The FamiLy

Friendship are like flowers
They grow with time and can
stem into something very beautiful
if you don't take care of them
They will wilt away.
Friends are very special
just like a delicate flower is.
Let your friend know how special
they are today and everyday of your life.

KNIGHTS STILL ALIVE AND WELL....

JASON THOMAS
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

THE Knights Rugby Football Club are still up and running, but will not participate in the BRFU Rugby League this season.

Contrary to the report on Saturday, the defending BRFU Rugby League champions have not been disbanded by the union's judicial board and are still a BRFU member.

However, they will not play in this season's league which is due to kick off on April 2 because of their failure to attend the league's draw last Friday.

Not all hope is lost for their players though, as they can still suit up for the five other clubs in this year's campaign.

"They have not been disbanded," said Brunei Rugby Football Union (BRFU) president Dr Hj Kamaruddin Dato Seri Paduka Hj Talib on Sunday.

"... the Knights did not respond to invitations to attend the draw which was attended by all the clubs on Friday, but we will let their players play for other clubs.

"The Royal Brunei Armed Forces' Sports Council (MS ABDB) want some of the Knights players who are not suspended to be channelled to their club and other clubs. It is up to the clubs to pick and choose who they want, as long as they are not affected by suspension and qualify as stipulated in the tournament rules.

"Our aim is to have as many clubs as possible and the response has been good," said the president of the union's first event of the year.

The union's judicial board held a hearing on March 9 mainly to discuss the sanctions to be taken against Knights' captain Dinie Abu Bakar for his misconduct during a pre-season game against the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Sharks.

Due to Dinie and the club representatives' failure to attend the hearing, the captain is suspended for five years and the club will be docked three points or whatever value of a win is in the next local interclub 15-a-side tournament.

The hearing had no effect on the Knights' ability to play in this season's league and the decision of the disciplinary committee was sent to the Press by an anonymous source and not by the committee's chairman Roy Prabhakaran as previously reported.

The Knights were always slated to play in the league and the draw sent to the teams on March 2 listed the Knights as one of the six sides, but it was later decided that a formal draw to decide a new fixture list would be in order, where a managers' meeting would also be held.

The Knights did not send any of their representatives to this meeting which was held last Friday, and, thus, the team have been left out of this year's league.

Ben Bourne, the club's former mentor and coach who was also sanctioned during the March 9 hearing, said that the club's players still have a lot to look forward to this season.

Choosing to focus on the positives, the Department of Youth and Sports' development officer for the sport told The Brunei Times that other teams had already shown an interest in securing the services of Knights' players.

"I have informed some of the players that there are clubs willing to offer them places," said Bourne.

"Players moving to different clubs is a healthy thing. It helps to strengthen Brunei rugby.

"Like in terms of the national team for 15s or 7s, it really creates new relationships with the other (club) players.

"It makes the transition from club to national rugby a lot easier," said the Samoan, who has laced up for the Knights, Royal Brunei Police Force, Royal Brunei Yacht Club (Yachties) and Belait Pythons the latter during a tournament in Miri, Sarawak.

This year's season will see the Belait Pythons, UBD Sharks, Bandar Blacks, Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces face each other in a round-robin format, with the four best teams advancing to the semi-finals.

Both the Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces are making a return to the league after sitting out last season.The Brunei Times

'Knights disbanded'

Knights captain Dinie Abu Bakar(2nd from L) has been slapped with a five-year ban. Picture: BT
JASON THOMAS
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday, March 19, 2011



Knights Rugby Football Club punished for indiscipline.

Defending champions also out of BRFU league.

FOR every action there is a consequence — Knights Rugby Football Club just found that out the hard way.

The defending Brunei Rugby Football Union (BRFU) Rugby League champions have paid the price for their unruliness during a Feb 19 pre-season game against the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Sharks, where their captain Dinie Abu Bakar threatened a referee after the match and is now slapped with a five-year ban.

Dinie was already sanctioned for physical abuse of a match official and suspended from playing any rugby for 48 weeks until May 31, but the club still allowed their star player on the field.

The club's subsequent failure to respond to requests to attend a disciplinary hearing on March 9 has seen BRFU disband the side, and they will play no part in this year's league which kicks off on April 2.

"The Knights won't be in the league this season. They have been disbanded by the (union's) judicial board," BRFU president Dr Hj Kamaruddin Dato Seri Paduka Hj Talib exclusively revealed to The Brunei Times yesterday.

"It was a big offence for him to play. The management knew about it but they still allowed him to play," he added.

"Dinie has been suspended for five years and the management and team have also been penalised.

"What is most compelling is that they both did not turn up for the hearing.

"This (indiscipline) is not their first offence. They have committed several offences, such as during the National Sports Festival (PSK) and before that, which we have not taken serious action.

"But this time we have to put our foot down. We won't tolerate any more of this attitude.

"We have discussed it with the Department of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and they agreed (with our decision).

"We have also referred this to the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and the International Rugby Board (IRB)," said the president, who added that the club could appeal the ruling.

Dinie and the Knights aren't the only ones in hot water though, with the team's coach and mentor Ben Bourne also faced with a six-month ban starting on March 11 the date the BRFU's Disciplinary Committee issued a written decision on the hearing.

The strongly worded eight-page letter, which was sent to The Brunei Times by the committee's chairman Roy Prabhakaran, says that Bourne is barred from "having any involvement with the Knights RFC in any capacity whatsoever".

The Department of Youth and Sports' development officer for the sport, Bourne will be limited to improving rugby at the school-level for now.

"He is confined to the youth development programme which is from school to school," said Dr Hj Kamaruddin.

"This has also been recommended and approved by the Department of Youth and Sports.

"He will also look after all tournaments, be it domestic or international, to help map them out and make sure they run smoothly," he added.

Contrary to Dr Hj Kamaruddin's statement, however, the Disciplinary Committee's written decision makes no mention of disbanding the Knights and even says that it doesn't want "to impact the club so hard as to 'kill' them off".

It also agreed that the Knights would be docked three points or whatever the value of a win is in the next local interclub 15-a-side tournament.

The written statement also stated that it felt the incident had set the sport back in Brunei by a few years and had highlighted all the things that rugby was not.

"We sincerely hope this decision will be used by clubs around the country to warn and educate all those involved in the game that the interest of the game must never be compromised or prejudiced and that there are serious consequences if this were to happen," read the statement.

"We felt that a written decision highlighting our concerns with respect to the development of rugby in Brunei needed to be delivered with the hope that all those involved in the sport will always remember that no one is bigger than the game," it added.

The Knights' absence from the league means there will only be five teams in this year's season; the Belait Pythons, UBD Sharks, Bandar Blacks, Royal Brunei Police Force and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces who are making a return after sitting out last season.The Brunei Times

Brutha - She's Gone