Welcome to the latest Edition of the 'Samurai Newsletter'. This is a monthly publication designed
to keep you informed of all our latest news, products & upcoming events and more...

If you want a story or event included, please send your pictures & information
to markl@samurai-sports.com

ULR Samurai International RFC
Head to Twickenham!

The ULR Samurai International RFC Invitation team are honored to have received an invitation from the Middlesex Charity Sevens organisers to participate at Twickenham on August 15th.

The Samurai teams excellent record this season with competition wins in Stirling, Bournemouth, Manchester and of course for the 5th consecutive year, Amsterdam. Has obviously led to such a prestigious invitation where Samurai will face the 12 Guinness Premiership teams at the home of English rugby.

Simon Amor has agreed to Captain the side with Samurai chairman Mike Friday taking the Coaching reigns as they replicate the same roles that they occupied for the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne, where England were narrowly beaten by the All Blacks to take the Silver medal.

The Samurai team have been fortunate enough to grace the hallowed Twickenham turf on the only other occasion that they had played in the Middlesex Sevens in 2000 when the late Colin Hillman coached the side to a first round victory against a Wasps team that included none other than Mike Friday himself…

The draw in 2000 proved to be a tough one as Samurai then faced a Penguin International side in the quarter final which included Waisale Serevi, Craig DiGoldi, Cameron Pither and Eric Rush in what was at the time quite possibly the World’s best Sevens team. The Penguins ran out winners by 14 points to 7 and went on to win the tournament at a canter with no other team coming as close to causing an upset as Samurai had been.

The 2009 competition is also going to be a big ask for a true invitation team such as Samurai where if the assembled team is lucky, they may just get one training session in ahead of their first game!

GB Rugby League Allstars Fundraiser

Samurai Sponsored GB Rugby League Allstars recently played a test Series against the NZ Residents Rugby League Allstars to raise money for the Life For A Kid Foundation. Some of the Biggest Names ever to play the game of Rugby League included Gary Schofield, Paul Newlove, Gary Connolly, Steve Hampson, Martin Dermott and our very own Area Manager for the Midlands Jason Critchley.

The test series was extremely popular having games played in Bradford, Cumbria and Leigh. The GB Allstars won the series 3 nil. It must have been the stylish Samurai kit they wore. For anybody wishing to get involved with the GB Allstars and The Life For A Kid Foundation, please visit www.lifeforakid.org.

Rugby 7's World Cup Winner Joins The Bees

29yr old Rugby Sevens World Cup winning centre/wing Tal Selley joins the Bees this season on a one year contract from Magners league side Newport-Gwent Dragons. The Welshman, who has played for all four of his homeland provinces, the only man to do so - at Llanelli (Scarlets), Neath-Swansea (Ospreys), Cardiff (Blues) and latterly Newport-Gwent - received a full cap for Wales in 2005 when he lined up against the USA.

A number of very successful years as well as stand out performances for his country in the shortened version of the game on the IRB World Series circuit saw 2008/09 the best of them all. At 80-1 outsiders Selley and his team-mates dismissed the competition to write their names in the history books by claiming the 2009 World Cup Crown with a thrilling win over Argentina in the final.

Selley a vital try scorer that afternoon was also instrumental in his sides' success throughout the competition and in return was duly honoured Player of the Tournament.
His countries top try and points scorer (at Sevens level) the 6ft Haverfordwest born Selley also has the requisite top class domestic experience to help his new team mates approach life in the Championship. With over 90 appearances in Celtic league, Anglo-Welsh and European Cup rugby Selley's guiding arm will be invaluable:

"Tal is a great addition" added Head Coach Russell Earnshaw "...he is a very good and dangerous player and with him we’re not far off having the back division we’ve dreamed of.”

A backline that will feature some of the most exciting players in the Championship, who having made their indelible mark on National Division 2 last season, will be collectively eager to impress: "I think the Championship is going to be a tough division" commented Selley "but I’m really excited about playing for the Bees, with the work we’re doing now in pre-season I think we’ll cope comfortably....and the boys seem a great bunch....I think we’ll spring a few surprises this year."

Keen to continue his international commitments Selley cites Earnshaw's appreciation of the Sevens code as one of the main reasons for joining Bees: "Russell supporting my Sevens ambitions was the deciding factor for me. There were lots of places I could have gone this season but the majority wouldn't let me go and play Sevens. I didn’t want to give it up as it's been the most successful part of my career...it will mean missing about six Bees games."

Eager now to just get involved Selley is enthusiastic about the brand of rugby he'll be a part of: "I spoke to Russ in Wellington and he talked to me about the Bees. They’re ambitious and playing some expansive attractive rugby which is what I want to do...I played against B&S years ago in a pre-season friendly, I was playing for Llandovery at the time, it was a bit scrappy, four quarters, mass changes that sort of thing...but I think we won" he says with a smile.

Bees fans will be hoping for more smiles from their first ever Rugby World Cup winner but this time in the black, red and amber of Birmingham & Solihull.

Samurai International RFC

The RFL has congratulated Dewsbury Rams after they clinched the Co-operative Championship One title on Thursday night with a 54-14 victory over Keighley Cougars in their Sky Sports-televised fixture.

The Rams have won all 15 of their games in the Co-operative Championship One  so far this season which puts them on 45 points -15 points clear of second-placed Keighley Cougars - and gives them a remarkable points difference of 469.

RFL Chief Executive Nigel Wood said: “On behalf of the RFL I would like congratulate everyone at Dewsbury Rams for what has been a fantastic campaign.

“Their 100 per cent record in Co-operative Championship One so far this season is a magnificent achievement.

“Chairman Mark Sawyer, his fellow directors, coach Warren Jowitt, the players and all the staff at Dewsbury should be immensely proud of their success in winning the Championship One title and promotion to the Co-operative Championship in such style.”

Dewsbury also reached the quarter-finals of the Northern Rail Cup after topping Pool 2 in the group stage of the competition before narrowly losing to eventual finalists Barrow Raiders.

This is not quite a record as Huddersfield Giants were promoted at the end of 2002 having won 26 and drawn one of their 27 matches in the Premiership.

For match report click here

If you would like your photo included as 'Picture Of The Month', please send your pictures and story to  tracyt@samurai-sports.com

Barrow Raiders Peter takes the challenge!

Samurai would like to wish Peter Good Luck with his forthcoming challenge.

On Friday, August 21st 2009, Peter along with 59 others will be travelling to La Cwsaz in the Alps, the only difference to the other 59 is that Peter will be the only Turtle!

The Challenge:

Day One: Two 3 mile white water raft races. One 4 man, one 2 man.

Day Two: Abseil down a 150ft waterfall, then rock jumps into rock pools and natural water shoots covering a 6 mile course, followed by aerial trekking, 25 metres above the forest floor, in the treetops, followed by Canyoning & Parascending.

The money raised will be donated to The Wooden Spoon Children's Charity.

Since 2003 (Peter) the Turtle has raised over 18,600 pounds for local and National Charities. To sponsor Peter please call 07846110245

If you have an upcoming event in 2009 please send your pictures (if applicable) and story to tracyt@samurai-sports.com