Banger Banter Newsletter, 4th Quarter 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

5

THE MOTS du CAPTAINE

6

COLT CAPPIE

7

BURGESS

8

TOM WATTERS

9

CRIS DUNNING

11

EDDIE EVANS

19

MY WHISTLE

20

GEOFF THE CHEF

22

CLUB HOUSE

26

THE HEALTHY BANGER

27

THE SIDELINE EYE

28

FACES 2009

Tricolour Banger speak from our club captain Tates on the Banger Colts The club coach writes - YOU READ Why Tom Watter resigned as our Club President Bang for the sponsors baht

Bangkok International 10’s update IRB appoints women referees for Sevens in Dubai Fast food for the Banger in a hurry Rick on Wall Street activity How to be a healthy rugby player

Dougies obervations from the Wall of Knowledge Banger faces in 2009

12

FROM KOVARE TO BANGKOK

Carlos Bolakoso writes about his early days playing rugby in Fiji

16 OVER A HEINNIE WITH JOHNN JASPERS

John chats about his life as an international sports photojournalist

22

3

BANGER GOLF DAY

The annual Banger Golf Day was up to it usual “low” standard

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

The Banter is out a little late this quarter. Hope to make up for it, with the quality of the content The Colts finished the Royal Bangkok Sports Club Mini Rugby Series on a high note, with a thrilling win against the Sports Club. Our club president, Tom Watters, recently tended his resignation. With work related commitments in Brisbane, Tom was finding it increasingly difficult to allocate time to the Bangers. He will be missed The annual golf tournament at the Bangkok Golf Club was another great day. After the early morning Bloody Mary’s at Wall Street, the day went down hill from there. Actually, the Bangers didn’t look too bad after 18 holes of golf. Of course, that depends on your interpretation of too bad. The post game analysis went long into the night. That what Bangers do. The Bangkok International Sevens Tournament is on at end of the month. Only the Colts are entered this year. The club is expecting big things this year. The beer record has tumbled yet again. Does not last long these days. After the recent Banger /Bangkok Japanese game, “150ish” large bottles of Heineken were drown at the post game proceedings. Like that word “150ish”. The new Bistro 33 Privilege Card will soon be available for distribution to the club membership. The discounts makes it worthwhile to patronize this fine eating house Remember, the Banter is your newsletter. If you have anything you ever want to add, please send your jottings to [email protected]

Editor

EDITORIAL : Jean “ Jeff” Francois Klentzi, Peter Burgess,, Rick O”Shea, Andrew Tatam, Geoff McKenna, Doug Ozanne, David Smith, Jeremy Fairtbrother, Cris Dunning, Mike Laloli

CONTRIBUTORS : Johnn Jaspers, Carlos Bulakoso

WEBMASTER : Jason Manning

PHOTOGRAPHY : Johnn Jaspers, Robert Brewer

The Banger Banter is published quarterly for the Old Bangkok Bangers Rugby Club for members, sponsors and friends of the club and available through the website. Club members contribute all editorial and photography. The layout and design is provided by Ruck Graphics - a member of the Old Bangkok Bangers Rugby Club 4

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

Le trimestre de tout les records... Je me souviens qu'il y a encore peu de temps on se rejouissait de pouvoir jouer deux matchs de rugby a quinze dans une periode d'un mois. Or, durant ce dernier trimestre et malgre les longues vacances d'ete, nous avons participe a plus d'une dizaine de rencontres. Il y a d'abord eu celles jouees fin juin, debut juillet, dans le cadre de la TRU league, puis enfin celles organisees tous les jeudi soirs depuis debut septembre par le RBSC dans le cadre du tournoi regroupant les Bangkok Japanese, les Southerners, le RBSC et nous meme. . Ce record de match joues, n'aurai jamais pu etre etabli sans qu'un nombre record de joueurs ai ete impliques. C'est ainsi qu'on a compte jusqu'a 40 Bangers lors d'un entrainement a Patana et quasiment autant le jeudi suivant pour la premiere 5

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

rencontre de la mini-league.. Maintenant, qui dit Record de Bangers a l'entrainement, dit forcement Record de Heineken au Red & White. L'un ne peut aller sans l'autre et c'est ainsi que la reference a ete augmentee de 2 unites pour passe de 138 a 140. Je crois que si il n'y avait qu'un seul resultat a retenir, ce serait celui ci. Pour les autres, purement sportifs, Colt Cappie les a certainement deja commentes, donc inutiles de le faire une deuxieme fois... Concentrons nous, plutot sur l'avenir, car avec le Golf Day, la fin de la mini-league et surtout le pelerinage a Phnom Penh il y a fort a parier que l'on va de nouveau ecrire, quelques lignes dans le Bangers Guiness Book.. Mind My French

Jeff

You Will Always Be A Banger

Where to begin? Since the last time we went to print. We have competed for the first time in the TRU League (Thai Rugby Union National League) which was a major step along our continued growth and development as a club. Despite the unhelpful scheduling with many of our players away on their summer holidays and away and additionally entered 2 teams. I think it was a positive experience for everyone involved and certainly a steep learning curve in how things are done. A huge thank you must go to all the players who turned out for either the colts or the old boys and the club supporters on the sideline A special thanks to the Jeip and lads from Rangsit University who saved our bacon with the extra players. Results certainly reflected the difficulties that we faced, but the spirit shown was outstanding and we did beat the Southerners in a memorable second half fight back which was nice. The post game celebrations also provided some firsts, with trips to Kao San Road complete with street singing and many other great nights to ease

the battered and bruised bodies. During the summer when many were away from Bangkok normal training was on hold. However, many of the more dedicated Bangers continued training at Lumpini Park followed a few beer towers in the Night Bazaar. A new season and another first for the Bangers. The club participated in a new mini home and away series against the Bangkok Japanese, the Southerners and the Royal Bangkok Sports Club(RSBC). All games were played on consecutive weeks at the wonderful RSBC grounds on Thursday evenings. It is certainly great to be playing regular 15s and once again. I have been amazed by the 6

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

support that we have received from the players and supporters. Cheers! Whatever the final results of the tournament are, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hope that we get the chance to join again next year when we will be a year wiser and unfortunately probably fatter. To close I would like to thank everyone who has been turning out at training on a Sunday afternoon with new players arriving weekly and a record of 40 Bangers set recently. Keep it up chaps! With our Angkor 10’s and the Bangkok International Sevens on the horizon, it promises to be a fun filled few weeks for the Bangers - young and old!

You Will Always Be A Banger

It has been a feast of rugby for the Bangers the last 6 weeks, the invitation to play in the Royal Bangkok Sports Club (RSBC) mini tournament was a blessing! Although some of the games were called off due to torrential rain, thunder & lightning (usually all at once) we remained resolute during these occasions & managed to find a quiet spot to review strategy, discuss tactics & re-hydrate. Despite a poor opening match against the Southerners we eventually put together some good performances in the following weeks, culminating in a solid win over the RBSC. Almost every week we had an abundance of players with many of our lads unselfishly filling in for the Bangkok Japanese who were often short of numbers! As usual the Japanese saved their best performances for the Bangers, as did our boys filling in, not to be outdone by their mates. The club was well supported on & off the field with many Old Boys braving the conditions to watch the Colts, although it was rumored the cheap beer prices were the main draw card for our senior members. Many thanks to the RBSC for a great tournament hopefully we will be asked to return next year.

7

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

We have a great club which is unique in Thai rugby and many are envious of the way the club is run and of our enthusiasm for all aspects of rugby. On the field we show that we are more than capable and our social events and friendly spirit is not matched in any other club in the country. It has been my pleasure to have been elected as your Chairman from the last AGM and also as the stand in Chairman for the past few months before that due to Andy having to step down following his work move out of Bangkok. Unfortunately due to work commitments and my continual time outside the country I also have decided that it is better that I resign as Chairman and let someone who can dedicate the time necessary to the club to take over from me. Believe it or not there is a lot of work goes on behind the scenes and sometimes I know the efforts put in are not fully appreciated. I thank all the committee members for your work and am sure you will continue to give your best under whoever is appointed as the new Chairman. Thank you for having me as your chairman for the past few months.

8

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

9

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

My first piece for the club magazine. Most people who know the Old Bangkok Bangers would agree that it has now become a very successful social rugby club and this is in no small way due to the generous support we receive from our sponsors. Sponsorship in the form of hard cash or in–kind products /services is necessary for the financial well-being of the Bangers and for the 2009/10

10

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

season we remain totally grateful to the range of sponsors who, in very difficult financial times, have come forward with their hands up. It provides us the infrastructure for equipment, training, participation at home and on tour and for all our social activities with colleagues and families. In addition to all this it also enables the club, through its CSR initiatives, to support 3 orphaned children in Phuket and this is something that will develop further over time. For sponsors to remain active and involved with the Club it has to be a win-win outcome for them as well and so what we can do to help is to appreciate their input, provide them lots of exposure and be aware of the products or services they provide for future business or personal requirements. Finally we will soon be circulating the new BistroBanger Privilege Card which entitles club members to substantial discounts off food and liquor at Bistro 33. This is one of the tangible benefits of having good sponsors on board. They help us we help them. In upcoming Banter issues, we will be profiling our sponsors to give them all an opportunity to talk about their businesses and whatever else they want to divulge about themselves. This will really increase the banter round the Club.

You Will Always Be A Banger

11

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

The Bangkok International Rugby 10’s 2010 will kick off February 19th Friday night 7pm at the Office Bar and Mojos. We can expect some 500 plus players and supporters to converge there and once again a huge thank you to Peter and Bob for supporting our event and hosting the players and match officials on both the Friday and Saturday night. Last year was a huge success down there; guys are still talking about the lively party fun, sing songs, great band and of course coyote dancers to die for!! Teams will once again be encouraged to show up in their team tour kit. Once again the Old Bangkok Bangers will be the host Club of this glorious event so all members need to put out their best efforts in securing teams (Sending out the invites) and also importantly securing sponsorship. No 12

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

matter how big or small this is a tough year with companies and anything is welcome. All funds raised by the 10’s goes into supporting Rugby development in Thailand and namely the “Slum kids Rugby program “, better known as the Nak Suu Tigers RFC . The Bangers have agreed to support this as well which is a great goal for the club. The project is being spearheaded by our very own Sopo and his charity organization, partnered with the Bangkok 10’s who will provide the funding required to get this program off the ground next month. Regarding teams, we are a head of where we were this time last year and have already 5 new teams confirmed into the tournament! At this point expanding the tournament beyond the 24 teams for men’s is likely. The Vets section we are targeting 10 -12 teams but need a few more to get there. Bangers get those invites out! Games begin Saturday morning with pool matches. Should be some great games on day one as the level of Rugby is definitely going to be good. At the ground we will have plenty of delicious food served by Barry’s crew (Tenderloins and Bistro 33). Also a fully stocked Beer garden with wine and cocktails as well. There will be bouncy castles for the kids so we encourage all to make a weekend out of it! Rugby 10’s Golf tournament Guys on the morning of Friday the 19th we are looking to organize some golfing .Bobby Skinstad has already signed up as have a lot of the Jam Boys. Let me know if there is some interest there and also anyone who can assist Bruce Hill with this? Bruce has a lot of great ideas for this and it is already sounding to be what will be a highlight of the weekend! We are looking for beer sponsors and prize sponsors for this as well. Guys finally just to thank you all for your support with everything and feel this year will be bigger and better than ever!! Looking forward to a good one again.

You Will Always Be A Banger

clothes and would leave for school with rugby shorts and a T Shirt under my school shirt and sulu (Fijian traditional men’s skirt). Most Fijian villagers are arranged around Church and Village green. Each afternoon all the males in the village and often those from neighbouring villages will gather for a large impromptu game of touch. These games can be as large as 50 a side. Such large numbers require flair and a great step if you are to get anywhere near the tryline. If you drive along the coast at dusk you will see game after game in action in every village. This is where Fiji has bred stars like

I grew up Komave, a small seaside village on the Coral Coast of Fiji’s main island – Viti Levu. Komave is home to 185 people who are passionate about two things – The Catholic Church and Rugby! Most villagers survive by fishing, farming root crops and collecting fruit from the jungle, whilst others bring in a small income working at local 5-star hotels for tourists. I began playing rugby almost 13

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

as soon as I could walk. My brothers, cousins and I would play at low tide on the beach using a dried coconut husk as a ball. We would play until my Mother would whistle for us to come in at night fall. At age 5 I began school and lunchtimes soon became another time to play rugby. I would often get a hiding when I returned home on the school bus with no buttons left on my shirt. I soon learned to layer my

Serevi, Tuquiri and Sivivatu. My first real team was the St Peter Chanel Under 9’s. We were a rough and ready bunch who followed the ball like a swarm of bees and where never quite sure which end of the pitch we should run to in order to score. It was in the U14’s that I got my first real pair of rugby boots and remember being very proud and the envy of my friends who still played bare foot or in running shoes. Fijian’s also love to watch rugby both live and on TV. Local derby’s can attract crowds of 5000, many of whom walk km’s to reach the match venue or catch communal mini vans that run along the coast and can only be described as death on wheels.

You Will Always Be A Banger

During large international matches such as the Bledisloe or World Cup the village will be all but deserted as every resident pours into the 3 – 4 houses with TV reception to gather around the TV to shout and holler at the screen and support their favourite team. Often my villagers would carry generators and TV screens far up into the hills to get coverage of the bigger games. The rugby tradition was strong in the Bolakoso family. My late Father was a provincial rep of note and he started our village rugby club – Komave Blues. All four of my brothers played on the team much to the distress 14

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

of my Mum. Having suffered through many of rugby injury in the family I have one vivid memory. After a particularly brutal local match I had emerged with a broken collar bone. My mother took to my boots with a cane knife, chopping them into pieces and declaring that I was never to play again. For High School I went away to a Catholic Boarding School on the Island of Ovalau – Fiji’s first Capital city and home to the Pafco Fishery (the largest Tuna Fishery in the Southern Hemisphere). Life was tough on the island, the school day started 5:30am when the boarders would rise for chores (I was a member of the farming team and would spend hours digging and pulling cassava roots). At 6:30am we would shower and change for morning devotions at church before a quick bowl of porridge then school. Rugby was the highlight of my school day Our first XV were a strong side and we would compete in the Dean’s Trophy, traveling for 4 - 5 hours via ferry to Suva to play against other large secondary schools. The star of our team and my best friend throughout school was Amasio RoamaValence who went on to play successfully for the All Black’s 7’s team for years. As 17 year olds we were both called up to trial for the Fiji U19’s and went on to play in the Pacific Rim Cup against Australia, NZ, Samoa and Tonga. It was such a buzz to play in the National Stadium in Suva in front of family and friends against players who would go on to become big names – Carl Hoeft, Ron Cribb, Xavier Rush and the Gear brothers to name a few. 15

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

Coming to Bangkok with my wife Cindy has been another step in my Rugby career, the Bangers have in no small way helped me to feel settled in the “big smoke” far away from my island home.

You Will Always Be A Banger

THE WALL OF KNOWLEDGE

A discussion point that regularly pops up on the Wall of Knowledge, is the angry tap in the common bathroom of the Wall Street Bar & Grill. Its a tap of legends. In the middle of a major rugby match this bog standard sink tap, can be a prime conversation point amongst the know-It-alls on the Wall of Knowledge. Quite simply, if you have never experience an “attack by this tap” you are missing one life’s rich experiences. I have seen a lot of angry taps over time but never have I experienced anything like the savage beast in Wall Street.

It has a life of its own. Its belches, roars, spits, hisses and rumbles like Old Faithful, Mount Pinabatu and Versuvius. After the toilet proceedings, you gingerly approach the sink to perform the cleansing rites. The tap is waiting for you. Some have mentioned, that the Wall Street management should issue a life jacket and first aid kit before anyone treks into the bathroom. There is another school of thinking on the Wall of Knowledge, that the tap could have tourism potential. Perhaps a nice little earner for the club. The club membership have a complex and relatively unhealthy relationship with the tap. Its best for your mental health to simply avoid using the Wall Street washroom and use one in the pub next door. Cannot say the owner next door is happy about this, but he understands. This tap has defied the best Bangkok plumbers and the wise heads on the Wall of Knowledge. In this bathroom the tap rules - OK

ODD NEWS A British store is launching a range of underpants for left-handed men, an innovation it says will save them both time and embarrassment in front of the porcelain.The new range, by UK-based Hom, will have a horizontal opening instead of a vertical slit accessed from the right-hand side, breaking a tradition that has lasted for 75 years. Almost 10 percent of British men are believed to be left handed but men's Y-fronted underpants have traditionally had a righthanded opening from the time they were 16

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

invented in 1935. Left-handed men have to reach much further into their pants, performing a Z shaped maneuver through two 180 degree angles before achieving the result that right handed men perform with ease." Previously, it added, boxer shorts, with an adaptable, ambidextrous opening in the middle, have been the underpants of choice for left handed men. The new pants mean that left handed men can finally go to the bathroom as quickly and efficiently as their right-handed colleagues. Switching the opening from vertical to horizontal may sound like a small step, but it's the major breakthrough that many have been waiting for.

You Will Always Be A Banger

I get the nod to go most of the time. Editor : In a perfect world could you see yourself doing this professionally ? Johnn The pay is crap, the hours are long and everybody is a friggin critic about your shots and copy. You get to see a fair bit of Europe but the travel can get to you and there are a lot of wankers you have to deal with on the MX GP circuit. Having said that, I'd love to do it semi-professionally after I retire. Editor : You have taken some great action shots of the Bangers in action for the Banter. How have you enjoyed these assignments ? Johnn : Generally it's good fun. Because most of the games are not long, I can get to the beers relatively quickly, which is the main reason for playing rugby, isn’t it? Biggest issue I have is taking my eye off the view finder when we are about to score. Oh, and taking my eye off the action to hurl abuse at the ref. I still haven’t been able to multi-task that one. Editor : How have you found the migration from shooting motor cross to shooting a rugby game? Johnn : Shooting MX is much more difficult as the speeds are much higher and things such as crashes happen suddenly. You also have

Editor: Johnn, Great to have you on board. I have been looking forward to doing this interview for some time. Lets start at the beginning. When did you pick up your first camera? Johnn : First memory was around 5. I remember because my father booted my arse for touching it. An uncle gave me his old Kodak box brownie when I was seven. I used to cruise around the neighbourhood collecting bottles to cash in to pay for film and development. Editor : The Banger membership probably don’t know, that for a number of years you have been gallivanting around the world snapping pictures of motocross events. How did you get into this ? Johnn : A mate of mine in NZ was asked to cover the Motocross of Nations in Belgium several years in both still and video medium and asked me to help out. As I am based in BKK it is more cost effective for me to travel so 17

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

to walk a long way up, down and around the tracks to get the best shots with up to 20 kilos of gear, usually for 2 days. Shooting the Bangers has its own unique set of issues. Sometimes it is quite difficult to make guys like the forwards look like they are moving but by dropping the shutter speed I can now make even Jeff look like he's Usain Bolt. Editor : What was the most memorable photoshoot you have ever had? Johnn : Probably the Motocross des Nations in Ernée, France, some years back. Fly 12 hours, drive 8 hours, try and navigate through some of

the oldest villages in the back of beyond, taking directions from Jeff's mates only to find they put the street names in the middle of the street and not at the ends like normal people. Get to 18

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

the GP, two days of great weather, great racing, great crowd, good photos, trying to blind the MX riders in front of NZ's Ben Townley with my flash, (worked once). Ten hours back to the airport, stopping off for a rest in Belgium only to have the car broken into by some transient thugs and most of my gear ripped off. Editor : Have you had many inspirations through your years of shooting ? Johnn : Even though I'm crap at scenery or arty shots, I really like the black & white shots of Henri-Cartier Bresson W. Eugene Smith and Ansell Adams. I admire those photographers that tough out a lot of crap to go after that "one last shot". I don’t have the patience. Editor : Are you active online in self promoting your services? Johnn : Not at this point, but I am going to begin publishing some of my shots on a website that Jase Mannings is putting together for me in order to promote motocross tyres that I have made in

You Will Always Be A Banger

Thailand and marketed into NZ and Australia. Editor : What advice do you have for photographers just starting out ? Johnn : Spend your money on lenses and don’t worry too much about the "my megapixels are bigger than yours" mentality. A good Nikon or Canon body with around 8 megapixels, a good flash and a couple of good quality lenses are what you need. Then just shooting and experiment with settings, lenses, depth of field etc so you know what shot you will get in most situations. Photoshop or similar for editing the shots you take and a lot of portable media storage for your shots. Editor : What gear are you using these days? Johnn : I use Nikon gear and have D700, D2X and D200 bodies with a number of Nikkor Telephoto lenses between 70-400mm also a couple of wider angled multi purpose lenses for the close up stuff with a couple of flashes for fill etc. I also use Panasonic DVX Video cameras when I need to do motion work. Editor : What would you like to be doing five years from now? Johnn : Firstly, Still breathing, Secondly, driving a GT2 Porsche around Europe shooting Motocross, MotoGP and Super Bike GPs and getting paid well to do it. Thirdly, being able to take great shots of something other than fast bikes. Editor : Johnn. Great stuff. Thanks for your time

19

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

global stage

Hi I have back in England so I asked Mike to help with my column this quarter Thought this item may interest you The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 held recently in Dubai, was a landmark event in the history of the game. Not only was the groundbreaking tournament feature the inaugural 16-team women’s competition, but for the first time the IRB has announced the selection of four of the world’s top female referees amongst the 18strong panel set for the Rugby Sevens’ showpiece Clare Daniels (England), Joyce 20

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

Henry (Canada), Lee Wing Yi Gabriel (Hong Kong) and Dana Teagarden (USA were chosen along a blend of experienced regulars from the IRB Sevens World Series circuit and some of the best up and coming match officials in world Rugby. The four female referees took charge of matches in the Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens competition, which ran alongside the men’s. It was a great opportunity for referees who have proven themselves on the Women’s international scene to showcase their talent on Rugby Sevens’ biggest

BLOODY HARLEQUINS Thought this was an amusing tale. The London Harlequins, are currently lurching from one from one ban to another, following their “Bloodgate” cheat row and subsequent cover up will be holding a blood donor day at their ground, The Twickenham Stoop, on September 15th. As you drive into the ground the first sign you will see is provided by the National Health Service (NHS): “Save a Life, Give Blood,” it states, which is very admirable, but a little unfortunate, don’t you think, under the circumstances? The NHS will no doubt be checking the blood making sure its not tomato ketchup bought from the nearby McDonalds or, worse still, from the joke shop in Clapham Junction where the blood capsules were purchased I would be interested in reading the referees report of the incident. REFEREE JOKE A Referee Walks Into A Bar A referee walks into the bar after a rugby match, orders a pint of beer, and hands the barman a twenty pound note. The barman decides to rip the referee off for bringing about his team’s loss that afternoon, so he only hands him back a fiver in change. The referee accepts the change, takes his pint, and sits down near the fire. After a while, the barman wanders over and starts talking to the referee and says: “You know, we don’t get many referees coming in here after the match for a drink.” The referee says: “I’m not f@*^!*n surprised, at fifteen pound a pint.”

You Will Always Be A Banger

Banger Resident Chef and Food Technologist

I try not to go to too much trouble concerning recipes that would normally turn most blokes off. However, for this issue I am going to make an exception due to several requests that I’ve had from some of the guys at Wall Street for quick tasty meals, particularly using pasta. Back in the early ‘80s, the company that I worked for was involved in a promotion that endorsed a popular Aussie soap opera star by the name of Lorrae Desmond. I have no idea what the soapy was all about, but the promotion involved a campaign entitled “My top 50 thrifty Seafood Dishes” that included a lot of our companies canned seafood that were prepared and presented in a series of high quality recipe cards. The following recipes are some that I remember being very quick and easy that we used for the promotion cards. Pasta only takes about 10mins to cook, add another 10mins to prepare the other ingredients and you can have a great meal ready in the time it takes for UBC to finish their commercials between movies! SALMON FETTUCINE – About 200g precooked fettucine. SAUCE – Saute 1 clove crushed garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add 5-6 chopped anchovy fillets. Add 1 can peeled tomatoes, half cup white wine, sprinkle of oregano leaves. Simmer about 10mins. Add I can drained salmon in brine (broken into big flakes) and a sprinkle of black pepper and simmer a further 2mins. Tip the sauce over the fettucine and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. EAT.

21

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

MACARONI ALFREDO – About 200g precooked macaroni. SAUCE – Saute 1 sliced onion and 6 rashers of sliced bacon in 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine). Add 250g pack of milk and 1 packet McCormicks Alfredo Sauce mix (now available in all supermarkets), and half can sliced champignons. Heat until sauce thickens then pour over macaroni. EAT.

SPAM SPAGHETTI – About 200g precooked spaghetti. SAUCE – Heat 1 can cream of broccoli soup mixed with half can water. Add half can chopped Spam and heat through. Mix in the spaghetti. EAT.

TUNA RAREBIT – About 4 slices of toast. TOPPING – 1 can tuna in brine mixed with 1cup grated cheese. Add 1 tablespoon butter, squeeze of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated onion, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, half teaspoon paprika and Tabasco sauce to taste. Mix thoroughly and spread on top of the toast and place under griller until golden brown. EAT.

TUNA CHOW MEIN – Melt 1 tablespoon butter and saut? half chopped capsicum, 1chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot and 1 (or more) teaspoon curry powder. Add 1can (185g) undrained tuna in brine, 1 packet chicken noodle soup 2 tablespoons cooked rice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 cups shredded cabbage, salt, pepper and 1 cup water. Stir well and cook with lid on for about 15-20mins. EAT

22

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

23

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

Clubhouse Rick O’Shea The clubhouse has been very quiet over the last few months. No visits at all from overseas teams and many members have taken their home leave or are holidaying overseas. A heavy playing schedule in the TRU competition and the Royal Bangkok Sports Club mini series took its toll and guys deserve the break. The Old Boys and the Colts are entered in the Angkor 10’s mid October. And then the end of the month the Colts are wiil participate in the annual Bangkok International 7’s. Wall Street are sponsoring and looking after the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team from Australia whilst they here in Bangkok for the Sevens. For those that don’t know, Lloyd McDermott was the first aboriginal Wallaby. He and a number of other friends including the Ella brothers, have for a number of years supported a program to develop the game amongst the indigenous community. The Tri-Nations semi finals and final were watched with interest. South Africa just to good winning the championship title easily. Pleased to see the All Blacks bounce back in their last game scoring three tries. This would give them some hope for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour. They play Australia again prior to this trip in Tokyo. Tickets are very expensive. However, there a few guys from Bangkok making the pilgrimage. The Banger Golf day was a great day. Most of the competitors made back to Wall Street for the post game analysis and cleansing ales. It was a long day and night. As you all know the Banger Old Boys are entered Vintage Rugby Tournament. in Cape Town South Africa next year. There is still space on the tour. Anybody interested trip iof a lifetime experience please get in touch with me . Shanghai Shaggers in town soon for a round of golf, darts and touch rugby. Anyone interested in participating please put your hand up. Two complimentary beers every Thursday night at the Banger club night.

24

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

The annual Banger Golf Tournament is over for another year. The Texas Scramble format tournament - whatever that means - is a competition of amateur hackers and Saturday golfers and as you will soon gather, a popular event on the club fixture calender. Its a tough physically demanding day not about competing but more about finishing the course STANDING. This year’s outing was no exception. The compulsory bloody mary’s, beer and optional coffee at Wall St Bar & Grill prior to the buses planned departure at 8 am set the tone for

25

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

the day. The usual stragglers held up the departure however that did seem to faze the mellow Bangers. By the time the ten four man teams assemble near the first tee for the mandatory team photo shot the group was starting to resemble the late afternoon marketplace in Marrakech. The dubious honour of hitting the first shot of the tournament was a given to the lone club Scotsman. His effort was accompanied by a mixture of abuse and mirth from the audience. Not that anybody was counting, but all tee shots of the first team off the rank ended up in the pond 25 yards from the tee. There were signs here this was not going to be day that was going to go according to plan. The golf through the day could be best described as a mix of insanity, bogies and birdies unbridled joy and outrageously funny golf. However what happened on the golf course must stay on the golf course. There were concerns after last year of supply chain issues. The french connection of Jeff “Schumacher” and Laurens “Senna” promise to remedy this and were given responsibly for driving the two refreshment carts with assistance of a couple lovely ladies from Wall Street. True to form, their performance went downhill proportional to the quality of the golf on the day. Laurens cart was forced to retire early in the afternoon with engine trouble. Pressure was now

26

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

on Jeff, who took full responsibility for keeping everyone topped up with liquor - this was in addition to the mandatory shooters available at strategic holes around the course -. Anybody with less jet fuel on board could not have pulled off the cross fairway, green, bunker and tee manoeuvres Jeff executed. This was driving under the influence at its best. At the completion of the play the players meandered and weaved over to the nearby outdoor club house for the prize giving and more liquid refreshments. The prizes, not unsurprisingly, were bottles of spirits and wine. Just what the lads needed. Only the winners seem to remember who won, but at the end of the day it didn’t really matter. After the prize giving, getting everyone back on the buses for the trip back to Wall Street became an exercise in logistics. The beer was flowing all the way back into town. It didn’t finish there. Wall Street being the generous hosts they are, invited everyone in for more liquid refreshments. A big thanks should go out to the organizers and the sponsors for the great day out. Until next year....

27

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

28

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

You Will Always Be A Banger

Most rugby players, depending on their position, use more calories in training and matches than the average person will use. Rugby players will usually combine strength and aerobic training however, different types of training will require different nutrients. A rugby player, who is doing weights, may need slightly more protein on those days. The average male with an office based job who goes for a 45min run, 3 times a week, will need approx 2800 calories per day, of which 50-60% of the calories should be coming from starchy carbohydrate foods, 20% from protein and the rest from good sources of fat. Carbohydrates are very important to fuel muscles during exercise. Fluid intake is also crucial as dehydration can affect an athlete’s ability to train and also how quickly they will get tired. Protein is also important and can be obtained from meat, chicken, fish, dairy foods, eggs, nuts etc. Most sports persons need to eat more food to meet their training needs. The requirements for fluid are based on weight; if you are 100kg then you will need 35 mls per kg of body weight and will therefore need a minimum of 3.5 litres per day. Extra fluids will also be needed for training; the usual fluid losses of a player in a team sport can be 1L (1kg) per hour and up to 2L (2kg) in individual sports. The bigger you are the more fluids you can lose. Water is the best fluid for most of us as a drink throughout the day. Sports drinks are not good for your teeth but, if used with care, may allow athletes to recover more quickly after training. To gain weight you need to eat more calories than what you are burning off and follow a training and weights programme that will help you do this. If you are burning 4000 calories per day, but only eating 3500 calories per day, then it does not matter how much of these foods or drinks are protein based, your muscle gain will still be very slow or not at all. It’s also important that you eat enough on all days of the week. Missing various meals at weekends will have an impact on the overall intake of calories for the week. Make extra portions when cooking and freeze to use at a later date. Cook extra pasta or rice and make a cold salad, which can be brought to college, rather than buying food there which can often be expensive. Smoothies can be made at home in bulk and will do you for a couple of days. Look for offers on frozen fruit in the larger supermarkets as frozen berries are often cheaper than fresh and are just as good. 29

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

“If you are burning 4000 calories per day, but only eating 3500 calories per day, then it does not matter how much of these foods or drinks are protein based, your muscle gain will still be very slow or not at all”

You Will Always Be A Banger

I went to “my spot” on the Wall of Knowledge at Wall Street to watch the recent test match between the Wallabies and the All Blacks. I was feeling confident things were going to go well today. And they did. About time. The AB’s haven’t look good this year in fact disappointing. Lets hope they get there act together for their trip to the Northern Hemisphere.

30

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

The Bangers played well in the recent Thai Rugby Union competition. It was a difficult time of the year with key players away. however the Bangers that stayed in Bangkok knuckled down and gave their best. You cannot ask for more than that. Good stuff As you know doubt know, I have said goodbye to the hotel industry. After 20 years, it was time for a change however, it was a change didn’t see coming as quickly as it did. In recessionary times, hotels and tourism in general tend to take the brunt. Unfortunately I was part of the brunt. One door closes and another opens. John Perry offered me an great opportunity at Crown Relocations and I accepted. Really looking forward to the challenge. Expect to see me on the Wall Knowledge at the my usual spot for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere games. Remember the Sideline Eye is always watching.

You Will Always Be A Banger

31

Banger Banter OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009