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ADVERTORIAL ARMY/NAVY PITCH BATTLE AT TWICKENHAM Army takes aim for straight eight in annual Babcock Trophy match with the Royal Navy 52,000 partisans will be drawn to the annual pitch battle between the Army and Royal Navy on 2 May at Twickenham. Search-contact-destroy. It’s explosive stuff! Away from ‘ops’, soldiers, sailors and airmen enjoy nothing more than ‘having a pop’ at the other two Services. The annual pinnacle is the Army v Royal Navy match for the Babcock Trophy at the home of England rugby. The Army ‘Reds’ are on a roll and in May they will focus on a record ‘straight eight’ wins over their old ‘enemy’. Statistics suggest history is on the Army’s side but that would over simplify a complex equation. The Navy are an improving side with huge belief and the balance of power is seldom tipped until the final whistle. Traditions play a key role in our modern Armed Forces. Summon up memories of Wellington and Waterloo, Nelson and Trafalgar and the glint comes into the military eye. The guns, ships and aircraft of the current generation may be technologically ‘state of the art’ but Servicemen are aware that their ethos is built on the self-belief handed down over generations; ‘mates’, Regiment and Service above self regenerates that key rugby characteristic – pride. Frequently those who don’t really understand talk about the importance of having decision makers in the team – the very quality necessary to control fast moving military ‘ops’ in uncharted territory. That experience of making decisions, performing complex drills and immediate inter-active movements is where Servicemen can gain an advantage. They can take that on to a rugby field. Read the rugby press each July to see how many Premiership clubs agree. They turn to the raw benefits of a military ‘boot camp’ with the Royal Marines or the Army in preparation for the new season. It’s all about players having to make decisions when the body and the brain have already said ‘stop’. Until the 1970s many international teams were built around the Armed Forces, the Police and Oxbridge. In the 1990s wonderful players like Rory Underwood, Tim Rodber, Mattie Stewart and Rob Wainwright were household names. Today it is more difficult for Servicemen to gain full international recognition and hold down a real job. Six days in the Pennyhill Park Hotel is hardly preparation for six months on the front line in Afghanistan, where everyone must take their turn. Services’ players may be short on opportunity at representative level but some find their rugby climax with the Barbarians or England Counties. The 2008-9 England Sevens squad includes the Army’s Isoa Damudamu, Josh Drauniniu (RN), who runs out for Exeter Chiefs, and Royal Marine centre Greg Barden, who is with Bristol. They were groomed on Inter-Services rugby. Currently in the Army stable is Apolosi Satala, the infantryman playing for Fiji at XVs and 7s. Apo has become a great favourite with the ‘Shed’ at Gloucester. Also available for Army selection is his countryman Jack Prasad who has nine caps at fly-half for Fiji. Mark Lee, a recent skipper of Scotland 7s, will captain the Army at Twickenham, whilst 18 stone prop Chris Budgen will show that legging-it across open ground under the whizz of Taliban rifle fire has done wonders for his speed and side-step. Chris plays alongside Navy lock Marsh Cormack at Exeter Chiefs. DON’T MISS THE ACTION! MATCHES 2009 15 April Army v RAF – Aldershot 1915 hrs Above and left Action from last year’s Babcock Trophy clash as the Army extended their winning run over the Navy to eight years CLASSIC SPORTS SERIES / 95 |