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COBRA 10s is the world's premier
A Tens game lasts 20 minutes except for the final, which lasts 30 minutes. Played fast and furious, it is an exciting variation of the popular game of rugby Sevens but more closely related to the rugby Fifteens format. The Tens allows both forward and back line play. The key factor here is all-round skills are translated into teamwork at fast pace.
Yearly, a total of 16 top teams from all over the world are invited to participate in this prestigious tournament which is played over two days.
The COBRA 10s in its early years was mainly contested by local clubs and several invited foreign teams. The tournament was keenly contested between the expatriate- dominated Royal Selangor Club and COBRA. Then the military took over. First the Royal Australian Artillery Regiment, then the 16th and then 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) made the 10s their own - except for brief interruptions by COBRA in 1972 and 1975. The RNZIR in fact won it for seven straight years until most of them were shipped back to New Zealand, thus allowing the curiously named Bunnies to take the title in 1985. The Police took it for two years in a row but the stragglers of the RNZIR, in their final year in Malaysia, wrested the trophy for one last time.
The inaugural COBRA 10s tournament was held at the Astaka Field in Petaling Jaya in 1967 and during the tournament's early years, the Astaka field became the home of the Tens.
When the first fully international version of the COBRA 10s was introduced in 1992, the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras became the new home of the Tens and for subsequent tournaments till 1997.
Since then the COBRA 10s is held annually at the
rugby tens
Rugby tens, also known as ten-a-side and Xs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of ten players, typically five forwards and five backs. Matches are much shorter, usually played as two ten-minute halves.
Unlike the other tw ...
tournament which is organized annually by the COBRA Rugby Club of Malaysia
The COBRA RUGBY CLUB is a prominent rugby club in Malaysia under the Selangor Rugby Union and Malaysia Rugby Union. Over the years COBRA has produced many outstanding rugby players at the national and state level. Members of COBRA are also activ ...
. The tournament is held each November at the MBPJ Stadium
The Petaling Jaya Stadium, also known as the MBPJ Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Kelana Jaya in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The stadium was opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 25,000. It was built in time for the 199 ...
in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
The first COBRA 10s tournament was held in 1967. Today, 16 top teams from around the world compete for the coveted Hui Weng Chun Challenge Trophy and title as Tens champion.
HSBC Bank, a name globally recognised and synonymous with rugby had been the tournament's main sponsor from 2005 to 2012. Since 2013 COBRA has been organizing the tournament without a title sponsor but with the assistance two main sponsors; Carlsberg Marketing Malaysia and IJM Corporation Berhad. The club has also been supported by many other sponsors.
Overview
A Tens game lasts 20 minutes except for the final, which lasts 30 minutes. Played fast and furious, it is an exciting variation of the popular game of rugby Sevens but more closely related to the rugby Fifteens format. The Tens allows both forward and back line play. The key factor here is all-round skills are translated into teamwork at fast pace.
Yearly, a total of 16 top teams from all over the world are invited to participate in this prestigious tournament which is played over two days.
History
Although Malaysia may seem an unlikely place for the making of rugby history, yet it was here that 10-a-side rugby was born. The world's first 10 a-side rugby tournament was held in Malaysia in 1967. The Tens tournament was indeed a brainchild of a menagerie of Combined Old Boys Rugby Association (COBRA) members. The Tens game was conceived on the barstools of their favourite after match haunt. The idea was to create a format of play that is fast and open but still retains much of the character of the 15s version.Early years
The COBRA 10s in its early years was mainly contested by local clubs and several invited foreign teams. The tournament was keenly contested between the expatriate- dominated Royal Selangor Club and COBRA. Then the military took over. First the Royal Australian Artillery Regiment, then the 16th and then 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) made the 10s their own - except for brief interruptions by COBRA in 1972 and 1975. The RNZIR in fact won it for seven straight years until most of them were shipped back to New Zealand, thus allowing the curiously named Bunnies to take the title in 1985. The Police took it for two years in a row but the stragglers of the RNZIR, in their final year in Malaysia, wrested the trophy for one last time.
Recent events
In 1992, the COBRA Tens went fully international. That year Australian champions, Randwick of Sydney, defeated a very strong Marist St. Joseph of Samoa in a thoroughly fascinating encounter . For the first time, rugby luminaries, namelyLawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero Dallaglio (born 10 August 1972), known as Lawrence Dallaglio, is an English retired rugby union player, former captain of England, and 2016 inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
He played as a flanker or number eight ...
(former England captain), Australian hooker, and later captain, Phil Kearns
Philip Nicholas Kearns (born 27 June 1967) is an Australian former rugby union player. He represented the Wallabies 67 times and was captain on ten occasions. He is a rugby commentator with the Fox Sports TV channel.
Biography
Kearns was bor ...
, and All Black Olo Brown
Olo Max Brown (born 24 October 1967 in Apia, Samoa) played 56 tests at prop for the New Zealand All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ĺpango), represents New Zealand in men's inter ...
played on Malaysian soil. Subsequent tournaments have featured internationals such as Tony Underwood
Tony Underwood (born 17 February 1969 in Ipoh, Malaysia) is a former English rugby union footballer who played as a wing three-quarter back. He is of Malaysian-English parentage.
Rugby career
His rugby talent was first nurtured at Barnard Castl ...
(England), Waisale Serevi
Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi (born 20 May 1968) is a Fijian former rugby union football player and coach, and is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Serevi is renowned for his achievements in rugby sevens, while also enjoying a long car ...
(Fiji), Brian Lima
Brian Pala Lima '' OM'' (born 25 January 1972) is a Samoan former rugby union player who was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.
He earned the nickname of "The Chiropractor" for his shuddering hits both on and off the pitch that supposedl ...
(Samoa), Uale Mai
Uale Mai Vala (born 20 July 1978) is a retired rugby union player who played for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens Wo ...
(Samoa), Amasio Valence
Amasio Valence (born 12 May 1979) is a former rugby sevens player. He was born in Nadi, Fiji, but after he first made his break into professional rugby in 2000, he switched allegiances to New Zealand. He was hailed as one of the most promising ...
(New Zealand) among many other notable names in rugby. Belgium Barbarians was invited in 2007.
Venue
The inaugural COBRA 10s tournament was held at the Astaka Field in Petaling Jaya in 1967 and during the tournament's early years, the Astaka field became the home of the Tens.
When the first fully international version of the COBRA 10s was introduced in 1992, the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras became the new home of the Tens and for subsequent tournaments till 1997.
Since then the COBRA 10s is held annually at the MBPJ Stadium
The Petaling Jaya Stadium, also known as the MBPJ Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Kelana Jaya in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The stadium was opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 25,000. It was built in time for the 199 ...
in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The stadium, which was built in preparation for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, was also the venue for the Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens. The COBRA 10s was brought back to the Astaka field in Petaling Jaya for brief moments in 1998 and 2009.
Tournament format
Grouping of teams
16 teams will be grouped into four groups of four.Day 1 - Preliminary round
The Preliminary Rounds shall be played in accordance with a round robin format. Each team shall play three matches against teams within their group. Points will be awarded as follows : * WIN - Two Points * DRAW - One Point * WALKOVER - Two Points * LOSS - Zero (0) PointsDay 2 - Knockout round
In the second round, the two top teams in each group will advance to the Cup/Plate Championship Pool. The 3rd and 4th placed teams in each group will advance to the Bowl Championship pool.Cup Championship pool
Quarter-finals : The winners in the Cup Championship pool will advance to the Cup Semi Finals (while the losers will advance to the Plate Semi Finals). * A1 vs B2 * B1 vs A2 * C1 vs D2 * D1 vs C2 Cup Semi Finals : Semi finals shall be played on a knock-out system * Winner A1-B2 vs Winner C1-D2 * Winner A2-B1 vs Winner C2-D1Plate Championship pool
The losers of the Cup/Plate Quarter Finals will advance to the Plate Semi Finals. Semi Finals : Semi finals shall be played on a knock-out system * Loser A1-B2 vs Loser C1-D2 * Loser A2-B1 vs Loser C2-D1Bowl Championship pool
Quarter-finals : Quarter Finals will be played on a knock-out basis. * A3 vs B4 * B3 vs A4 * C3 vs D4 * D3 vs C4 Bowl Semi Finals : Semi finals shall be played on a knock-out system. * Winner A3-B4 vs Winner C3-D4 * Winner A4-B3 vs Winner C4-D3Development activities
During the week of the tournament, rugby development activities are conducted with the assistance from participating teams. Among the activities organised are : * Rugby coaching clinics for schoolboys * Referees seminar * Rugby friendlies with local teamsPast champions
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobra Rugby Tens Rugby union competitions in Malaysia Rugby tens