The 2010 rugby year recently wrapped up and the organization that oversees rugby in the Kingdom is already working on expanding in 2011.
The Cambodian Rugby Federation finished its 10th season in November, and the group has been busy lining up new events and preparing new additions to the existing league.
"We are planning a senior league this year to include Saigon -- it will have four teams," said Tom Sterling, secretary general of the CFR.
In addition to the Saigon Geckos, the "Super 4" comprises three teams from Phnom Penh: the Sisowath Knights, the PSE Garudas and Stade Khmer.
Sterling, who played the position of prop for Winchester RFC in England until he was 32 years old, says the federation is also planning to expand rugby activity in Phnom Penh with training sessions for minis, juniors and women.
FCC Chief Operations Officer Raphael Guillien presents the Angkor 10s Man of the Match Award to John Harvey of the Dubai Exiles.
"There will be a juniors' competition in March, most likely with international participants," he said.
And plans are in the works to stage a seven-a-side tournament, which will likely be held in May.
The Cambodian national team, the Koupreys, will be playing some international matches. One of the teams that the Koupreys will be up against is the national squad from Laos in the Mekong Cup, Sterling said.
The federation will hold a black tie gala dinner May 6, 2011, at Naga World. Naga World, Ford (RM Asia), Cambodia Capital, The FCC, ANZ Royal Bank, TEAMS, Sterling Project Management and Kingdom Breweries are sponsoring the event.
The CFR had an action-packed season this year with the local Sisowath Knights winning the league.
The year concluded with the 2010 ANZ Royal Angkor 10s tournament. The annual 10-a-side tournament, which is typically faster than traditional 15-a-side rugby, was first held 10 years ago with the inception of the CFR, which was established with a mandate of developing rugby in Cambodia.
This year, the 2010 ANZ Royal Angkor 10s hosted 13 teams, including Australia, Cambodia, Dubai, Laos, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The tournament took place at the Old Stadium in Phnom Penh on Nov. 5-6. As well, the "old boys" played a day of exhibition matches on Nov. 6 while the competition matches were played on Saturday.
The Saigon Geckos won the competition while the local PSE Garudas, a team composed of Khmer players, placed second in the tournament.