Lanka Lions played brilliant Rugby and reached the semi finals of the Classic Seven a side tournament, played in preparation for the Emirates Dubai Rugby 7s, held at the Jabel Ali Dragons Rugby grounds last evening.
The Lions went down to the home side – Dragons 2 by just two points 14-12 in the semi finals after leading 12-7 till the last minute. The Lions lost their first game to Dubai Hurricanes 2 and beat Barrel House Worries and Dubai Exiles 2 to reach the semi finals.
A great start to the season. The lions next outing will be on the 23rd of November at the Al Ain Sevens tournament.
New Zealander and Trinity College coach, Neil Foote will fly in tomorrow to take charge of the Lanka Lions Rugby team and prepare the Lions for the Emirates Dubai 7s starting on the last Thursday in November 2012 at The Sevens Stadium.
Neil Foote first began playing rugby at the age of five; this was normal for a New Zealander as rugby was seen to be the ‘winter sport’ and cricket as the, ‘summer sport.’ Aside from this, Neil participated in sports such as basketball, softball and touch rugby but his focus lay on rugby.
At 18, Neil left New Zealand and played club rugby for Twickenham for three years and then Harlequins for two years before returning back to New Zealand. After he had resettled in his hometown, Neil joined the police force where he remained for seventeen years. However, during those years, rugby did not subside as he played representative and club before retiring from all forms of rugby towards the end of 1999.
Neil first began coaching in 2002 with sevens club rugby and then went on to coach representative U20s rugby. In 2004, under his guidance, the San Francisco Golden Gate team – a top division team in the US league became runners up in a national competition. Neil continued with club coaching before he was offered the position of coach at Trinity College at the end of 2010.
