regulations. 

This year’s competition marks its 14th iteration in Laos and the 3rd year in which LRF is collaborating with organisers in Vietnam to host the DHL Vientiane-Hanoi 10s competition series. The DHL Vientiane 10s competition will feature men’s and women’s teams, which will compete in under-18 and senior level divisions. 

2020 was a landmark year for the development of club rugby in the Lao PDR. Through a series of fitness challenges and capacity building workshops, the vibrant club rugby communities in our eight established rugby clubs bolstered their technical skills, coaching capacity, and team management processes. Furthermore, this year marked the commencement of the first domestic rugby league, the Lao League, a key milestone for the development of the sport in the country. 

DHL Vientiane 10s 2021 will be a unique opportunity to carry on this strong momentum of domestic club development in the Lao PDR. Not only will this year’s competition be a celebration of the strengths and growth of Lao rugby athletes in a high quality competition setting, it is also a crucial chance to boost rugby capacity in Laos across all areas of the sport, including coach development, First Aid, match officiating, and competition management. We are excited to see how this year’s DHL Vientiane 10s will strengthen the Lao rugby community, and foster deeper connections with LRF’s current and future partners in Laos and around the world. 

The Lao Rugby Federation would like to thank DHL for their continued support as the Title Sponsor of the DHL Vientiane 10s. We are also seeking additional domestic and international sponsors for this competition. To discuss event sponsorship opportunities or to book a hospitality package, please contact sponsor@laorugby.com. 

We are excited to welcome our talented rugby players for this competition and would like to wish all sides the best! 

About the Lao Rugby Federation

The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full Asia Rugby and World Rugby membership and most importantly, registration with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby union, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

For more information, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laorugby

Website: www.laorugby.com

LRF Celebrates New Executive Board and Full Membership with World Rugby

23 December, 2020, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: On December 23, the Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) welcomed the new Executive Board, which will steer the direction of the organisation moving forward. The announcement of the new Board coincided with two significant milestones: the acceptance of the LRF as a Full Member of World Rugby, and the LRF’s 20th anniversary of operations. To celebrate the occasion, the LRF organised an event featuring dignitaries and distinguished guests representing organisations who have supported the development of LRF and the sport of rugby in the Lao PDR, alongside virtual speakers from across the world. 

The LRF’s Board, consisting of nine Executive Board members will provide critical advice and guidance for the board term running until 2024. The Executive Board members are as follows: 

Mr Virayouth Rathikoun, LRF President

Ms Phousay Phengphon, LRF Vice President

Ms Phaivanh Channyakham, LRF Vice President

Ms Soukita Heuagphengaon, LRF Vice President

Mr Kiriya Banchongphukdy, LRF Secretary-General

Mr Steve Major, LRF Finance Advisor

Mr Chansavang Sikhampheng, LRF Board Member

Mr Sonekeow Phonsukda, LRF Board Member

Ms Soutchai Phanyanouvong, LRF Board Member

Mr. Virayouth Rathikoun, LRF President opened the event by celebrating the progress made over the past 5 years, “We have increased our player base from 300 to over 3,000 players and established 8 rugby clubs who are registered with the LRF across 3 provinces.” 

He further noted that the development of players and clubs has allowed the elevation of rugby in Laos at the international stage, “we have supported male and female representative teams including two U14 DAC Nagas teams, two U16 DAC Nagas teams, two U18 DAC Lao national teams and two senior DAC Lao national teams… In the past five years, the LRF hosted two international Asia Rugby competitions, the 2017 Asia Rugby Trophy and the 2019 U20s Asia Sevens.”  

“In sport administration, the LRF is proud to be implementing best practice safeguarding in sport procedures and has successfully developed and improved its safeguarding and inclusion policy. In the past five years, the LRF also has developed and improved its finance and HR policies and its operating procedures to be a leading developing union in Asia Rugby and to meet all of World Rugby’s standards.” 

Ms. Phaivanh Changnakham, a new member of the LRF’s Executive Board and Vice President of LRF, proceeded to lay out the strategic plan for the organisation. “We have approved the new 5 year development strategy to comprehensively govern domestic and international activities, which focus on encouraging children and young people to improve their essential life skills and rugby skills in order to develop themselves and support the development of the Lao PDR more widely.” 

To this end, the development strategy covers crucial components such as further growing the Lao Rugby family, improving domestic rugby activities, building on key successes on the international stage, strengthening coach and match official skills as well as publicizing the LRF’s work and strengthening the fundraising and human resource capacity of the LRF. 

Mr. Ridzal Saat, a representative of World Rugby, also offered his remarks; “Lao Rugby’s progress over the past 20 years and especially in the past decade has been a true testament to how quality rugby and sport administration can grow from the grassroots.”  

“World Rugby is delighted to welcome the Lao PDR as one of its newest full member countries this year. The Lao Rugby Federation is an outstanding example of what is possible for rugby with immense hard work, innovation and passion and an inspiration for other unions to strive for.” 

Her Excellency Mme Khanthaly Siliphongphan, Vice Minister of Education and Sports also applauded the progress made by the LRF over the past Executive Board term. She further offered several points of guidance to ensure that the LRF’s work is in line with the Ministry of Education and Sport’s strategic plans. 

The LRF is excited to move forward under the leadership of the new Board and as a full member of World Rugby. As we continue our work to share the sport of rugby in the Lao PDR, we look forward to working with our partners for the advancement of the sport and the development of children and youth across the world. 

About the Lao Rugby Federation

The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full Asia Rugby and World Rugby membership and most importantly, registration with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby union, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laorugby

Website: www.laorugby.com

ວຽງສະໄໝ ສຸກສະຫວັນ ກັບຄວາມກະຕືລືລົ້ນຂອງລາວ ໃນການແບ່ງປັນຄຸນນະທຳຣັກບີ້ໃຫ້ແກ່ແມ່ຍິງລາວ

Article in English on World Rugby’s website here

ວຽງສະໄໝ ສຸກສະຫວັນ ເປັນຜູ້ທີ່ ໄດ້ຮັບທຶນການສຶກສາ World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship ຜູ້ທີ່ມີຄວາມມຸ່ງຫວັງອັນແຮງກ້າໃນການສ້າງໂອກາດໃຫ້ເດັກຍິງ ແລະ ແມ່ຍິງລາວທຸກຄົນສາມາດເຂົ້າຮ່ວມຫຼິ້ນກິລາ.

ວຽງສະໄໝ ສຸກສະຫວັນ ຜູ້ເຊິ່ງປະສົບຄວາມສຳເລັດຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍໃນສາຍກິລາຣັກບີ້ ທີ່ລາວເລີ່ມຫຼິ້ນມາຕັ້ງແຕ່ຕອນທີ່ຍັງຮຽນຢູ່ໂຮງຮຽນມັດທະຍົມ ໃນປີ 2007. ຕອນທຳອິດນັ້ນ ໃຜໆກໍ່ເວົ້າກັບລາວວ່າ ລາວບໍ່ເໝາະສົມທີ່ຈະຫຼິ້ນກິລາຣັກບີ້ ເພາະລາວໂຕນ້ອຍເກີນໄປ, ແຕ່ວຽງກໍ່ສາມາດເຮັດ ໃຫ້ທຸກຄົນເຫັນ ຈົນໄດ້ ເພາະບໍ່ພຽງແຕ່ລາວສາມາດຫຼິ້ນຣັກບີ້ໄດ້ເທົ່ານັ້ນ, ແຕ່ລາວຍັງໄດ້ກາຍເປັນນັກກິລາທີມຊາດອີກດ້ວຍ.
ຕະຫຼອດສາຍອາຊີບນັກກິລາ ຂອງລາວ ລາວເກີດການບາດເຈັບຢູ່ຫົວເຂົ່າເຖິງສອງຄັ້ງ, ແຕ່ນັ້ນບໍ່ໄດ້ເຮັດໃຫ້ລາວຖອດໃຈ ອອກຈາກກິລາຣັກບີ້ ລາວໄດ້ຫັນທິດຄວາມມຸ່ງຫວັງຂອງຕົນເອງໄປເຮັດວຽກດ້ານການເປັນຄູຝຶກສອນກິລາ ແລະ ສາຍບໍລິຫານກິລາແທນ. ດ້ວຍເຫດນັ້ນ, ວຽງ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ກາຍເປັນຄູຝຶກລາວເພດຍິງຄົນທຳອິດໃຫ້ນັກກິລາທີມຊາດ ແລະ ໄດ້ນຳພາທີມຊາດຊະນະເກມການແຂ່ງຂັນໄດ້ເຖິງ 3 ເກມໃນງານ  Asia Rugby U17 Girls Sevens ໃນປີ 2017 ທີ່ປະເທດດູໄບ. ໃນເດືອນກໍລະກົດທີ່ຜ່ານມານີ້ ລາວໄດ້ເລື່ອນຕຳແໜ່ງຂຶ້ນເປັນປະທານກຳມະການບໍລິຫານ ຂອງສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຫ່ງຊາດລາວ. ແລະ ປັດຈຸບັນ, ວຽງໄດ້ກາຍເປັນປະທານກຳມະການບໍລິຫານ ເພດຍິງ ພຽງຄົນດຽວຂອງບັນດາສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຢູ່ໃນໂລກ. 

ຈາກຄວາມສຳເລັດຕ່າງໆທີ່ລາວປະສົບຜົນສຳເລັດ, ເມື່ອຖາມລາວວ່າຄວາມສຳເລັດທີ່ລາວພູມໃຈຫຼາຍທີ່ສຸດໃນ 13 ປີແຫ່ງສາຍອາຊີບນັກກິລາຣັກບີ້ທີ່ຜ່ານມາ, ຜູ້ຂຽນພັດຄົ້ນພົບວ່າ ຄວາມສຳເລັດຕ່າງໆທີ່ກ່າວມາຂ້າງເທິງນັ້ນ ບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກຈັດຢູ່ໃນຄວາມສຳເລັດທີ່ພາກພູມໃຈທີ່ສຸດໃນຊ່ວງອາຍຸ 29 ປີຂອງລາວເລີຍ. “ຂ້ອຍນຳ້ຕາຊິໄຫຼ”, ສຸກສະຫວັນບອກທີມງານ World Rugby ດ້ວຍພາສາອັງກິດທີ່ເວົ້າໄດ້ຢ່າງສົມບູນແບບ, ກ່ອນທີ່ຈະຕອບຄຳຖາມນີ້ດ້ວຍພາສາລາວ. “ຂ້ອຍເປັນລູກຄົນດຽວ ແລ້ວຂ້ອຍກໍ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍຄິດວ່າຂ້ອຍຈະສາມາດລ້ຽງດູສົ່ງເສຍພໍ່ແມ່ຂອງຂ້ອຍໄດ້ດ້ວຍສາຍອາຊີບທີ່ຂ້ອຍມັກ”, ລາວຕອບຄຳຖາມ ໂດຍຜ່ານນັກແປພາສາ. “ທີ່ຜ່ານມາຂ້ອຍກໍ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍຄິດວ່າຕົນເອງເປັນແບບຢ່າງຫຼືເປັນຕົວແບບສຳລັບໃຜ, ແຕ່ຕອນນີ້ຂ້ອຍເລີ່ມສັງເກດເຫັນແລ້ວວ່າບັນດາພະນັກງານ ແລະ ນັກກິລາຄົນອື່ນໆນັ້ນ ພວກເຂົາມີຄວາມຕັ້ງໃຈ ແລະ ບາກບັ່ນເຮັດວຽກຢ່າງໜັກ, ພວກເຂົາພັດທະນາຕົນເອງເປັນພະນັກງານທີ່ດີຫຼາຍ”.

“ເມື່ອເຮັດວຽກໄປ ແລະ ຜ່ານປະສົບການທີ່ໄດ້ພວກເຂົາກໍ່ມີການຮຽນຮູ້ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ ແລະ ພວກເຂົາຮູ້ຈັກວິທີເຮັດວຽກນຳເດັກນ້ອຍ ແລະ ສາມາດພັດທະນາເດັກນ້ອຍໃຫ້ເກັ່ງຂຶ້ນໄດ້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ສິ່ງເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຈຶ່ງເປັນຄວາມສຳເລັດອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ທີ່ຂ້ອຍເຮັດໄດ້ ແລະ ຂ້ອຍກໍ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍຄິດວ່າສິ່ງເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຈະເກີດຂຶ້ນ”.

ການເປັນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງຂອງຊຸມຊົນ
ສິ່ງທີ່ດຶງດູດໃຈຂອງວຽງ (ທີ່ເປັນລູກຄົນດຽວ) ໃຫ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນປີ 2007 ແມ່ນວ່າກິລາຣັກບີ່ ຖືເປັນໂອກາດໃນການພົບປະໝູ່ເພື່ອນ, ແລະ ມີສັງຄົມ ແລະ ຜູກພັກກັນເປັນຄອບຄົວ.
ລາວຍອມຮັບວ່າ ລາວ “ບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າເປັນຫຍັງ” ຄູຝຶກໃນຕອນນັ້ນຈຶ່ງບອກລາວວ່າລາວໂຕນ້ອຍເກີນໄປທີ່ຈະຫຼິ້ນຣັກບີ້ໄດ້, ແຕ່ສິ່ງທີ່ຄູຝຶກເວົ້າໃນຕອນນັ້ນ ໄດ້ກາຍເປັນສິ່ງເຕືອນໃຈ ແລະ ຜັກດັນໃຫ້ລາວຕັ້ງໃຈເຮັດໃຫ້ສຳເລັດ.
ວຽງບອກວ່າ “ຕອນນັ້ນມັນເປັນຊ່ວງເວລາທີ່ສຳຄັນຫຼາຍ ເພາະມັນເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຕັດສິນໃຈໄດ້ວ່າ ຂ້ອຍຈະພະຍາຍາມສູ້ຊົນ ແລະ ຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ຄູຝຶກຜູ້ນັ້ນເຫັນວ່າສິ່ງທີ່ລາວເວົ້ານັ້ນມັນບໍ່ຖືກ”. “ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ, ຂ້ອຍກໍ່ສາມາດເຂົ້າຫຼິ້ນກິລາຣັກບີ້, ພ້ອມທັງຍັງໄດ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມໃນທີມຊາດຣັກບີ້ ແລະ ໄດ້ພັດທະນາທັກສະຂອງຕົນເອງ. ມັນເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮຽນຮູ້ຫຼາຍສິ່ງຫຼາຍຢ່າງກ່ຽວກັບກິລາຣັກບີ້, ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນຂ້ອຍກໍ່ເກີດການກະທົບຢູ່ຫົວເຂົ່າ ແລະ ຂ້ອຍກໍ່ມັກມີອາການເຈັບ ຂ້ອຍເລີຍບໍ່ສາມາດຫຼິ້ນຣັກບີ້ໄດ້ຢ່າງໝັ້ນໃຈຄືແຕ່ກ່ອນ”.

“ຕອນນັ້ນຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງໄດ້ຕັດສິນໃຈຫັນທິດຄວາມຕັ້ງໃຈຂອງຂ້ອຍຈາກການເປັນນັກກິລາ ໄປເປັນຄູຝຶກກິລາຣັກບີ້ແທນ ເພາະຕອນນັ້ນຂ້ອຍຫຼິ້ນກິລາຣັກບີ້ມາເປັນເວລາ 10 ປີ ແລ້ວ ແລະ ຂ້ອຍກໍ່ຢາກນຳໃຊ້ຄວາມຮູ້ ແລະ ປະສົບການທີ່ຂ້ອຍມີນີ້ໃຫ້ເກີດປະໂຫຍດແກ່ຄົນອື່ນ ເພື່ອຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ເດັກນ້ອຍຍິງ, ແມ່ຍິງ ແລະ ຄົນອື່ນໆ ທີ່ພວກເຂົາຄິດວ່າຕົນເອງໂຕນ້ອຍແລະບໍ່ສາມາດຫຼິ້ນກິລາໄດ້ນັ້ນ ໃຫ້ພວກເຂົາຮູ້ວ່າພວກເຂົາສາມາດຫຼິ້ນໄດ້”.

“ຂ້ອຍຢາກໃຫ້ທຸກໆຄົນໄດ້ມີໂອກາດ ແລະ ໄດ້ຮຽນຮູ້” ຄວາມມຸ່ງໝັ້ນຕັ້ງໃຈໃນການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອຄົນອື່ນຂອງລາວນັ້ນ ເຮັດໃຫ້ລາວໄດ້ຮັບທຶນການສຶກສາຈາກ World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship ທີ່ຈະຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ລາວສືບຕໍ່ເຮັດຕາມຄວາມມຸ່ງຫວັງຕັ້ງໃຈເພື່ອຊຸມຊົນ.

ວຽງ ໄດ້ຮັບການຢືນຢັນວ່າໄດ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມຮຽນໃນຫຼັກສູດ ໃນເດືອນພຶດສະພາທີ່ຜ່ານມາ. ທຳອິດລາວມີແຜນທີ່ຈະຕ້ອງເດີນທາງ ເພາະມັນເປັນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງຂອງຫຼັກສູດທີ່ຮຽນ ແຕ່ກໍ່ຕ້ອງໄດ້ໂຈະໄວ້ກ່ອນ ຍ້ອນການລະບາດຂອງພະຍາດ COVID-19 ໃນທົ່ວໂລກທີ່ຍັງມີການລາຍງານການຕິດເຊື້ອຢ່າງຕໍ່ເນື່ອງ. ທຶນການສຶກສານີ້ ມີຫຼັກສູດທີ່ວຽງຕ້ອງໄດ້ເຂົ້າຮຽນເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ, ພ້ອມດຽວກັນນັ້ນລາວຍັງຕ້ອງເຂົ້າຮ່ວມຫຼັກສູດການເປັນຜູ້ນຳ ແລະ ການສິດສອນເປັນພາສາລາວພ້ອມ.

ວຽງໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ “ຂ້ອຍພູມໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ຖືກຄັດເລືອກໃຫ້ໄດ້ຮັບທຶນການສຶກສານີ້ ແລະ ຂ້ອຍສາມາດເປັນຜູ້ນຳ ແລະ ເປັນແບບຢ່າງໃຫ້ເດັກຍິງຄົນອື່ນໆ ທັງໃນປະເທດລາວ ແລະ ປະເທດອື່ນໆໄດ້”.

ບຸກຢ່າງເຕັມທີ່
ຄວາມກ້າວໜ້າຂອງວຽງບໍ່ໄດ້ໄດ້ມາແບບປາສະຈາກສິ່ງທ້າທາຍ. ລາວຍອມຮັບວ່າໃນຕອນທີ່ຫັນປ່ຽນຈາກການເປັນນັກກິລາແລ້ວມາເປັນຄູຝຶກ ແມ່ນຍາກສົມຄວນ ເພາະສ່ວນໜຶ່ງແລ້ວລາວຍັງຖືກກີດກັນຍ້ອນການເປັນຜູ້ຍິງ.
ວຽງບອກວ່າ “ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ພົບກັບເລື່ອງໜ້າເຈັບຫົວຫຼາຍເລື່ອງຢູ່, ແຕ່ຂ້ອຍຈະບໍ່ຍອມຈຳນົນຍ້ອນສິ່ງເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນ. ຂ້ອຍຈະເອົາຊະນະມັນໃຫ້ໄດ້”.

ແນ່ນອນວ່າວຽງບໍ່ໄດ້ມີແຜນທີ່ຈະຢຸດລົງພຽງເທົ່ານັ້ນ. ໃນອາທິດທີ່ຜ່ານມາວຽງ ໄດ້ນຳພາສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຫ່ງປະເທດລາວສູ່ຄວາມສຳເລັດແຫ່ງການໄດ້ກາຍເປັນສະມາຊິກສົມບູນຂອງສະຫະພັນຣັກບີ້ໂລກ (World Rugby), ທີ່ເປັນຄວາມສຳເລັດທີ່ລາວ ແລະ ພ້ອມທັງທີມງານໄດ້ພະຍາຍາມສູ້ຊົນ ແລະ ມຸ່ງຫວັງຕັ້ງໃຈຕັ້ງແຕ່ຕອນກໍ່ຕັ້ງ ສະຫະພັນ ໃນປີ 2001, ເຊິ່ງສິ່ງນີ້ຈະເປັນຮາກຖານອັນເຂັ້ມແຂງໃນການພັດທະນາ ແລະ ຂະຫຍາຍຕົວຂອງກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນປະເທດລາວຕໍ່ໄປ.

ປັດຈຸບັນ ວຽງໄດ້ກັບຄືນມາຮ່ວມຝຶກຊ້ອມເພາະລາວມີເປົ້າໝາຍໃນການກັບມານຮ່ວມຫຼິ້ນນຳທີມຊາດ ພ້ອມທັງໄດ້ຊ່ວຍສະຫະພັນຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດແຜນຍຸດທະສາດ ແລະ ມຸ່ງຫວັງໃນການລະດົມທຶນເພື່ອສ້າງສະໜາມກິລາຣັກບີ້ເພື່ອສະຫະພັນ.

ລາວອະທິບາຍວ່າ “ພວກເຮົາສາມາດເຊົ່າສະໜາມເຕະບານມາຫຼິ້ນກິລາຣັກບີ້ໄດ້, ແຕ່ບັນຫາຄືພວກເຮົາບໍ່ມີເດີ່ນທີ່ເປັນຂອງກິລາຂອງເຮົາເອງ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງມີຄວາມຝັນອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ໃນການລະດົມທຶນເພື່ອສ້າງສະໜາມກິລາ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ທຸກມື້ນີ້ຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງເຮັດວຽກຢ່າງໜັກໃນແຜນຍຸດທະສາດລະດົມທຶນ ເພື່ອໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາສາມາດສ້າງສະໜາມກິລາຣັກບີ້ຂອງຕົນເອງໃຫ້ໄດ້”.

“ແຜນຍຸດທະສາດນີ້ບໍ່ພຽງແຕ່ລະດົມທຶນເພື່ອສ້າງສະໜາມຣັກບີ້ເທົ່ານັ້ນ ແຕ່ມັນກໍ່ເພື່ອຮັບປະກັນວ່າທາງສະຫະພັນຈະມີທຶນຮອນພຽງພໍໃນການສືບຕໍ່ປະຕິບັດໜ້າທີ່ໄດ້ຢ່າງບໍ່ມີກາຕິດຄັດ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໜຶ່ງໃນເປົ້າໝາຍອັນໃຫຍ່ໆຂອງຂ້ອຍກໍ່່ກ່ຽວກັບເລື່ອງການລະດົມທຶນນີ້ແຫຼະ”.

“ແນ່ນອນວ່າ ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນຂ້ອຍກໍ່ຈະເນັ້ນໃສ່ການພັດທະນາຄູຝຶກ, ພັດທະນາພະນັກງານ ແລະ ບັນດາກຳມະການກິລາຣັກບີ້ ໂດຍສະເພາະເພດຍິງທີ່ຢູ່ໃນສະຫະພັນ ແລະ ໃນລະດັບຣັກບີ້ຕຳ. ເພາະວ່າໃນລະດັບສູງໆນີ້ຍັງມີເພດຍິງໜ້ອຍຫຼາຍ.

“ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກໜັກເພື່ອຮັບປະກັນວ່າຂ້ອຍໄດ້ສ້າງໂອກາດໃຫ້ຄົນອື່ນໆຕໍ່ໄປ. ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການຢາກເຫັນບັນດານປະເທດອື່ນໆໃນທົ່ວໂລກມີທີມຣັກບີ້ເພດຍິງໃຫ້ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ, ມີກຳມະການເພດຍິງໃຫ້ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ, ມີຄູຝຶກເພດຍິງໃຫ້ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ.

“ພວກເຂົາສາມາດສ້າງຮາກຖານອັນເຂັ້ມແຂງເພື່ອໃຫ້ທຸກຄົນສາມາດກິລາຣັກບີ້ໄດ້ບໍ່ວ່າໃນປະເທດໃດໆ ເພື່ອໃຫ້ເດັກນ້ອຍຍິງ ແລະ ແມ່ຍິງສາມາດຫຼິ້ນກິລາຣັກບີ້ ແລະ ເພື່ອທ້າທາຍຄວາມເຊື່ອຂອງຊຸມຊົນທີ່ມີຕໍ່ເພດໃດເພດໜຶ່ງສະເພາະ, ທີ່ຈະເປີດໂອກາດໃຫ້ບຸກຄົນເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນໄດ້ກາຍເປັນນັກກິລາຣັກບີ້ໄດ້”. 

Media Release: DFDL partners with the LRF to provide to rugby and life skills learning

Media Release

(1 December 2020, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR) DFDL partners with the Lao Rugby Federation to provide to rugby and life skills learning opportunities for a youth rugby team in Vientiane Province. 

DFDL is an integrated international standard law firm, with in-depth knowledge of the Mekong Region, while providing specialized and personalized advisory services to the international business community. The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR and focuses on developing sport through school and community development initiatives for youth and senior domestic and international representative teams.

DFDL has partnered with LRF to support the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme. “Champa Ban” means blossoming flower in the local Lao language, and the programme currently involves over 2,000 young players across the country who participate as part of their local rugby teams. Local youth Coaches aged 16 to 25 are trained by internationally accredited rugby trainers, life skills instructors and first-aid trainers to coach teams in their respective communities. 

A central component of the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme is the Pass It Back curriculum, which   combines rugby skills with life skills through four modules; Understanding Gender, Planning for the Future, Staying Healthy and Feeling Safe. The LRF has delivered over 30,000 sessions to over 10,000 players and has trained over 100 community-based Coaches since 2015. Pass It Back in Laos has been recognised by two separate external evaluations as “amongst some of the best in the world for connecting sport and development outcomes with significant impacts in quantitative indicators that connect to resilience, leadership, community connection, gender inclusion and safeguarding” and that the programme’s “approach and achievements make it a best practice example of transformative gender programming….the programme has an explicit and high-level commitment to transformative gender programming.” 

Vientiane Province, located just north of the nation’s capital, represents the new frontier for the rugby community in Laos, with one of the fastest growing player and Coach populations in the country. Since a pilot project in 2018, the Vientiane Province rugby community has expanded to include over 300 players in 24 teams as of Fall 2020. 

This support from DFDL to the Champa Ban Youth Rugby Programme has allowed the LRF to support the establishment of one new team in Vientiane Province, with 12 to 15 players and two Coaches. The youth Coaches deliver the Pass It Back curriculum in weekly sessions and train their teams to participate in competitions with other local teams. These sessions not only equip the players with rugby skills, but also provide critical opportunities for Coaches, who are often former players themselves, to exercise leadership. This process of former players developing into Coaches for future players represent a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rugby in the Lao PDR. 

The LRF would like to thank DFDL for their support for Champa Ban Youth Rugby in Vientiane Province that has allowed children and youth to pursue their passion, obtain life skills and hone leadership through the sport of rugby. 

For more information about this press release, please contact LRF:

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Media Release: 2020 DHL Hanoi and Vientiane 10s Kick Off in January

2020 DHL Vientiane 10s flyer

(15 January 2020, Vientiane, Laos ) Later this month rugby players and enthusiasts from Lao PDR, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, the UK and Australia will come together in Hanoi and Vientiane for the second consecutive DHL sponsored rugby 10s series.

Formerly known as the Vientiane International Rugby Championship, the DHL Vientiane 10s is the LRF’s flagship competition. In 2019 the Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) partnered with neighbouring Hanoi 10s to create a multi-tournament series spanning two weeks in January. The second year of the series will kick off in 2020 with a single-day tournament in Hanoi on 18 January and a multi-day tournament in Vientiane on 25-26 January. More than 20 local and international teams will compete in Men’s, Women’s, and U18 Girls and Boys contact competitions, as well as U13 tag rugby.

In the largest year of the Hanoi 10s competition, 12 senior teams will participate in the men’s and women’s divisions joined by 8 U18s boys’ and girls’ teams from Vietnam’s newly-formed rugby clubs including Coui Ha Club, Hop Dong Club, Thong Tien Club, Nuong Dam Club, Kim Truy Club and Du Sang Club. In the senior divisions, DAC Weredragons will be returning to the DHL Hanoi 10s to defend their Cup Championship. The Kim Boi Wild Cats, DAC Rejectors and Hanoi Dragons will also be returning in this year’s men’s division joined by tournament newcomers, Raw Dogs and Hanoi Ghost Dragons. In the women’s division, the Kim Boi Wild Cats will return for the second year of the tournament joined by five teams making their first appearance at the DHL Hanoi 10s including: DAC Weredragons, Hanoi Barbarians, NUS Singapore and Alexandre Yersin.

Three visiting international teams from DAC Weredragons will travel to Hanoi prior to the tournament in order to learn about and support the development of rugby in the country through participating in some activities with Vietnamese ChildFund Pass It Back teams. The ChildFund Pass It Back curriculum, which was piloted in rural Laos from 2012-2014, endeavours to help young people build knowledge and skills through rugby in topics like leadership, gender equity, future planning, safety and health. Today, more than 3,000 young players are registered and actively participating in the curriculum in Laos and over 1,000 in Vietnam.

In addition to the action on the pitch, the Kim Boi Wild Cats from Hoa Binh Province in Northern Vietnam will be supporting most of the DHL Hanoi 10s tournament management. In the first year of the competition in Hanoi, the LRF was proud to send Lao staff to support in lead management roles for the largest 10s international competition held in Vietnam to date. This year, the LRF’s Vietnamese colleagues will be building on the skills they learned in 2019 and taking the reigns as match officials in the U18s competition and as senior first aid and technical leads in the senior competition. The LRF has been partnering with ChildFund Vietnam since 2015 to support rugby development in the country. Over the 5 years of the partnership, Lao Coaches have supported with many exciting developments from the first international tag competition in 2017 through to the first women’s 15s match in 2019 where the Kim Boi Wild Cats faced off against the DAC Lao Nagas in a historic match in Hanoi. The Kim Boi Wild Cats are current or former ChildFund Pass It Back Coaches who have been developing their skills in rugby administration and leadership roles in their local community since 2015. This group of young Vietnamese leaders has recently registered their clubs with the Vietnamese government and now be applying their skills on the international stage as the DHL Hanoi 10s prepares for this record breaking year.

Following the excitement in Hanoi, the LRF will welcome 32 teams for the 14th year of the DHL Vientiane 10s on 25-26 January. Twelve men’s teams in the senior elite division will be bolstered by returning 2019 DHL Vientiane 10s Men’s Cup Champions, Royal Thai Police and include series competitors DAC Weredragons, Hanoi Dragons and Raw Dogs. The Lao Barbarians and Vientiane Buffalos will represent Laos in the men’s top division joined by the Royal Thai Navy, Bangkok Southerners, Bangkok Warriors, Changzhou Giants, DAC Rejectors and Regency. 2019 DHL Vientiane 10s Women’s Cup Champions, the Vientiane Lions will return in the women’s senior division alongside the Vientiane Buffalettes and Xieng Khoung RFC from Laos. The returning Banger Belles will be joined by DAC Weredragons, Made in China and MSU Pretty Crabs, all of which will be competing in Vientiane for the the first time in what promises to be an exciting women’s senior competition. Additionally, 8 U18s boys’ and girls’ teams will compete in the U18s division including Lao teams from the LRF’s newest clubs: the Vientiane Province Gold Crabs and the Kham District Golden Elephants.

“Year after year the competition draws top University and Club teams from across the region for a weekend of rugby,” comments LRF President Mr. Virayouth Rathikoun. “This is set to be the biggest 10s series in the region to date and competition will be fierce. The LRF is proud to play a role in supporting not only a budding club scene in Laos, but also strong tournament administration and rugby development beyond our borders.”

In Vientiane, visiting teams will also have an opportunity to practice with young Lao players and Coaches from the LRF’s Champa Ban powered by ChildFund Pass It Back teams before kick off and a strong line up of current and former ChildFund Pass It Back Coaches is in place to lead the way for DHL Vientiane 10s tournament administration including lead roles as first aid providers, match officials and in technical management roles.

The LRF and Hanoi 10s Organising Committee would like to thank DHL and DAC for sponsoring the second annual Hanoi and Vientiane 10s series. The series also appreciates the support from Mude, Hong Kong Rugby Union and SEARNETT as well as the individuals supporting the series match officiating. The LRF would also like to thank Key Sponsor for the tournament ANZ, for their continued support and commitment to tournament. Thank you to Lao sponsors including Sting Energy Drink (Beer Lao), BlueGrass and Inthira Group for supporting the 2020 DHL Vientiane 10s.

The LRF’s extends a special thanks to Platinum Sponsor, DAC for their sponsorship for elite rugby over the years and in further strengthening senior and domestic rugby in Laos through the DAC Weredragons touring sides. The LRF also extends its gratitude to the Pot Bellied Pigs whose support has made it possible for many of the young players representing Xieng Khouang RFC to develop their skills over the past several years. Canon by SOA’s support for the 2019 LRF Team of the Year, the Vientiane Tigers has also helped to develop the Vientiane based club that will be fielding a record 3 teams in 2020.

A very special thanks to ChildFund Pass It Back and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their ongoing important work growing the sport of rugby in both Laos and Vietnam. The LRF would also like to thank its Gold Sponsors: DHL, Pot Bellied Pigs, British Embassy in Vientiane, Segantii; Silver Sponsors: Kowloon RFC, Vientiane College, Canon by SOA, and NZRR; and Bronze Sponsors DFDL, RedBox Storage, ANZ, and Kennedy School.

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

About the Lao Rugby Federation The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full membership of Asian Rugby, associate member status of World Rugby and most importantly, registration with the Elite Sports Department of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Savanhxay Xayyasone (Lao) or Ariel Pueyo (English)

Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Editors: Images are available upon request.

ລາງວັນສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ 2020

ລາງວັນປະເພດບຸກຄົນດີເດັ່ນ

i) ລາງວັນນັກກິລາຍິງດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ

ສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະມອບລາງວັນ ນັກກິລາຍິງດີເດັ່ນ ໃຫ້ຜູ້ທີ່ມີຜົນງານຢູ່ໃນສະໜາມການແຂ່ງຂັນທີ່ດີເດັ່ນໃນປີ 2019.

ii) ລາງວັນນັກກິລາຊາຍດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ

ສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະມອບລາງວັນ ນັກກິລາຊາຍດີເດັ່ນ ໃຫ້ຜູ້ທີ່ມີຜົນງານຢູ່ໃນສະໜາມການແຂ່ງຂັນທີ່ດີເດັ່ນໃນປີ 2019.

ການຄັດເລືອກ: ຜູ້ປະສານງານກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຂວງນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ ແລະ ຊຽງຂວາງ, ຜູ້ຈັດການຝ່າຍພັດທະນາກິລາຣັກບີ້ ແລະ ຜູ້ປະສານງານລັດຖະບານ ແລະ ທີມຊາດ ແມ່ນໃຫ້ສະເໜີຊື່ຂອງນັກກິລາມາ 2 ຄົນ (ຍິງ 1 ແລະ ຊາຍ 1) ພ້ອມດ້ວຍເຫດຜົນທີ່ເລືອກເອົາບຸກຄົນນີ້ໃນການຊີງລາງວັນ. ສົ່ງກ່ອນ 11:59 ຂອງວັນທີ 6 ມັງກອນ. ວັນທີ 6 ມັງກອນ ເຮົາຈະປະກາດລາຍຊື່ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍຮູບຖ່າຍ ແລະ ຄໍາເຫັນສັ້ນໆ. ການລົງຄະແນນແມ່ນມີໄລຍະເວລາໜຶ່ງອາທິດ. ການລົງຄະແນນທາງອອນລາຍແມ່ນຈະປິດວັນທີ 2 ກຸມພາ.

ລາງວັນຈາກຄະນະບໍລິຫານສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຫ່ງຊາດ

i) ລາງວັນຄູຝຶກດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ

ສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະມອບລາງວັນ ຄູຝຶກດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ ໃຫ້ແກ່ຄູຝຶກຜູ້ທີ່ມີຄວາມທຸ່ມເທ ແລະ ນໍາພາທີມຂອງຕົນເອງໃຫ້ປະສົບຄວາມສໍາເລັດໄດ້ໃນນາມນັກກິລາຣັກບີ້ ແລະ ໃນການເປັນແບບຢ່າງທີ່ດີໃນການສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນເຖິງຄຸນຄ່າຂອງກິລາຣັກບີ້ຄື ຄວາມສາມັກຄິ, ມີລະບຽບວິໄນ ແລະ ຄວາມຊື່ສັດ. ຄູຝຶກທີ່ຖືກເລືອກໃນປີ 2019 ແມ່ນຈະໄດ້ຮັບລາງວັນນີ້.

ii) ລາງວັນການພັດທະນາກິລາດີເດັ່ນ

ສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະມອບລາງວັນການພັດທະນາກິລາດີເດັ່ນໃຫ້ແກ່ບຸກຄົນທີ່ມີຄວາມສາມາດ ຫຼື ເຮັດວຽກກ່ຽວກັບການພັດທະນາກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນປີ 2019 ລວມທັງການເຂົ້າຮ່ວມໃນກິດຈະກໍາຕ່າງໆ ແລະ ພັດທະນາທັກສະກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນ ສປປ ລາວ.

iii) ລາງວັນທີມຣັກບີ້ດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ

ສະຫະພັນກິລຣັກບີ້ຈະມອບລາງວັນ ທີມຣັກບີ້ດີເດັ່ນປະຈໍາປີ ໃຫ້ແກ່ທີມທີ່ມີຄວາມຕັ້ງໃຈ ແລະ ທຸ່ມເທໃຫ້ແກ່ທີມຣັກບີ້ແລະ ໄດ້ສະແດງຄ່ານິຍົມຂອງກິລາຣັກບີ້ໄດ້ຢ່າງຊັດເຈນຄື ຄວາມສາມັກຄີ, ເຄົາລົບລະບຽບວີໄນ ແລະ ຄວາມຊື່ສັດ. ນອກນັ້ນຍັງເປັນທີມທີ່ສະແດງທັກສະຣັກບີ້ໄດ້ຢ່າງພົ້ນເດັ່ນໃນສະໜາມການແຂ່ງຂັນລະດັບປະເທດ ແລະ ລະດັບສາກົນ. ທີມທີ່ສາມາດເຂົ້າຊີງລາງວັນໄດ້ແມ່ນມີທີມຂອງສະໂມສອນ, ທີມຣັກບີ້ໄວໜຸ່ມຈໍາປາບານ ຫຼື ທີມທີ່ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມການແຂ່ງຂັນລາຍການຂອງເອເຊຍຣັກບີ້.

ການຄັດເລືອກ: ທີມ, ສະໂມສອນ ແລະ ຄູຝຶກໃນ ສປປ ລາວ ສາມາດສົ່ງລາຍຊື່ທີມເຂົ້າມາຊີງລາງວັນເພື່ອໃຫ້ຄະນະບໍລິຫານເປັນຄົນຄັດເລືອກ. ການສົ່ງຊື່ເຂົ້າຊີງ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍເຫດຜົນແມ່ນຈະເປີດໃຫ້ສົ່ງທາງອອນລາຍ ແລະ ປິດໃນເວລາ 11:59 ຂອງວັນທີ 17 ມັງກອນ.

iv) ລາງວັນ ແພງລໍາພົງ ນະຈັນທີ

ລາງວັນ ແພງລໍາພົງ ນະຈັນທີ ແມ່ນຈະໄດ້ຮັບກຽດຈາກ ຮອງປະທານສະຫະພັນດິລາຣັກບີ້ ທ່ານ ແພງລໍາພົງ ນະຈັນທີ. ລາງວັນນີ້ຈະມອບໃຫ້ແກ່ບຸກຄົນທີ່ເຮັດວຽກ ແລະ ທຸ່ມເທແກ່ກິລາຣັກບີ້ ພ້ອມຍັງໄດ້ເສີມສ້າງ ແລະ ພັດທະນາກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນ ສປປ ລາວ.

ການຄັດເລືອກ: ທີມ, ສະໂມສອນ, ຄູຝຶກ ແລະ ສະມາຊິກຂອງຄອບຄົວຣັກບີ້ທຸກຄົນ ສາມາດສະເໜີຊື່ຜູ້ເຂົ້າຊີງລາງວັນ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍເຫດຜົນວ່າເປັນຫຍັງຈຶ່ງເລືອກຜູ້ນີ້ ແລະ ສົ່ງແບບຟອມທາງອອນລາຍ ຕັ້ງແຕ່ມື້ນີ້ຈົນຮອດ 11:59 ຂອງວັນທີ 17 ມັງກອນ. ຜູ້ເຂົ້າຊີງລາງວັນທັງໝົດແມ່ນຕ້ອງເປັນຄົນທີ່ທຸ່ມເທ ແລະ ຫຼົງໄຫຼກັບກິລາຣັກບີ້. ຄະນະບໍລິຫານຂອງສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະເປັນຄົນລົງຄະແນນໃຫ້ແກ່ຜູ້ເຂົ້າຊີງລາງວັນ.

ລາງວັນພິເສດ

i) ລາງວັນຈາກປະທານສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້

ລາງວັນນີ້ແມ່ນຈະມອບໃຫ້ແກ່ບຸກຄົນທີ່ບໍລິການ ແລະ ສະໜັບສະໜູນກິລາຣັກບີ້ໃນລາວ.

ການຄັດເລືອກ: ຄະນະຜູ້ບໍລິຫານຂອງສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ຈະເປັນຄົນເລືອກຜູ້ໄດ້ຮັບລາງວັນ.

2020 Lao Rugby Federation Awards

The 2020 Lao Rugby Awards will be announced at during the DHL Vientiane 10s.

People's Choice Award Categories

i) LRF Award for Female Player of the Year

The LRF Award for Female Player of the Year will go to the individual who contributed the most outstanding performance on the pitch during 2019. 

ii) LRF Award for Male Player of the Year

The LRF Award for Male Player of the Year will go to the male individual who contributed the most outstanding performance on the pitch during 2019.

Selection: The LRF’s Provincial Rugby Development Coordinators, the Rugby Development Manager and the High Performance Manager can submit 1 nomination per person for each award (resulting in 4 nominations per award).  Nominations for the 2020 awards must include a short description of why the nominees are the best candidates for the award.  Nominations are due by 11:59pm on 6 January. 

Lao Rugby Federation Board Award Categories

i) LRF Award for Coach of the Year

The LRF Award for Coach of the Year will go to the coach whose dedication and leadership allowed their team to grow as both rugby players and individuals and whose example most displayed Rugby’s values of passion, solidarity, respect, discipline and integrity. Any Coach based in Laos in 2019 can be considered for this award.

ii) LRF Award for Growing the Game in Laos

The LRF Award for Growing the Game in Laos will go to the individual or organisation whose work to grow and develop rugby in 2019 resulted in increased access to rugby participation opportunities for communities across Laos. 

iii) LRF Award for Team of the Year 

The LRF Award for Team of the Year will go to the team whose hard work, perseverance, and dedication to rugby and one another most displayed Rugby’s values of passion, solidarity, respect, discipline and integrity and resulted in outstanding performances on the pitch. Any Lao team who competed in domestic or international competition representing Laos can be considered for selection. This can be youth or senior teams registered with clubs or with the LRF’s Champa Ban Youth Programme or who played in Asia Rugby sanctioned competitions representing Laos.

Selection: Teams, clubs and coaches in Laos can submit nominations for vote by the LRF’s Board.  A short summary explaining the merits of the nominee should be submitted in the online nomination form by 11:59pm on 17 January. The LRF’s Executive Board will vote based on the completed nomination forms received by the deadline. Majority of board votes wins, with President having casting vote in the case of a draw. 

iv) Phenglamphong Nachanti Outstanding Services to Rugby Award

The Phenglamphong Nachanti Outstanding Services to Rugby Award is given in honor of former Lao Rugby Federation Vice President Phenglamphong Nachanti.  This award shall be given to the individual whose longterm service, hard work, dedication, and passion for the sport of rugby has positively impacted and strengthened the sport of rugby in Laos.

Selection: Teams, clubs, coaches and members of the LRF community can submit nominations for vote by the LRF’s Board.  A short summary explaining the merits of the nominee should be submitted in the online nomination form by 11:59pm on 17 January. All nominations for the Phenglamphong Nachanti Outstanding Services to Rugby Award should include specific instances of how the nominee has strengthened rugby in Laos over time through hard work, dedication and passion. The LRF’s Executive Board will vote based on the completed nomination forms received by the deadline. Majority of board votes wins, with President having casting vote in the case of a draw.

Special Award Categories

i) President’s Award for Service

The President's Award for Service will recognise an individual whose service and support expanded the scope and strength of rugby in Laos. 

Selection: To be identified by the President in conjunction with the LRF’s Executive Board.

Media Release: U16 Segantii Lao Nagas Return to Drive Growth and Development in Lao PDR

(29 October, 2019) Vientiane, Lao PDR: Last March, members of the Hong Kong rugby community including Segantti Capital Management, RedBox Storage and Sandy Bay RFC raised funds and supported the U16 girls team from Lao PDR to participate in the world’s largest all-female youth rugby tournament, the All Girls International Rugby Sevens. As the Rugby World Cup has engulfed Asia and all sights are set on the upcoming Southeast Asia Games, the young women who represented Laos at the landmark events in Hong Kong, have been busy using their inspiration from the tour to drive unprecedented growth and development for the sport in their local community over the past six months.

During the tour the U16 Segantii Lao Nagas earned the Title of Bowl Runners Up at the All Girls International Rugby Sevens and had the chance to meet and play against other young rugby superstars from across the globe, including Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and Japan. In addition to playing in the competition, the Nagas met the senior National teams from Mexico and Uganda who were in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong 7s Women's Qualifier. The young Nagas also played a match against a mixed U16s Hong Kong team at the opener of the Qualifiers and New Zealand Sevens superstar, Portia Woodman presented the Nagas with their medals. To close out their trip, the Nagas also had the chance to experience the Hong Kong 7s firsthand.

“Being one of the U16 Nagas was such an exciting opportunity for me to meet new friends and family, see rugby played at such a high level and to get to know so many rugby players and fans of all ages,” said one member of the squad, Mor Ha. “Since I returned from Hong Kong, I have been working hard to continue to develop myself and rugby, especially around my village in Xieng Khouang.” Mor Ha recently participated in the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony as a flag bearer and attended the opening match in Tokyo.

As the national governing body for the sport of rugby in the Lao PDR, the Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) oversees the development of youth, club, and elite rugby in the country. As part of its Champa Ban youth rugby programme, the LRF implements the ChildFund Pass It Back rugby and life skills curriculum. More than 3,000 young people have been registered across seven districts in Lao PDR and the LRF maintains a consistently high female participation rate of 52% across all players and Coaches.

All of the U16 Nagas were introduced to rugby through the programme and, like Mor Ha men1oned, after attending the All Girls International Rugby Sevens, many of the Nagas have taken on active leadership roles in developing the sport in their local community.

One example of how these young players have put their inspiration into action in their communities is that 4 of the U16 Segantii Lao Nagas players, Keo, Phommee, Mor Ha and Bang Orn, became Champa Ban powered by ChildFund Pass It Back Coaches in August and are coaching 9 teams across Vientiane and Xieng Khouang helping to train and lead the next generation of young female rugby players and leaders in Laos.

Another of the U16 Nagas, Bang Orn, is now training with the senior DAC Lao National Team in preparation for the Southeast Asian Games. Building on her skill development and progression from her participation as a Champa Ban powered by ChildFund Pass It Back player and from the competitions in Hong Kong, she is an example of some of the skill and talent among the young players and shows huge leadership potential for the future of the Lao National Team.

Eight of the Nagas, Lay Lor, Lay Ya, Keo, Mor Ha, Xiva, Keo, Phommee, and Bang Orn, traveled to Vietnam in July to play in the first women’s full contact international 15s competition ever to take place in Vietnam in where the Lao team was victorious 35-0.

Seven of the Nagas, Lay Lor, Lay Ya, Keo, Mor Ha, Xiva, Keo and Phommee, are members of the newly founded Xieng Khouang Rugby Football Club (RFC) and are leading the way for women’s rugby in their home province. In September, Xieng Khouang RFC lead by the 7 U16 Nagas, participated in the Bangkok 10s. This was only their team’s first competition played outside of Lao PDR, however they managed to beat teams from Thailand and Vietnam and earn 6th place among the 10 participating teams.

All of these examples show the U16 Segantii Lao Nagas have continued to lead in development of rugby in their communities and are actively passing their new knowledge and skills back to their communities through their club and youth work. The LRF looks forward to continuing to support and follow these young women’s progress as rugby players, Coaches, leaders, and role models for other young people in Lao PDR.

In Hong Kong, the team was hosted by HKU Sandy Bay RFC players and their families, who not only shared their homes with the Lao players during the tour but additionally carried out fundraising activities leading up to the tour. The Sandy Bay RFC community’s generous support alongside tour sponsors, Segantii Capital Management and RedBox Storage, made the U16 Lao Nagas’ trip to Hong Kong a reality.

We would like to thank all of the sponsors and supporters who have made the U16 Lao Nagas’ trip possible. We would also like to thank partners, ChildFund Pass It Back, Department of Foreign Affairs Australia, World Rugby and Asia Rugby, for their continued support in growing rugby and cultivating young leaders in Lao PDR.

The LRF thanks DAC Management whose ongoing support makes the LRF’s elite program possible at the junior and senior level. Many thanks also to LRF's Champa Ban sponsors including DFDL Legal & Tax, Pot Bellied Pigs RFC, Cairnhill Structures, DHL Express, RedBox Storage, ESF Kennedy School, Segantii Capital Management, and DAC Management for their ongoing contributions to youth rugby in Laos.

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

About the Lao Rugby Federation

The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full membership of Asia Rugby, associate member status of World Rugby and most importantly, registration with the Elite Sports Department of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).

The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.

The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.

The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high-quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.

If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring, donating to, or learning about the Lao Rugby Federation, please contact sponsor@laorugby.com for more information.

For more information, please contact:

Pisa Vongdeuanpheng (Lao, Thai) or Ariel Pueyo (English, Spanish) Phone: +856 21 315 795

Email: info@laorugby.com

Website: www.laorugby.com

Editors: Images are available upon request.