Terrific tour is opportunity to strengthen ties
Bourne Rugby Club, wearing blue and yellow, played against the Second Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment's rugby team
BOURNE Rugby Club was beaten by a team of soldiers during a match in Cyprus held in memory of fallen comrades.
Players from the club took on the Second Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment, known as The Poachers, in the match on Saturday to honour Privates Joseva Lewaicei and Adam Morris who were killed while on patrol in Iraq in 2006.
The club’s tour director Jerry King organises the game each year for the Joseva Lewaicei and Adam Morris Memorial Trophy.
This year the club flew to meet the Battalion in Dhekelia, Cyprus, where the soldiers have been based for two years providing security duties in the British Sovereign Base Areas.
The Poachers won the trophy 26-3 and Bourne skipper Adam Binns said everyone had a fantastic time seeing The Poachers in Cyprus.
Adam, of Dorchester Avenue, Bourne, said: “It’s was a great match and played for all the right reasons. The whole weekend was perfect.”
He added: “A big thank you goes to Jerry for all the hard work he put into organising the game for us, and many thanks go to The Poachers for hosting us at the weekend too.”
Private Koroibulileka, 33, who is the captain of The Poachers Rugby Team, said playing the Bourne club is one of the highlights in their year.
He added: “It gives us the chance to remember Joseva and Adam and to strengthen our ties with a home club.”
Years ago Pte Lewaicei had played against Bourne Rugby Club with The Poachers and was named man of the match.
It was shortly after this that Pte Lewaicei and Pte Morris were deployed to Iraq.
This is where tragedy struck and their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb in Basra – killing them both in action.
The Poachers will remain on duty in Cyprus until the summer when they will arrive in their new base in Cottesmore, Rutland, when some of their players may join Bourne RFC for the club’s 25th anniversary year.
Bourne’s Neil Oglesbee added: “One of them is on leave this week and is hopefully coming down to the club.
“Everyone on tour was a credit to the club and the town, and the commanding officer would welcome us back any time.”
The players were also given a presentation by the regiment about their work and received two bottles of Cypriot brandy as a token of friendship from a bar near to the camp.
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Weather for Bourne
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
