World Footy News

The Vietnam Swans will this weekend host the Hong Kong Dragons in Vung Tau for the second ANZAC Friendship Match.

The venue for the match is the Vung Tau Greyhound Racing Track, which was used as the venue for footy matches by Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Former AFL star Richard "Ossie" Osborne, who played with Footscray, Fitzroy, Sydney and Collingwood during a career spanning 17 seasons, will be a special guest taking part in the match.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Thailand Tigers are taking on the China Reds in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, near Hellfire Pass on the site of the infamous Burma Railway, where numerous Australian POWs lost their lives in the Second World War.

In Indonesia, the Borneo Bears are hosting the Jakarta Bintangs and Bali Geckos, in what will be their 3rd annual ANZAC Day Cup in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

ANZAC Friendship Match, Vietnam vs Hong Kong

The following report courtesy of the Vietnam Swans.

The Vietnam Swans Australian Rules Football Club has announced details of our second ANZAC Friendship Match which will be held at 2pm on Saturday 23 April, 2011.

The match shall be played against the Hong Kong Dragons in Vung Tau (located near Saigon and the Long Tan Cross).

Vung Tau served as the Australians logistics base during the Vietnam/American War and, more specifically, the match will be played at the Greyhound Racing Track. The Greyhound track was formerly known as the Lord Mayor’s Oval – and the venue for footy tournaments back in 1968/69.

In Vietnam, the Government only allows two countries to honour their fallen with a memorial. They are France (Dien Bien Phu) and Australia (Long Tan). In exchange, the Vietnamese Government requests that those who visit the memorials must not wear medals, uniforms, raise or display flags or play music and that any speeches should be short and low key.

Against this backdrop of sensitivities, the Vietnam Swans feel extremely privileged to be able to host our ANZAC Friendship Match. We wear two black armbands to respect all who have fallen and to share the vision of one bright future.

Our Friendship Match brings together two worlds from two different eras: Vietnam 1970 and Vietnam 2011. For all of us who have chosen to live and work in Vietnam 2011, Vietnam is such an exciting, vibrant, generous and welcoming country.

We also use the occasion to raise money for local orphanages and swimming initiatives that will save young lives. In Vietnam, more children currently die from drowning than road accidents.

We warmly invite people to attend the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match in the spirit of friendship and respect – and to have an amazing day at the footy.

Borneo ANZAC Day Cup, Borneo Bears vs Jakarta vs Bali

The following report courtesy of the Borneo Bears.

Borneo Bears will host their 3rd Borneo ANZAC day Cup 2011 Tournament in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan on April 23 2011. With teams travelling from Bali and Jakarta to play for the Borneo ANZAC Cup a big long weekend is planned with teams arriving in Balikpapan on the Friday afternoon to be hosted with a NZ Hangi at the Bears Den (Yuli’s Pizza bar on the beach) to get in preparation for a full day of Aussie footy on the Saturday morning.

That Saturday night, for the after match function, the Bears will host their first Sportsman’s Night at the Novotel Balikpapan Ballroom with special guests being Garry Buckenara, Ken Judge, Kim Hughes and Michael O’Connor.

The special guests will host a panel and will have Q&A throughout the evening with an Auction of memorabilia from AFL, Rugby and Aussie cricket following on with the auction of each special guest to play golf the following day at the Bears golf day with each of the highest bidders.

The weekend will round off on ANZAC Day Monday 25 April 2011 with the Balikpapan ANZAC Day memorial Dawn service, followed by the Borneo ANZAC day Gunfire breakfast.

ANZAC Day Cup, Thailand Tigers vs China Reds

This report courtesy of the Thailand Tigers.

Once again the Thailand Thaigers are hosting the inaugural Anzac Day - Australian Rules Football commemorative match for 2011. This year the challenger all the way from deep east - China Reds are welcomed to enjoy a weekend of football, fun and the spiriting dawn service on Monday 25th April.

Thailand Thaigers football and netball club encourages all holidayers, local and expat friends and family to join the game - 3hrs drive out of Bangkok. Make a weekend of it, visit Hellfire Pass for the dawn service, the beautiful Erawan Falls - Thailand's largest waterfall, along with the Tiger Temple and Kanchanburi town with the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Please contact us here for more information and spread the word - it is always a memorable weekend.